Hunting dry marshes

[Dewey]

I know there are plenty of marsh hunters here. Just wondering if you have had to adjust your tactics due to the extremely dry conditions?

All of the marshes I hunt are bone dry and never saw it this bad in over 30 years of hunting them. It does open up a lot more bedding and I am finding beds in places that previously were always under water.

Another tactic I have been using is hunting closer to the water that is available like rivers or ditches that still hold some. It's getting harder and harder to find.

Anybody else finding this to be more of a challenge?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

Yep... Same thing here... The primary bedding areas are still holding bucks, but in some areas they are bedding out in the cattails making it tough to get them.

[headgear]

I had this problem last fall too, bucks seemed to have a lot of bedding options. I also found a lot more hunter sign in areas I would never run into anyone else previous years.

[Dewey]

It's crazy that some areas that have been huge pools of water are now dried up and are actually getting overgrown with weeds now.

Sure feels weird hunting the marsh and not hearing a single duck splashing in the water or muskrats scurrying around. Even the beaver ponds are dried up and the beaver lodge is vacant. Not sure where they went?

Last year water levels around here were quite high so this really surprises me it got bad this fast.

Deer sign is harder to find now since they are not leaving much for tracks and are spread out over a much larger area. Deer can bed pretty much anywhere now and cattails are like hunting one huge cornfield except much thicker!!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Bucky]

I have noticed expanded bedding areas as well.... meaning they are bedding in new areas that are typically under water

[Czabs]

I too just located a ridiculous bedding area that was underwater last year with no beds. now its tore up with rubs and trails everywhere...

While walking to a couple spots in the cattails I found random beds...pretty tough. But still fun!

[Jackson Marsh]

Walking in on Saturday I was also thinking the bucks could bed anywhere too, but I still had 3 bucks come out of what I was assuming was the primary bedding area. Sure makes for easy walking in the cattails.

[ Post made via Android ]