Snow beds.
06-02-2008, 12:48 PM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,139
RE: Snow beds.
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
I saw you say this somewhere else, MM....and I have to ask....
Do they really lay with their antlers to the side? I've only been fortunate enough to see one buck bed down near me. He stayed 14yds away for 3:40 minutes, though. I saw him groom himself like a house cat would several times. What I also thought was interesting is.....he would tuck his snout inside his back hip when he would sleep....and that position had his antlers stuck straight down his back.....sort of streamlined.
If there had been snow on the gorund....there's no way he would have given away he was a buck just by judging his bed (and looking for antler imprints).
Just my (admittedly) single observation.
check for horn imprints
Do they really lay with their antlers to the side? I've only been fortunate enough to see one buck bed down near me. He stayed 14yds away for 3:40 minutes, though. I saw him groom himself like a house cat would several times. What I also thought was interesting is.....he would tuck his snout inside his back hip when he would sleep....and that position had his antlers stuck straight down his back.....sort of streamlined.
If there had been snow on the gorund....there's no way he would have given away he was a buck just by judging his bed (and looking for antler imprints).
Just my (admittedly) single observation.
06-02-2008, 03:17 PM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Northern Idaho's Panhandle
Posts: 4,436
RE: Snow beds.
Quick I have seen both dug out to the dirt beds and then deer that lay right on top...same ridges same day of scouting, I have a bunch of photos of this at home I will dig through them and post some tonight when I get home from work.
To answer your question I dont think it random, some dogs just like to lay in the dirt while others are content to lay in the grass, I think deer are the same, some like to dig down to the dirt while others are content with layingon top of the snow.
Btw, how deep was the snow you were seeing this in.. ? I notice the mix of dirt beds to snow beds to be about the same when the snow is between 3-8 inches deep..
If you want to know if its a buck or a doe, smell it.
Especially from Late Oct to late Dec
To answer your question I dont think it random, some dogs just like to lay in the dirt while others are content to lay in the grass, I think deer are the same, some like to dig down to the dirt while others are content with layingon top of the snow.
Btw, how deep was the snow you were seeing this in.. ? I notice the mix of dirt beds to snow beds to be about the same when the snow is between 3-8 inches deep..
If you want to know if its a buck or a doe, smell it.
Especially from Late Oct to late Dec
06-02-2008, 03:43 PM
#13
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: Snow beds.
I haveread different opinions on this. I can say for a fact that some deer paw the snow away before laying down, because I watchedthe buck I killed in Alberta do just that! I'll include a pic of it that I took.
I think they do this soit puts them deeper into the snow for better insulating purposes. I watched my buck walk in my direction, and when he was about 60yrds out, he stopped and started pawing the snow, which wasclose toa foot deep. I thought he was making a scrape, until he layed down in it.
He stayed there for about 10-15 mins. I think he was just resting from the rigors of the rut. He got up, came towards me, and the rest is history.
I think they do this soit puts them deeper into the snow for better insulating purposes. I watched my buck walk in my direction, and when he was about 60yrds out, he stopped and started pawing the snow, which wasclose toa foot deep. I thought he was making a scrape, until he layed down in it.
He stayed there for about 10-15 mins. I think he was just resting from the rigors of the rut. He got up, came towards me, and the rest is history.
06-02-2008, 03:50 PM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 9,445
RE: Snow beds.
ORIGINAL: early in
I haveread different opinions on this. I can say for a fact that some deer paw the snow away before laying down, because I watchedthe buck I killed in Alberta do just that! I'll include a pic of it that I took. I think they do this soit puts them deeper into the snow for better insulating purposes. I watched my buck walk in my direction, and when he was about 60yrds out, he stopped and started pawing the snow, which wasclose toa foot deep. I thought he was making a scrape, until he layed down in it.He stayed there for about 10-15 mins. I think he was just resting from the rigors of the rut. He got up, came towards me, and the rest is history.
I haveread different opinions on this. I can say for a fact that some deer paw the snow away before laying down, because I watchedthe buck I killed in Alberta do just that! I'll include a pic of it that I took. I think they do this soit puts them deeper into the snow for better insulating purposes. I watched my buck walk in my direction, and when he was about 60yrds out, he stopped and started pawing the snow, which wasclose toa foot deep. I thought he was making a scrape, until he layed down in it.
He stayed there for about 10-15 mins. I think he was just resting from the rigors of the rut. He got up, came towards me, and the rest is history.
06-02-2008, 06:22 PM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: IA/WI/IL
Posts: 1,482
RE: Snow beds.
I also think how much snow is excavated by deer from their beds is all about insulation. I have found when there is snow on the ground, and the ground is not frozen, deer paw through most of the snow so they can lay on the relatively warm ground. When the ground is frozen and it is very cold deer do not want to lie on the ground as a layer of snow under them insulates better, but they do want to sort of burrow down a bit into the snow for the same purpose. When the air temp is warmer they try to just lie on top of it all.
06-02-2008, 07:21 PM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: Snow beds.
Quick i cant answer your question about the snow thingy cause we just dont get enough around here for long periods But i can tell you something i have seen quite a few times in buck beds. I have found quite a few buck beds where there are very small saplings around the bed, and have all been rubbed on either while buck is bedded or before bedding. just adding this to ponder on.
But i can tell you something i have seen quite a few times in buck beds. I have found quite a few buck beds where there are very small saplings around the bed, and have all been rubbed on either while buck is bedded or before bedding. just adding this to ponder on.
06-02-2008, 07:47 PM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: H.R., Virginia
Posts: 1,044
RE: Snow beds.
ORIGINAL: JoeRE
I also think how much snow is excavated by deer from their beds is all about insulation. I have found when there is snow on the ground, and the ground is not frozen, deer paw through most of the snow so they can lay on the relatively warm ground. When the ground is frozen and it is very cold deer do not want to lie on the ground as a layer of snow under them insulates better, but they do want to sort of burrow down a bit into the snow for the same purpose. When the air temp is warmer they try to just lie on top of it all.
I also think how much snow is excavated by deer from their beds is all about insulation. I have found when there is snow on the ground, and the ground is not frozen, deer paw through most of the snow so they can lay on the relatively warm ground. When the ground is frozen and it is very cold deer do not want to lie on the ground as a layer of snow under them insulates better, but they do want to sort of burrow down a bit into the snow for the same purpose. When the air temp is warmer they try to just lie on top of it all.
06-02-2008, 11:51 PM
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Streamwood,Illinois
Posts: 782
RE: Snow beds.
I have seen them do this also.I think they dig for insulating around there bodies and maybe to help hide the contrast of there dark coat on the white snow.I usually see beds like this inwoods that are very easy to see through when there is snow on the ground.So maybe its a camo thing.If the snow is deep I usually dont see dug outbeds.If the snow is only a couple of inchs I think they try to build it up around them.I dont know for sure good question.
06-02-2008, 11:56 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,465
RE: Snow beds.
I don't know about all this "snow" you talk about. We got 4" this past winter and all hell broke loose. You can tell you live in the south when your town gets 4" of snow and the next morning there are 55 wrecks in 2 hours.[&:]People...
For the pawing to the dirt, it seems simple to me.Bucks have testicles, as do most of us. I'm not a betting kind of guy, but if I was, I'd bet a shiney new penny that 90% of you wouldn't strip down butt naked and lay face down in the snow.
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They would get cold.....really cold. Wouldn't you rather keep em away from snow too?[8D]
For the pawing to the dirt, it seems simple to me.Bucks have testicles, as do most of us. I'm not a betting kind of guy, but if I was, I'd bet a shiney new penny that 90% of you wouldn't strip down butt naked and lay face down in the snow.
.
.
.
.
They would get cold.....really cold. Wouldn't you rather keep em away from snow too?
[8D]