Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

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stash59
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Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:08 am

How does the new ice. The stuff that's hard for their hoofs to poke through. Affect how much or where and when the deer will be out there.

I have some spots I'd like to try, but with my chronic Lyme. Can't afford to waste the effort if the odds are low.

Thanx

Chuck


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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby fishlips » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:19 am

In my limited experience, the deer don't seem to like it and it seems to allow more hunters to get back into spots I don't think they would normally go to.
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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:21 am

fishlips wrote:In my limited experience, the deer don't seem to like it and it seems to allow more hunters to get back into spots I don't think they would normally go to.


Thnax. I'm talking about the stuff that won't hold a man. That the deer break through too!!!!
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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby john1984 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:23 am

I was in south central WI yesterday, there was ICE, but it wasn't strong enough to hold me or the deer. It sucked. And the deer I jumped were a few more yards toward the drier stuff along thee edge.

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stash59
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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:32 am

john1984 wrote:I was in south central WI yesterday, there was ICE, but it wasn't strong enough to hold me or the deer. It sucked. And the deer I jumped were a few more yards toward the drier stuff along thee edge.

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I've got some spots basically surrounded by water. Just wondering if they may hole up there and just stay and feed on browse. Until the ice gets firm enough to get back out to the ag.
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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby hunter_mike » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:42 am

I have limited experience with it but i get the feeling the deer hate it as much as we do. I do think they go thru it no problem though out of necessity. Two seasons ago i walked on a dike that went along a marsh pond. There were very fresh tracks from a herd of fleeing deer. I could clearly see the tracks in the fresh snow that the deer had ran through the cattail marsh, out onto the frozen pond and then they broke through the pond ice in the middle and swam the rest of the way. Just amazing.

The biggest problem i have with these conditions is its so quiet out and the ice is so noisy.

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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby Jeff G » Wed Nov 23, 2016 4:15 am

Dan and I hunted the marsh yesterday. there was thin ice and the deer were walking thru it pretty easy.
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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Nov 23, 2016 6:37 am

I've tracked a few of them through broken ice before, they didn't seem to avoid it. They probably break through a lot easier than we do with those skinny hooves.
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Re: Deer useing marshes/swamps with new ice?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Nov 23, 2016 8:01 am

In marshes with deeper water they tend to avoid noisy thin shell ice unless pressured or just travel more in areas where the ice hasn't quite formed yet or is shallow and thick enough. I don't think they like the poor footing and noise created busting thru thin ice any more than we do.


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