Big woods

[olivertractor]

The area I hunted has marshes/muskeg and swamps. With islands and a ridge. Only 5' to 10' higher. These have a mix of poplar, maples and what is called mixed northern hardwoods. Some pine spruce and white cedar. In the middle of the larger hardwood stands there is little understory. The thickest areas were along the easterly and southerly facing transitions between the muskeg and the hardwoods. Or the aspen patches that were 5 to 20 years old. Old clearcuts.

This was years ago before I ever heard of hunting specific beds. But I often jumped bucks midday in these more open areas. Some were relating to a taller hump. some not. Could have just been some random occurrences. All occurred during some phase of the rut. All I know is the deer seemed to like the general area. From the sign and sightings it seemed to hold more than the 8 to 10 deer per square mile that the rest of the areas in the county had.

This is basically what I hunt though I always like to mix in a river/Beaver pond as bedding (I'm by far not an expert in this field) seems to be more predictable to me, at this moment in time, also I'm probably targeting 2+ yr cuts. There's some massive bog swamps I would love to tackle but they get so much bear hound pressure that I haven't dove in yet though I know I need to.

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[blackwolf]

The area I hunt in N. Wis is a mix of hills, streams, small ponds, boggy marsh. My best years are when there are acorns
with best spots on funnels near heavy cover around edge of ponds or marsh, connecting points between higher areas.
Finding beds a useless blunder in this big country with limited deer. High points jutting out against streams have been good also.
Good scrape trails show up on old logging roads and can give some early rut action.
Bottom line, in big woods, follow streams, walk around all marsh edges, pond edges and you will find some good funnels.
Years with acorns, stay near them, years without stay closer to open areas, beaver pond areas or cuttings.
Spring scouting a must, every year I see things a little different.
Sorry to ramble but been at this since 1976 and this sums it up. Tough hunting with the deer numbers down
but I feel good about arrowing a good one about every 4 years.

[KLEMZ]

The area I hunt in N. Wis is a mix of hills, streams, small ponds, boggy marsh. My best years are when there are acorns
with best spots on funnels near heavy cover around edge of ponds or marsh, connecting points between higher areas.
Finding beds a useless blunder in this big country with limited deer. High points jutting out against streams have been good also.
Good scrape trails show up on old logging roads and can give some early rut action.
Bottom line, in big woods, follow streams, walk around all marsh edges, pond edges and you will find some good funnels.
Years with acorns, stay near them, years without stay closer to open areas, beaver pond areas or cuttings.
Spring scouting a must, every year I see things a little different.
Sorry to ramble but been at this since 1976 and this sums it up. Tough hunting with the deer numbers down
but I feel good about arrowing a good one about every 4 years.

Hey blackwolf, good to see you posting! I always appreciated your big woods posts in the past. I too hunt far north wisconsin and will say you hit the nail on the head with your experience. If I can add anything to this discussion it would be...

-during rut, hunt the type of spots blakwolf describes, but don't sit a stand until you have verified fresh sign the area is active this season. Without fresh tracks, droppings, pawing for food, etc....keep walking. Do not hunt a spot just because you got one there last year.

-finding buck bedding is more difficult in this big terrain with the limited deer population, BUT...it is not a "useless blunder". In fact, once you find the secure area of a fully mature buck, you are going to be able to find him at home with more regularity than most seem to think. In fact, in my experience, the mature buck bedding I hunt in the big woods is more predictable than the mature buck bedding in far southern wisconsin farmland (all public). I believe this has to do mainly with the human intrusion factor..it is basically non existent in the north woods...a much simpler equation!

-I have found bedding by cyber scouting and then walking to likely spots...but that definately is not my most efficient method up north. What has lead me to the best bedding is to always pay attention to tracks whenever I am walking in the woods. If I encounter a set of fresh big tracks heading BOTH ways on a trail I assume I am within a half mile of where he beds. If that same trail also has his OLDER tracks going both ways I know I am getting close (maybe 600 yrds?) from his bedding. I then can study my aerials/topos and go back and cover everything near the repeated big buck sign. It works.

-deer tend to have large bodies in the north, so I limit the "tracking" to find beds to true 4 finger wide (or wider!) tracks. It just makes it easier to be sure I am on the right sign at all times. Big, clumped droppings are also important to help locate the beds. Rubs..not so much, I am always happy to see a "big" rub, but it doesn't usually help to find the bucks secure area. Lastly, you will need a good understanding of terrain based bedding tendencies so you know where to look. Study "marsh bucks" and "hill country" videos, read posts from Dan and all the helpful beasts who put up maps. It will take 5 years to make sense of it all (if you are like me). Don't be in a hurry..enjoy the ride.

[ThePreBanMan]

I have not near the experience as many on this forum. So take what I do with a grain of salt. Here is what I do. After the season is over I walk all the deer runs and trails I can find. The goal is to have the GPS capture the paths. I mark way points for primary scrape areas and rub lines and maybe beds I stumble across but I mostly am trying to capture their trails. Then I go home and upload them into base came and ultimately Google Earth. Now I have a map of all the deer runs in the woods. So I can actually see where're they're walking, possibly bedding, etc. I've found that having a map of the deer runs has helped me tremendously. It really brings everything into focus as it helps me identify travel routes between bedding, food, where other hunters may push them to, etc. Then you can look at the map and see which trails into bedding they may be more inclined to use based on wind, etc...

This has helped me because in the woods I hunt you can't identify them from aerial photos. We have tall pine and old hardwoods largely intermixed and a thick under story. And I do mean thick. Like need a machete and/or clippers to bushwhack through all the green briars, etc.

This may not be as effective a tactic for the trophy hunter. Knowing the trails doesn't mean a pope and young is using them. But I'm mostly chasing meat for the freezer and it helps me see deer.

[fishlips]

The area I hunt in N. Wis is a mix of hills, streams, small ponds, boggy marsh. My best years are when there are acorns
with best spots on funnels near heavy cover around edge of ponds or marsh, connecting points between higher areas.
Finding beds a useless blunder in this big country with limited deer. High points jutting out against streams have been good also.
Good scrape trails show up on old logging roads and can give some early rut action.
Bottom line, in big woods, follow streams, walk around all marsh edges, pond edges and you will find some good funnels.
Years with acorns, stay near them, years without stay closer to open areas, beaver pond areas or cuttings.
Spring scouting a must, every year I see things a little different.
Sorry to ramble but been at this since 1976 and this sums it up. Tough hunting with the deer numbers down
but I feel good about arrowing a good one about every 4 years.

Hey blackwolf, good to see you posting! I always appreciated your big woods posts in the past. I too hunt far north wisconsin and will say you hit the nail on the head with your experience. If I can add anything to this discussion it would be...

-during rut, hunt the type of spots blakwolf describes, but don't sit a stand until you have verified fresh sign the area is active this season. Without fresh tracks, droppings, pawing for food, etc....keep walking. Do not hunt a spot just because you got one there last year.

-finding buck bedding is more difficult in this big terrain with the limited deer population, BUT...it is not a "useless blunder". In fact, once you find the secure area of a fully mature buck, you are going to be able to find him at home with more regularity than most seem to think. In fact, in my experience, the mature buck bedding I hunt in the big woods is more predictable than the mature buck bedding in far southern wisconsin farmland (all public). I believe this has to do mainly with the human intrusion factor..it is basically non existent in the north woods...a much simpler equation!

-I have found bedding by cyber scouting and then walking to likely spots...but that definately is not my most efficient method up north. What has lead me to the best bedding is to always pay attention to tracks whenever I am walking in the woods. If I encounter a set of fresh big tracks heading BOTH ways on a trail I assume I am within a half mile of where he beds. If that same trail also has his OLDER tracks going both ways I know I am getting close (maybe 600 yrds?) from his bedding. I then can study my aerials/topos and go back and cover everything near the repeated big buck sign. It works.

-deer tend to have large bodies in the north, so I limit the "tracking" to find beds to true 4 finger wide (or wider!) tracks. It just makes it easier to be sure I am on the right sign at all times. Big, clumped droppings are also important to help locate the beds. Rubs..not so much, I am always happy to see a "big" rub, but it doesn't usually help to find the bucks secure area. Lastly, you will need a good understanding of terrain based bedding tendencies so you know where to look. Study "marsh bucks" and "hill country" videos, read posts from Dan and all the helpful beasts who put up maps. It will take 5 years to make sense of it all (if you are like me). Don't be in a hurry..enjoy the ride.

Do you set a stand in these spots or are you hunting from the ground? Sometimes I feel like the stand limited how willing I am to keep moving

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[blackwolf]

Klemz, good points. I actually took my last nice bow big woods buck due to the fact I knew real close the area at least
one big buck preferred to bed. I just haven't found many actual beds. I do know areas of close proximity but low
deer numbers last few years due to wolves and bad winters have made it tough.
I was set up pretty good with 3 stands this year but my knee (a replacement) went bad after all stands were ready
and for first year in 40 years, I never hunted. Real Bummer. Stands will be up till spring I guess, and I likely saved one bucks life! lol
Had some pretty good cam photos and the "wheels" are already turning for next year. Hoping knee allows me to get in some good
spring scouting. Had my eye on a 12 pt with split G-2"s. Hoping he is back next year!

[KLEMZ]

Do you set a stand in these spots or are you hunting from the ground? Sometimes I feel like the stand limited how willing I am to keep moving

Well, first of all, all the finding of buck bedding is happening during the off season. I am hunting known trees when I put a hunt on a buck bed.

As far as scouting for active doe areas during my rut hunts, yes I do scout (sometimes the whole day) with my entire set up on my back ready to climb a tree and hunt. However, in my opinion it is not necessary for success to carry everything. It would be very effective to speed scout without all the gear, and simply go back and get your hunting gear once you find what you are looking for. Again, I'm talking big woods rut here..burning bridges isn't nearly as critical for this specific hunting. In other words, your odds of killing a rutting buck are WAY HIGHER, once you find an active pocket of deer, EVEN IF YOU RETURN LATER THAT DAY OR THE NEXT DAY..than sitting an unscouted "ultimate" funnel on a first time sit. That is my personal experience up north.

As far as hiking with all the gear on my back, I have pared down my "system" to minimal weight without losing any function or comfort.

[KLEMZ]

Klemz, good points. I actually took my last nice bow big woods buck due to the fact I knew real close the area at least
one big buck preferred to bed. I just haven't found many actual beds. I do know areas of close proximity but low
deer numbers last few years due to wolves and bad winters have made it tough.

That is a good point. Even if you don't have exact buck bedding located, if you can find does using an area adjacent to suspected buck bedding, I believe you have upped your odds.

That 12 point sounds like the king of the woods, I hope you resolve your knee problems and get back out after him.

[fishlips]

Do you set a stand in these spots or are you hunting from the ground? Sometimes I feel like the stand limited how willing I am to keep moving

Well, first of all, all the finding of buck bedding is happening during the off season. I am hunting known trees when I put a hunt on a buck bed.

As far as scouting for active doe areas during my rut hunts, yes I do scout (sometimes the whole day) with my entire set up on my back ready to climb a tree and hunt. However, in my opinion it is not necessary for success to carry everything. It would be very effective to speed scout without all the gear, and simply go back and get your hunting gear once you find what you are looking for. Again, I'm talking big woods rut here..burning bridges isn't nearly as critical for this specific hunting. In other words, your odds of killing a rutting buck are WAY HIGHER, once you find an active pocket of deer, EVEN IF YOU RETURN LATER THAT DAY OR THE NEXT DAY..than sitting an unscouted "ultimate" funnel on a first time sit. That is my personal experience up north.

As far as hiking with all the gear on my back, I have pared down my "system" to minimal weight without losing any function or comfort.

Makes sense. I have scouted a number of spots but have been to bone headed to make the final step and hunt only the ones that are fresh.

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