How many of you guys hunt islands? Ones where you need a boat to get to and from? I have heard of a lot of people shooting big deer on islands and I have also heard and seen deer swim to islands when they feel endangered or pressured.
I have before. They have swam across a decent swift river to and from islands here on the coast. Depending on wind they bed right on the water making them hard to still hunt. My buddies though drop dogs on the islands and run the deer to them which I guess is another way to do it. One spot I have hunted had bridge access and that's it but the deer will still swim and hang for weeks on the islands.
I hunt some public islands on Mississippi River. First time I hunted one of them I saw about a “160-170”@50 yds at first light. If I coulda climbed the tree I wanted to be in I would’ve smoked him at 10 yds. That’s the day I switched from climber to hangon setup for run n’ gun. But to answer your question yes.... big deer especially mature bucks tend to head for islands for the solitude. As long as there’s a healthy habitat there they may stay awhile or for good or until flooding forces them off. All of these are pics of deer we got on camera or killed on one of 3 islands we hunt. The one pic is a buck in velvet swimming to one of them L
The land around an oxbow is great, too. Real edgy deer [and pig, where they exist] hunting ground. If you are ever scouting public land, keep this in mind.
Shocker. Awesome stuff man. This will be my first year hunting an island. I'll be pulling a trail cam from an island this week. Been out there 3.5 months. Hoping I get pics of something. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I found this guy on a island this year. Searched all over for a few hours and found his bed or hopefully another bucks bed on another island that was only 10 yards by 10 yards big. Still trying to come up with a plan to hunt this bed this year. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Just noticed something about the shape of the island I'll be hunting this fall..... Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Man I wish I had islands like that around here! I'm naturally draw to islands when I'm scouting. Just wish there were more around on places I hunt. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I've had a cam out on the island for 3 months. I'm hoping to pull it soon. I'm excited. I'm hoping there is something worthwhile roaming around. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Prob a lot of does on mushroom tip island. Good luck I see a lot of deer on islands while bass fishing the rivers.
Thats a borough of NYC. Although there are absolute monsters on Staten Island, no hunting, its a New York City Burough!! Eastern Long Island is the other way!! LOL
One of my favorite pieces of public ground is the point into the oxbow of a river. It makes a great sanctuary since it is almost impossible to access by land without spooking the deer.