Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

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BigHills BuckHunter
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Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:26 pm

So I looked at the island in the marsh today and the first thing I noticed was absence of rubs. I didnt find any. So im not sure if bucks even use this island that much like they did a year ago. However I found well used trails on the perimeter of the island all the way around it. I also found a small island just to the East of the main island. It had one good bed on it. I walked a little further and found 2 white oak trees. The island was covered with red oak and had only 7-8 white oak from what I saw. Not sure what type of white oak though. Bur oak? Swamp white? I found these two white oaks about 70 yards from the little island with the bed and found a light trail going from the little island to the main island right to the white oak. I found a kill tree that I think would work about 15 yards from the white oaks right on the edge of the main island. Like I said Im just not sure if the bed I found was from a doe or buck on the small island.

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Surrounding marsh

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Pic of island from woods to the East

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Small island with bed

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The two white oak 70 yards from bed

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Kill tree in center of pic about 15 yards from white oak trees

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What type of oak is this?

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Dewey
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby Dewey » Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:15 pm

Looks like a Bur Oak to me.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby addisonlee » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:20 am

8-)
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby dan » Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:23 am

A big lone bed as you described is most likely a buck bed... As anybody who was on the scouting workshop with me can attest, there are not always rubs near buck bedding areas. Sounds like a great place to hunt early season when the oaks are dropping.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:42 am

Dewey wrote:Looks like a Bur Oak to me.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image

Yep, that is a bur oak leaf. The deer also like the bur oak acorns.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:01 am

Thanks for info guys. Im still confused why I found so many rubs just last year and now none. Possibly it could relate to as a bucks ages he creates less rubs? Maybe a 2.5 year old was making all the rubs last year? Either way Im excited to hear that bed is most likely a buck bed. Im going to go for it for sure. 8-)

Also about the Bur Oak, I did research and found they only produce crops every 3 years or so? Also, I heard they have to be old trees before producing and these trees didnt look that old. They were about 25-30 feet tall. Anyone know much about bur oak? I figured deer like them because of being apart of the white oak family. If there is no crop this year maybe I could bank on all the red oak on the island.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby BigHunt » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:13 am

Stanley wrote:
Dewey wrote:Looks like a Bur Oak to me.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image

Yep, that is a bur oak leaf. The deer also like the bur oak acorns.

yup agreed..


hey man nice job scouting keep up the good work 8-)
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby matt1336 » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:31 pm

What oaks are the white oak variety or family? What kind of acorn drop was it last year in your areas? In SE WI, I don't remember anything outstanding but I know that they were around. What does the cycle for these trees look like? I'm sure it has something to do w/ how dry/wet the spring and summer were...right?

Sorry for the hyjacked thread. Feel free to move my post if so desired.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby jlh42581 » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:40 pm

definitely watch the stand height in that tree
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:32 pm

jlh42581 wrote:definitely watch the stand height in that tree


Yea any higher than 10-15 feet and I will stand out like no other. This might have to be 10 feet off the ground or lower. The picture makes it look like there is less brush and veg around that tree than there really is. If I set up at about 10 feet I would have thick vines and branches behind me. At 15 feet nothing but sky.

matt1336 wrote:What oaks are the white oak variety or family? What kind of acorn drop was it last year in your areas? In SE WI, I don't remember anything outstanding but I know that they were around. What does the cycle for these trees look like? I'm sure it has something to do w/ how dry/wet the spring and summer were...right?

Sorry for the hyjacked thread. Feel free to move my post if so desired.


Im going to have to research more about the bur oak. Also, I dont remember what he drop/crop was like for acorns in west central WI especially the bur oak. I could ask around back home for oak in general and what the crop was like.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby jlh42581 » Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:26 am

Most places I know of this year the white oaks and reds were virtually non existent. However, I was on a ridge two weekends ago that was LOADED with beachnuts and they had a field day in there this fall.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:55 pm

BigHills BuckHunter wrote:Thanks for info guys. Im still confused why I found so many rubs just last year and now none. Possibly it could relate to as a bucks ages he creates less rubs? Maybe a 2.5 year old was making all the rubs last year? Either way Im excited to hear that bed is most likely a buck bed. Im going to go for it for sure. 8-)


There are many possible reasons for the lack of rubs-

* the buck that made the majority of them is deceased
* the island received too much hunting pressure
* a more mature and/or dominant buck began spending more time there
* predators created too many problems, i.e. coyotes, wild dogs, humans...
* it may have been seasonal bedding for food / acorns and last year the food production was poor

The 2.5 year old bucks in my hunting areas sure do a lot of rubbing- I can almost always find at least a couple of rubs from the same buck if he lives to 3.5. After that, they start becoming very scarce and require a lot of scouting in high pressure areas. Finding the lone, good sized bed is a very promising sign. 8-)
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby phade » Wed Mar 07, 2012 1:27 pm

Looks good...the kill tree as mentioned seems like it may be challenge with lack of cover.

Might sound crazy, but plstic xmas tree pieces could help here if you absolutely need to go higher to get the shot. I usually use cut branches that I cut while leaves are green as they'll hold all winter long...sometimes two winters, but that seems impractical in your situation. The xmas tree limbs are easy to pack in and pin to the backside of the tree.

Maybe also consider toting a spotting scope come fall before season if you can scan it far enough away without disturbance (maybe from woods?) to see if you can pick up sign of acorn crop. I think if the signs point to those burr oaks dropping...you got a nice spot to hit. Heck, you could logically gamble if any burr oaks in the woods are saddled...chances are one of those on the island will be.
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Re: Pics from marsh public land scouting trip

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:20 pm

Singing Bridge wrote:
BigHills BuckHunter wrote:Thanks for info guys. Im still confused why I found so many rubs just last year and now none. Possibly it could relate to as a bucks ages he creates less rubs? Maybe a 2.5 year old was making all the rubs last year? Either way Im excited to hear that bed is most likely a buck bed. Im going to go for it for sure. 8-)


There are many possible reasons for the lack of rubs-

* the buck that made the majority of them is deceased
* the island received too much hunting pressure
* a more mature and/or dominant buck began spending more time there
* predators created too many problems, i.e. coyotes, wild dogs, humans...
* it may have been seasonal bedding for food / acorns and last year the food production was poor

The 2.5 year old bucks in my hunting areas sure do a lot of rubbing- I can almost always find at least a couple of rubs from the same buck if he lives to 3.5. After that, they start becoming very scarce and require a lot of scouting in high pressure areas. Finding the lone, good sized bed is a very promising sign. 8-)


I completly agree with your explanations. The ones I think that are most likely are lack of food ie acorns and the buck that made them is dead. I really havent seen alot of pressure on this public until the rut then everyone goes in there to hunt. With that said people are really lazy where I hunt and Im sure most public hunters in general. So I cant really imagine alot of guys putting in the effort to hunt this island. Its gonna be quite a mess walking thru that swamp w/o detection of the buck. I need to learn how to walk quietly with all my gear even if that means practicing on other swamps close to home. I know that sounds ridiculous but you gotta do what you gotta do. Im not going to put this much time into something then mess it up right before the big game. I would love to go to one of Dan workshops especially if it deals with hunting marsh. Ive got a lot of questions and Im willing to learn especially from him.


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