I stumbled upon what could be my greatest find while scouting/shed hunting today. A small island in 1-2 feet of water with numerous large tracks and rubs going on and off it. This little raised elevation is no more than 15-20 yards across, but is filled with rubs. I didn't find any beds on it, but this area has been flooded with the high water levels the last few weeks, so that may explain it. If there was a buck bedding here though, he could see anything approaching him from at least 100 yards off in any direction. My problem is this: I am completely out of my element in this spot. It is nothing like the hilly terrain or the rolling farmland that I am used to. It is ALL flat ground with very OPEN timber. There are a lot stumps, and fallen limbs on the ground that would provide some cover, but for the most part the trees are mature and still standing. While walking I noticed that I was finding a lot of tracks, but none of them were actual deer trails. It seemed that the tracks were just kind of wandering about, but in no direct pattern like you would normally find. I have hunted this spot a few times over the years, but have never seen a deer in here. I know some of the best bucks in the area are in here. I have seen them cross the road at night leaving this area, found some great sheds, and every now and then an absolute bruiser falls to a hunter. Any help from some of the swamp hunters or anyone who has chased mature bucks through flooded river bottoms?
Never hunted that type of ground either. I have hunted on a few islands in the river, but it sounds like you need to buy "Swamp Bucks" (or something like that) by The Blood Brothers.
I've watched it once, but probably need a refresher on it. The terrain isn't really like the cattail marshes they show on it, as this is some pretty open terrain and a deer can see a long ways off. However, the beds that they show on it would be pretty similar to the place I found this afternoon. There's a missing piece in those woods somewhere I just haven't found it yet.
I've hunted river bottoms for about 15 years now. I would say that thats a place where bucks go to to leave there mark. Its sort of like a community scrape tree. I would be willing to bet alot of those rubs are night time activity. They come in there when they can roam freely at night without being threatened from anyone. I would start from there an back track an think like a deer (so to speak). Just my two cents.
Try to establish the rub lines and go back to which way they are entering. When the wind is right this is the only time to hunt these spots. You have to figure out where and when he is coming from or you will never see him.
I have a good friend whom I hunt in Montana with, was there this Jan on a doe hunt. He hunts soley in the river bottoms for whitetails and is pretty much a hardcore elk hunter that plays the wind on foot with elk but with whitetails he hangs a stand in a great spot but disregards wind. He hunts his whitetails in flat river bottom ground, thick timber in places, with some GREAT thick brushy bedding thickets too and then a lot of open timber scattered out as well. He always tells me he is lucky to see anything ever bigger than a 130 class buck. Hes killed several from the 115s to the 130s over the years, all 3.5 year olds and younger. His main spot is about 125 acres of river bottom timber but consists of 320 acres of total ground counting the ag ground around it. The very first thing I noticed when I went with him was that he does not play his enterance and exit routes to and from stands by the wind. Immediatlly a red flag popped up with me as I can see why he doesnt see the bigger older bucks that this property definately is big enough to hold. I know there are bigger/older bucks in there, because we stopped by his land owners and that guy had a couple monsters hanging on his wall from the same area. The problem that I feel my buddy runs into is.. he gets away with a TON of scent on the younger deer and the does as he and only one other guy hunt this property during the buck seasons, Oct-Dec ... NO old buck that I know of is gonna scent check a human and them come passing by their stand during hunting season. I believe if he minded the wind more carefully he would start seeing a few older bucks each season. like TJ said if you can pattern those bucks in there and play the wind right I have a good feeling you will see movement. Obtw, he let me pick my stand sites the 2 days I was there this winter and I had 11 different bucks walk by me in 3 sits..one dandy! before i got sicker than a dog and had to go home early.. I played the wind to a "t" and hunted the thick travel corridors from feed to beds.
I have hunted river bottoms for 20 years, like shed stated in the above. Getting to and from your stand is KEY. I use a boat when I hunt the bottoms and only hunt them when I can getin using my boat.
I hunt in the south Arkansas bottoms. Past 2 years have been pretty flooded. But, I've had 2 of my best years in those years. My avatar was wading knee deep when I shot him year before last. Anyway, get some stands up now, in good wind/sun locations. If the property gets much pressure, then opening week of gun season will be a good time. The big bucks will likely be laying low in such a place. Get some waders too, if you don't already have them. That kind of place is also a great spot for when the does come into estrus. That's the kind of place does go to hide and get bred. Good luck. Sounds like you might have found a new honey hole.
i hunt in south georgia and it is nothing but swamp bottoms. the deer are probably bedding on the island to cover there scent trail from predators. my advise for you is to hunt on the nearest ridge overlooking the bottom or at the base of the ridge in the morning cause the topof the ridge will heat up faster in the morning sun and create a thermial up draft drawing your scent up and out of the bottom.
I get to hunt a duck club for achery deer from time to time, very little woods but tall (i call it buck brush) 6-8 foot tall the deer use as bedding and you cant walk in it, it snaps like a fishing rod with a very load report and deer run as fast as they can away from you. The deer walk in the first six inches of water of the slue we are in and very rarely walk in the buck brush. as for the island deer maybe walk to it a few times to see where the deer use for a escape route from the island, you could always set up where they want to goes when distrurbed, have someone slowly push them out of the island and be ready for them. for me most of the riverbottom bucks move very late, just before dark thirty. best of luck.
I hunted a river bottom for 5 years In back of my house. I no longer can hunt there (different owners). I miss that place like there's no tomorrow. It Is by far my favorite place to hunt for mature bucks. I seemed to understand them better In there for some reason. The river bottom I hunted was a huge bedding area so going In and out was very critical. It took me a few years to figure that out and by the time I did I could no longer hunt It.
I stumbled upon some large tracks early this October, and I believe they are the same that I saw Saturday. This is state land, so I bring my stand in with me on every hunt. To enter it I was literally walking in the river for almost mile. There is a levee I was using to hide myself. I only hunted this with a E or SE wind, so my scent was being carried out to the river. I was hunting this year about 400 yards away from this island (which I didn't know existed), so it is possible I may have been spotted setting up. Also, duck hunters limit where I can hunt since getting shot doesn't really sound fun. Some guys duck hunt the closest ag field to here, and left it standing in corn this year. I would say the buck is traveling out there well after dark to feed. There are a series of levees he could use to travel, but would eventually have to cross a very shallow lake. This morning I was able to find another spot close to the fields, that runs back about 800 yards that was tore up with rubs. It almost completes a circle back to the island I found Saturday. I know of a 190" taken close to here back in '03. Duck hunters from this lake reported seeing this buck swimming in the lake some mornings as they were headed to their blinds. Go figure a Louisiana swamp hunter up for the week killed him.
