Seems to me that the number 1 most useful piece of info to have about a deer is where he's bedding. What he's eating may be important too, but bumper crops of acorns like last year make that dang near impossible to pinpoint, plus he'll most likely be long gone from that feeding area way before daylight.

So that being said, do y'all think that a mature deer beds in the same bed every single day? Or do you think that location changes based on the wind direction, or other factors?

The only way i know this is beacuse i saw it with my own 2 eyes. I jumped a big buck bedded in a brush pile. Went down to take a look and he had at least 30 rubs all in his area. All those rubs were made that year, but also noticed some rubs from last year in it. I dont think he used it every single day, but he surely used it alot.

Don't think they bed in the same bed each day but do think they have a core area they stay in they feel comfortable to bed down. On the side of a mountain I find most of the beds on the edges of benches.

As long as they're comfortable and feel unpressured, they will use the same small area every night. Once any pressure gets toward them, they totally change their game.
My advise, follow your does daily feeding patterns more closely, when the rut kicks in, the big mountain boys will travel with them. Do not go trying to find a big mountain bucks bedding area, most of the time you will never see him leave when you push him and you will totally change his pattern. You can kill them but they are as hard as heck to figure out and not mess up on until they start chasing the does. In summary, just learn where the does are going to be during that time of the season and stay with it. I have one saddle that I will not see a big deer until January, but when the does that feed on the saddle go into estrous, I may see 6-8 bucks a day cruising and checking the place that is about as big as a football endzone.

I don't think they use the EXACT same bed every day. A mature deer does not get old by being stupid. They know the areas they live in better than we do. I believe a mature deer has several beds and he beds each one for a reason. That reason is most likely wind direction. A mature buck beds off to himself. All the ones I've came across have had thick stuff behind them and more open stuff in front. Once you find one, you can look at a topo map of the area and look for similar areas elsewhere to find more. I believe they will mainly bed on the leeward side of a ridge. They have dominant winds coming across the top of the ridge and thermals coming up. I've got pictures of buck beds in some very strange places.

I think you pretty much nailed it. I think some may use the same very small bedding area for weeks. Some the exact spot day after day till food, intrusion or breeding causes them to move. I guess it could be described as rugged, 3D bedding . There are just so many choices of bedding sites up here coupled with the fact they are all individuals makes it hard to pinpoint a bedding site for very long. Much different from mid-West or urban areas where they may have no choice but to bed in a small woodlot day after day for long periods.

To add to this^^^ I think a buck like to have several options if he is happened upon. Something like a knob allow him to roll off any side according to which direction the danger comes from. The top bench on the mtn is where I hunt 90% of the time with me being on top looking down.

Exactly RS, they love the upper end of a point too , where it terminates right under a bluff. If it's not a shear rock cliff, but something they can get up and down, they'll go up as well as around or down. They can see, use wind and thermals plus 4 directions to escape. Tricky .

This is what I was looking for. I have heard and read about this idea that they will bed on the downwind side of a ridge or point, looking down the hill and catching the wind from their back. Seems like they would cruise during the rut in a similar fashion.

I agree. I think they'll cruise around the head of deep cuts a couple benches under the top of a ridge where the thermals are bringing the scent up the mtn to him. He can most likely smell a hot doe bedded off in there and he don't have to walk his legs off that way.

The mtn is a whole lot smaller at the top also therefore he can scent check a lot more acreage the higher he is.

Pretty cool. Amazing thing, a deer's nose.