Swamps that are surrounded by steep ridges

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Hawson
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Swamps that are surrounded by steep ridges

Unread postby Hawson » Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:36 am

I would just like to start off by saying thank you to everybody on and involved with this forum for their knowledge and experiences as it has made me a better hunter. This forum and Dans videos really helped me see the significance in scouting as I was able to find more sign and beds than the previous 8 years combined!

My predicament - The old farm property that I hunt includes a lot of good hunting terrain - both Marshes and cedar swamps but unfortunately have a lot of steep ridges that surround them. I have found several points on the east shore of the big marsh that is located in the middle of the property where some good bucks are bedding and they are moving with the prevailing wind to their backs on a west wind. They appear to be using the thermals dumping off the ridges on the east shore into their beds/staging area when any of the evening movement occurs. Now a lot of these ridges are almost considered a cliff since the drop is pretty close to 90 degrees but there are ridges that gradually lead into these swamps that the deer are using to travel to feed at night.

Has anybody had any experience with hunting this type of terrain? Being able to setup on the gradual ridges and avoid being busted by the thermals moving towards the deer. There is no way for me to get below the thermals in the evening unless I hunt right on the transition line but then I would have to deal with a lot of swirling winds/thermal tunnels from the west wind and east thermal. Are these spots/situations almost un-huntable? I really hope not because most of the terrain on the property is like this. I know this is definitely something I will be really diving into come my rifle hunt in November with checking winds to see what I can get away with but any advise would be really appreciated!


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PK_
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Re: Swamps that are surrounded by steep ridges

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Oct 21, 2016 1:12 pm

Unfortunately I do not have any real advice for your situation. The closest thing I have hunted to that was a beaver swamp between two steep ridges. The bucks seemed to cruise both high and low through the area. May have been using the thermals to dictate where they would travel but I could not really correlate the two(should say I didn't really pay attention). But the does bed down there in the bottom and the bucks go right down in there after them when things heat up.

The property you hunt sounds really cool. Good luck.
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TNstalker
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Re: Swamps that are surrounded by steep ridges

Unread postby TNstalker » Fri Oct 21, 2016 1:21 pm

I haven't hunted that but there was an huge buck my buddies where seeing leave a beaver swamp in between ridges. He would be at the road by dark. He was traveling along the edge of the scrub brush an water just at bottom of ridge. Couldn't hunt the place but saw he do it once! I had the place just across the road from there could never catch him on us in daylight! Maybe that helps maybe it don't but thought I'd share. I

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oldrank
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Re: Swamps that are surrounded by steep ridges

Unread postby oldrank » Fri Oct 21, 2016 1:41 pm

I hunt alot of these areas. The bucks use em. As season progresses they seem to get hotter with leaf drop. Almost everyone I hunt the bucks exit in the low area and into a terrain funnel of some type. A quick walk around the edge should give you that intel. The wild card is beating the thermals. If you know where his bed is in them you can wait for a stiff wind day where you wont get a calm before sunset. The other issues i have had are because these areas are like small bowls u get crazy wind shifts. A south wind for example would seem perfect but after setting up u might see the bowl swings the wind back as it hits the tree wall of the bowl. So getting in and floating some milkweed might be what u have to do to figure out the right setup. The other issues ive had is if you have to drop down into them and they are small the buck can see you approach. In cases like this I setup just far enough out that when i set my stand I am just at a level where the buck cant see me. If you crest the hill or get to high up your done.

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