Thick

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Thick

Unread postby cbigbear » Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:59 am

This is a term that is widely used, but seemingly undefinable. How many times have you heard or read thick bedding cover? I know when I hear or read I'm always wondering what is thick. Is it something you can't walk thru, or maybe only a 5-10 yd visibility, or just thicker then surrounding areas? What do you consider thick & pics would probably help in this thread?

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whitetail4ever
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Re: Thick

Unread postby whitetail4ever » Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:32 am

Would this qualify as "thick"?

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How about this?

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And this?

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These are just a few areas I scouted out last spring...they are adjacent to a bedding point on a east/west running ridge, but I have yet to figure out where the bucks are bedding, if at all, in this area. It is nasty thick as you can see, and I have to crawl to get through some spots.

I guess the question I have is...would deer move through these spots naturally? Or only when pressured? There were some defined trails on top of the ridge in this area, but none at the top 1/3 elevation, simply because it may be too thick for them to move through.
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Re: Thick

Unread postby johndeere506 » Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:22 am

My definition of thick matches the pics above. Ive always been amazed at how easy Ive seen big bucks walk through something like this. When Ive scouted I up and down, getting smacked in the face, tripping. The just walk on through with an occasional ducking of their heads. Just what Ive seen...
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Re: Thick

Unread postby fishlips » Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:30 am

From what I can tell, thick is relative to the terrain. The hill spots I used to hunt had thick spots loaded with multiflora rose and all sorts of goodies. Compare that to cedar swamp and it doesnt seem that thick.

I think in general, thick cover for the area is going to hold deer.

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Re: Thick

Unread postby checkerfred » Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:14 am

I have to get you some pictures of my thick areas....they are either clear cuts or grown up lands with small trees and briars and stuff....I can't figure out how to hunt it....you can usually only see 10-15 yards at best..if you can see more, its so grown up you can't see movement
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Re: Thick

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:01 am

fishlips wrote:From what I can tell, thick is relative to the terrain. The hill spots I used to hunt had thick spots loaded with multiflora rose and all sorts of goodies. Compare that to cedar swamp and it doesnt seem that thick.

I think in general, thick cover for the area is going to hold deer.

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I think that's an excellent definition. If its the thickest in the area it certainly qualifies.

Cedar swamps are kind of "off the charts" crazy, you will lose blood if you penetrate far- just the way it is. The pics above are what I would describe as a clearing. Again, it is relative to the area you are in.
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Re: Thick

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:16 am

I found this pic on the net. I see stuff similar to this in areas I hunt.
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Re: Thick

Unread postby checkerfred » Thu Jan 08, 2015 12:32 pm

In this spot, this is the most open area... You can see how thick it is on further in.

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Re: Thick

Unread postby fishlips » Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:30 am

Wish I had some pictures to post showing cedar swamp vs hill country vs marsh. I love finding the thick stuff and generally like diving into it. I haven't figure out though how to successfully hunt in it or very close to it. It can be hard in cedar swamp where you do have to crawl and climb and everything else to get through spots that look impenetrable, but the deer certainly live in it.

I think the thick stuff can be really good for driving deer during gun season, but I haven't found enough guys to do it. Plus you have to have people willing to beat through the brush, and not everyone likes that. I know even in the hilly stuff, I hate going through multiflora rosa and anything with thorns.
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Re: Thick

Unread postby cbigbear » Sat Jan 10, 2015 3:01 am

I categorize thickness in my head by height levels. You have low thickness - generally a result of vegetation such as briars, sawgrass, cattails, switch cane, broom straw, chuckle bur, kudzu vines. I find you can't walk thru this without there being deer trails or using the aid of a machete. Then you have a mid story thickness. Young planted trees - pine plantation or crp/wrp, willow thicket, red brush, buck brush, or really any type of young trees that are growing close together. I find in this you can crawl thru or bend over & get thru fairly easy, but standing is difficult. Finally you have a thick low canopy. Like above but after a 10-15 year tree grow. The ground is bare & easy walking due to the shading of the canopy. However if you climb over 10' you can't see the ground.

You can also have a combination of any or all of the above. Where you find this combination is inner transitions & where I've found the majority of my buck beds. What type of thickness do you find your majority of beds?

Examples of thickness by height

low
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Mid story
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Upper story
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Re: Thick

Unread postby hunter_mike » Sat Jan 10, 2015 3:28 am

Thick - you cant walk through it without belly crawling, physically pushing the brush over (cattails), or using deer trails

Kinda thick - you can walk through it but cant see more than 10 - 20 yards.

I agree the term is overused. At one time i was marking areas using my gps with a 1 through 4 on how thick the brush was in certain areas but then i decided it was not an efficient use of time.

A lot of the buck beds I find in the marsh, i believe are early season beds because the locations are relatively exposed when the marsh grass is dead frozen and matted down.
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Re: Thick

Unread postby Tom's Hunting Lodge » Sat Jan 10, 2015 6:15 am

Use to push the Pucker brush Tamarack swamps here in Southern Mi.(Different from the cedar swamps in Northern MI) Late morning on every Thanks giving day !

If you already punched a deer tag, you were going in, if not, you got to post up on a potential escape route with hopes one would come thru .

That stuff was thick ! you had to duck, squat, crawl and squint to protect your eyes ! that brush was like fingers as If you had stocking hat on or gloves in your pockets, it would be stripped of you !


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