Okay, so I have been hunting this swamp for a good year now, and there's scrapes everywhere, there is a little field that had about every single little twig tree rubbed. So Last year, 1st day of gun season, I get in my blind about 10:30, 30 minutes later a doe comes in scared because someone shot to my right, So I shoot her at 25 yards, she piles up 10 yards later, Retrieve her, and hunted more, with no luck, Always see deer sitting on this rige bedded down, So This season I finally wanted to try out closer to the swamp/marsh, So 1 side of the swamp got clearcut, the otherside is thick twigs, and pines. So I walk into the woods, behind a brush pile dump, and I'm scouting/hunting, So There's a like snowmobile trail, so I'm walking up to it, trying to avoid the thick, thick twigs, and I look up and see ANTLERS, He's running past me, I try to get my release on, get it on, arrow falls out, LOL, I'm like damn, So he runs through the brush dump site, and I'm not sure where he went, So I start tracking, And see his footprints in the grass, Was rainy day before, soft dirt, So He ends up on other side of the brush site, I walk up there, and Don't see him, Then spook him and other deer, I keep following, Trying to find and get a shot, I ended up Spooking them 3 times, So I get to a heavy deer trail, This is the only trail they use, No other trails really, So I sit until dark, then go home. I came back 4 days later, And Decided to really scout the area, Grunting and rattling when I first entered, So I walk to the swamp, See a bunch of trails, But no deer, I know for a fact nobody hunts back here really, A guy last year harvested an 8 point in the swamp rifle season, He said there's a 12 point and others back here, So I'm thinking this is the 12 point, Was very wide, Almost Like Graf's buck he harvested 2 weeks ago, So What should I do? Make a couple mock scrapes? I have a ground blind I can carry with and put it up when i want to hunt (Wisconsin Won't let hunters leave ground blinds or treestand overnight) So What is your guy's Opinions? Nobody has ever been back here, the bucks know that, With the rut pretty much here, Should I sit tomorrow? What's your opinions on ground blind locations? Okay so, The RED Is deer trails, The red trail that is really highlighted Is the most used, Really REALLY Used, The light blue circle is where I had the buck encounter with I think a 10 or 12 point. The purple outlines the swamp/marsh, The Blue outlines where they logged/clearcut last summer. The white is a logging road they used. The 2 pink circles is where I have seen multiple scrapes/rubs. And Finally the yellow, Where 2 Deer trails intersect, Should I put my ground blind where the yellow is? Or no? I think it would be great, Have 2 different Shots. So share your thoughts guys! I'm really hoping to harvest some big guys out of this new wooded area, I will be getting a Stealth Cam G30 Very soon to put up around here!!! Thanks! BHOD!
First advice is to not go chasing deer on the ground with a bow. Big bucks are still around because they're smart. If you spook them and continue spooking them, then they probably aren't going to want to come around. If it were gun season that's a different story because no matter what they are going to get pressured. With a bow sit on the ground or in a tree stand, play the wind, and wait don't tromp around in your best spots
At this time of the year I would get downwind of those two well traveled trails. I would go in quiet and not grunt or rattle at all. Just go in and be quiet, day after day.
