Where do they go during the day?

[4thdimension]

I have an apple tree in my front yard and set up a trail cam to monitor it. For the past several nights I have had a big 7, a big 8, and a smaller 8 come in to feed on the apples. I have never seen any of these deer during the day. I just went out scouting today and walked around the woods looking for buck rubs and things of that nature but found none. We have groups of does that hang out during the day but the bucks vanish. I assume they hide deep in the woods and feed at night. I found a few bedding areas. Maybe that's where I should put a stand? If there are does there I can only assume there will be horny bucks there once the rut starts. These bucks are still hanging together so they aren't in rut yet. Also, they do not hang out with the does. It is either a group of does on my trail cam or a group of bucks at night. I found a spot about 200 yards from my house where there appears to be heavy deer traffic. It looks like they bed down there. It is by a stream. I think that will be where I put my stand. This is my first year archery hunting and I really don't know what I am doing. I am a good shot I just need to find one.

[Bang]

During the day they go into areas where they know they cannot be hunted and bed down.

[4thdimension]

The woods are so damn thick near me. I need to find an area that they travel which is suitable for archery hunting. I would have to do some serious pruning to clear shooting lanes in most places. Also, I am not certain where these bucks come from. I have permission to hunt the woods behind my house but I think they come from the woods in front of my house as there is a heavy trail there. I think I have a better chance once they start rutting.

[stainless]

Without getting into too much detail I would suggest getting down on your hands and knees if you wish to see their travel lanes. You can tell by the ground having very low growth and "archways" under the brush. Remember that you are not able to see any of this when your eyeballs are almost six feet above the ground. The bedding areas are also much more visable down there.

Once you start clearing shooting lanes the wildlife will notice. It could help in the future but animals will note that something is wrong. They will become more paranoid. This can be noticed if you observe a cat once you move a cardboard box in a basement. They will slowly stalk it bobbing their head up and down to figure out what has changed.

Good luck on your hunt. Those "dumb" animals are pretty smart.

[Ranger P229]

Game cams are your friend 4th dimension! You can "scout" with cams and have minimal invasion into the areas you have in mind.

There has been some very good advice here already concerning finding bedding areas. I'll throw in my 2 cents as well. Buck will bed down in a place that affords them physical security from predators (you), and also affords them an advantage when it comes to use of their senses. I've found more than one good buck bedded down on a very steep hillside in a little flat or depression. He can see the whole hillside or valley below by just peeking his head over, a good place to see but not be seen. Another type of area I look for buck in is areas of open woodland with a lot of blow downs and tree tops. They're very hard to navigate, easy to hide in, and with little low brush easy to see a long way. If your buck are bedding in the super thick stuff expect them to be in a place where they can hear/smell things coming in from the most likely direction people would be coming from.

Find someplace you can set up on the edge of the thick stuff, and remember that in a couple weeks you need to hunt the doe and the buck will come along. if you can find a slightly more open point of woodland heading into the thick stuff check it out, If there is a rub line or even better, a scrape, in that point then you're in business.

Keep us updated, and when you kill a big one post some pictures!

[God's Country]

IMO put less time being concerned about the trail cam and find the areas the deer use to travel between bedding and food. Deer rest and feed in many different locations as the weather and food availability change, but often use the same trails to travel to from those different areas. A natural funnel is always a good spot. I don't put much stock into rubs and scrapes either. I've taken nice buck near rubs, and where there wasn't a rub anywhere to be seen, as well as been skunked in areas with rubs every 25 feet.
This can be very different based on the deer density. My rule of thumb, especially when hunting a new or unfamiliar area, is to find a funnel and eventually something is going to happen given some time, patience, and of course luck.

[4thdimension]

I found a spot. It's near my house about 100 yards away. My neighbor told me he has been seeing a 6 pt in the area. It's clearly traveled a lot by deer and its near a brushy area with tall grass. Deer have clearly been bedding down there. It is also one of the few places that I won't need to do any pruning to clear shooting lanes as it is pretty much open. It is also by a stream. I noticed that there is a strip of woods leading to my dirt road where I frequently see deer and turkey. If I follow that strip of woods from the road it leads back to the spot I intend of hunting.