Any of you guys hunt marshes for deer? I have some near by but I do not really know how to go about scouting/hunting them. Any input appreciated! Thanks!
It's not quite a marsh, more of a patchy swamp. I have to say it's probably some of the hardest areas for me to hunt. Sign is easier to find because of the mud, but where I hunt is very thick and difficult to navigate. I generally stick to hunting trails in and out of bedding areas. Treestands can be good if you find a decent tree, but ground blinds can be really killer if you construct it well and really hide it. It's really hard but one of the nice aspects is that you'll usually get very close shots if you set up right.
I hunted along the Santee Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina. I focused on dry spot along the edges that had food sources on them, mostly oaks and wild grapes. I killed a ton of deer there. As said, it's really easy to tell which trails are being used by the muddy tracks. Just watch for rattlers on those high dry spots.
Thanks, this I think may help. So I should just look for some higher spots maybe in or right on the edges where the deer would like to bed down and possibly feed?
Some good tips mentioned. Edges are always good, if there any creeks or deeper water then crossings can be good. Any high ground within the marsh such as islands or tree clusters. If your hunting it when it's real cold I wouldn't be surprised if they're bedding in sunny patches just inside the marsh edges or in the marsh itself if the winds not bad. Like someone else mentioned I've also always had good luck with oaks near marshes. Rattling on marsh edges or pockets is effective and decoys are fun too.
I think I will try to look for some oaks and high spots here when I go shed hunting on an area nearby. Thanks for the input!
Do you have a picture of the land you plan to hunt? That could make it a bit easier to give some input. Focus on ANY high spot... Doesnt have to be a group of trees, a lot of times deer will bed on even the slightest elevation change in the marsh. Try finding deer trails going in/out of the marsh as well - You could go through hell trying to get in/out of a marsh with no path.
I saw quite a few deer hunting on a wooded edge that backed up to a huge swamp. It was public land so seeing deer was a success haha. I found a good trail where the deer came out of the swamp and followed the edge of the woods. Good luck!
It is lake Mcconaughy in Nebraska, the 2009 pictures on google earth are pretty clear and when it wasn't flooded. I've heard of people making a path once, and that the deer pick it up. Would this be a possibility?
Deer can often be lazy, especially when not pressured. They don't want to walk in deep mud, or push through nasty prickers, any more than you do. Focus on the easier travel routes through and around the area. More often than not this is where the deer will travel. If it is super thick rent a field and brush mower a few times a year and make and maintain trails for them. You'd be amazed how well it can work!
I do not believe I will be able to get a field and brush mower into this area, but I am willing enough to cut them by hand as long as there is a decent chance of the deer actually using them. So what are the odds of deer using a trail like that?
I do it all the time. If the area is thick enough, and you are willing to put in a bunch of time to make and maintain trails, the deer will use them. The better job you do, the better it will work. Plan the routes you will clear before you start, it helps to have an idea of the direction the deer most often travel. Keep in mind the most frequent wind direction in relation to a decent tree to hang a stand. If you can have a few trails intersect and/or pass within range of your stand, all the better.
X2 on the marsh bucks DVD, really lays it out on how to be successful in a marsh. It really helped me out a lot.
Im not going to shoot a young deer. I would prefer to shoot a buck but will shoot does if it is later in the season.