When Hunting Pressure Ramps Up

[flatlander8181]

I hunt private land but also like to hunt public cause I like being mobile and trying to setup close.

I have done bit of beast hunting the last couple of years along with my brother. so we share notes of course. Most of the public lands we hunt are Medium/large cattail sloughs with brush and woods around the edges. The land around the public areas is 80% Ag, 20% wood lots/ crp

We had a lot of cameras out on the public lands we hunted during the early to mid summer and had dozens of good bucks on camera at all hours of the day......So we know they live in these marshy areas some of the time. But yet we have only had a few big bucks sighted or in range outside of the rut in probably 80 combined evening hunts.

I would say the hunting pressure is Med - Med High. Meaning there are a few bow hunters then bird hunters that hunt mostly the higher ground stuff

My question is: Do a good percentage of these older bucks just plain leave the marsh and hole up on a small private land wood lots/cover when the hunting pressure increases. Or are the more likely to go to places on the public that are virtually not huntable and sit tight. There are a few islands scattered in most of these properties that you just can't get to. About 4.5' deep water between island and the main land. Note... We usually see the majority (90%) of good bucks starting Nov 1 no matter how we hunt on these public marsh areas.

Thanks in advance for any tips, thoughts etc.

[headgear]

A lot of the times in pressured areas the bucks just don't move, they can sit tight until dark or very close to it. The other option is find a way to get out to those island (canoe or kayak) and at least scout them out, they are finding a place to escape the pressure and those hard to get to islands sound like the perfect hiding spot.

[PK_]

'Nobody said it was eeeeeasay…

No one ever said it would be this hard…'

Yea, you are doing it right. Keep track of which beds yield the big buck encounters and focus your efforts on those beds on the same dates, conditions etc in years to come…

Hunting mature bucks, outside of the rut, on public, is a slippery slope that is steepest at the bottom.

[Jackson Marsh]

It's usually tough sledding in a pressured area. Where are you located? Does it freeze over to get out to those islands in the winter time? I'd want to know what is going on now and wade out there once it warms up a little. You might find the mother lode. You could always PM a map for markup if you know the Beast is not in your area.

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[dan]

They could be going to private land, but I doubt it. If they were heading to private they would certainly be there in November when your seeing them. Also, the way you described the property with impenetrable islands and such... Well, lets just say that stuff might be impenetrable to some, but its likely where I would be hunting... I am willing to be the bucks are right there under your nose, and that hunting pressure probably puts even more bucks in that marsh, it does in the ones I hunt... They simply do not move far, and your probably not hunting close enough to bedding. A lot of the biggest marsh bucks I have shot have been close to closing time within 100 yards of there beds.

[flatlander8181]

I personally am starting to think a few of these bucks leave. One evening last year about the third week into bow season I spotted one of the bigger bucks I had on camera (I had many daylight pics of him all summer in the public marsh and had 3 browtines on one side) and he was 3/4 mile away from the public marsh milling around in some private crp.

I have scouted most of the islands when frozen. Seems the smaller islands are thicker, more brush. some have no trees just brush etc....Good buck sign. The larger islands have bigger trees in general but are less thicker and it's harder to find good buck sign. I have glassed a bunch of the islands and it seems I only see small bucks and slick heads.

I have set up on a lot of points that have good bedding and have had many small bucks stand up and come through.

It has been wet the last few years.... maybe on a dryer year I could get out there. tried hip boots, waders etc

There is no access for a canoe unless I carry it a half mile and there isnt really open water just trails from deer

I think you are right too Dan. I would think there would be some private pressure sending some bucks back to the marsh. I have tried to get out there but in most spots you will sink up to your neck literally. been there.

[dan]

I have a neighbor whose step son has hunted the marsh near my home his whole life. Biggest buck he ever got was a 110 inch 10 pointer... Back when I used to guide I had a few hunters over from out of state. They were seeing some pretty good bucks in the marsh and one of them connected on a nice 150 class right in the section where the neighbor kid usually hunts.

We were standing around the 150 in my driveway talking strategy when the kid saw it and came walking over... He kept saying how big the buck was and how these guys should be so proud to take a buck like that, buck of a lifetime, etc... So I said "hey, its getting late and I gotta get these guys on stand." The neighbor kid ( not really a kid, about 40ish) says "Where you taking them?" I said, we ain't got much time just taking them out in the marsh ( which is where they were hunting the whole time ) and he replys, "Ain't no bucks anywhere in that marsh that big, you better take them where ever you got that one!"...

Its a funny but true story... But when you think about it, How is it this guy hunts as much as me, as often as me, and in the same general area, and he never shoots or even sees a big buck? Its because in public marshes exact positioning is key... If your off 20 yards the buck either does not get to you in day light, or he spooks cause your to close... I have noticed that with about 1/2 (maybe more) of my big marsh bucks, the kill could not have happened out of any other tree than the one I was in. Think about that for a second...

[flatlander8181]

That is a great example Dan!! I'm not doubting you in the least

Make me really think about what I could be doing better. And how little cover/ area it takes to conceal and bedded buck After all it is all about being in the exact location to make it work.

So lets say these bucks are bedding on these islands once the season opens which i'm sure there are. I have come to believe most of them are because of the pressure coming from the outer edges where most people hunt.

Seems we have 2 types of islands here

1. smaller islands with Thick nasty brush - I believe hold more bucks

2. larger More open with bigger trees and not much anything thick.- I believe less deer us them

How do you go about hunting an island that is just totally thick with brush and has no trees? Wait for them to get up head towards main land ?

If I could get out to the bigger Islands on a dryer year I think they are to open that I would be spotted right of the bat. a few are mixed hardwoods with grass thats less than knee high.

[dan]

I have had success on small and big islands. Big ones are easier to hunt and often have oak trees that drop acorns and therefore are preferred bedding cause of the food source. You do need bedding cover, but the island itself can be wide open... They generally bed off of a bushy point on the island... If your willing to post some zoomed in aerials of the islands I will tell you what I think...

[Dewey]

High quality aerials can tell you a lot if you can zoom in enough to see deer trails. Seeing where they enter/exit the island is huge especially if you want to go in blind. Those trails rarely change much from year to year.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[mainebowhunter]

I was wondering when a marsh hunter would speak up!!

[matt1336]

Yep. Try to connect bed to food and then set up as close as you can while being out of sight and sound of the bed/buck. Be prepared to get busted. If you do get busted learn from it and keep the confidence high knowing you're in the right spot. Good luck

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[flatlander8181]

These would be and example of some larger Islands with big trees and little lower cover.

[Dewey]

Really cool network of trails there. Have you confirmed if any of those are people trails?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[flatlander8181]

They are for sure not people trails. I have had a few small bucks and does come off the islands. This is just one area I have hunting. I can get to the first round island just off the big point. after that it get really deep. I have hunted the smaller island and most of all the main land points and you can pretty much glass a lot of the other islands. I have not glassed a big buck out there just smaller stuff.