Grass marsh help

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mauser06
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Grass marsh help

Unread postby mauser06 » Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:39 pm

I know of a decent sized grass type marsh. I don't know exactly how wet it is...but I doubt normal people venture to it because it looks huge and it's basically tall stuff with some dead trees scattered about.


I located what looks to be an island...

A few questions.

Is it an island?

Are those deer trails??


How would you hunt it during gun season?

Image

Really no timber near that patch. Not sure on the trees that are there..

There is a block of timber north across the marsh. If they cross the dirt roads there is timber to the SW.

The edge on the north has what looks like softer transitions to timber but not a lot of features jumping out at me..

Image

You can see the patch in the SW of the marsh..

I do believe it holds deer. Especially once they get pressured.

Just looks a bit different from everything we talk about on here.

Any thoughts or guidance? The marshes and swamps I find aren't traditional cat tail setups and such..I know most the "rules" likely apply...just not sure on how to hunt these foreign landscapes.


Thanx!


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JakeB
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby JakeB » Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:44 pm

Top picture looks like 3 trails lead to that point in the SW corner, not sure what's outside of the picture but looks like it's worth looking into.
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tgreeno
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:54 pm

It doesn't look like an island to me. It looks to be just a higher/dryer area. It sure has some trails running into it from the SW & NE. I have scouted areas similar
to this with cedar trees, have some nice bedding. I would investigate what's happening where all those trails come together in the SW corner. That looks like a potential funnel area, to possibly sit with a gun?
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mauser06
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby mauser06 » Thu Oct 26, 2017 3:04 pm

Very well could be cedars or tamaracks. Lots of both in the area.


The SW corner...just out of view basically is the corner of 2 dirt roads. Maybe a small patch of timber there but not much. But it could be how the deer come and go from there...there's actually some meadow/old apple orchard type stuff to the W/SW.

I HIGHLY doubt that those are any type of human trails. You drive by and it just looks intimidating. Even if it's dry grass..it's nothing a normal person is going into lol.

The north edge looks better for traditional type edge hunting but other than the 1 finger in the NE, it's somewhat featureless to me..



Might be something to take a look at early in my "hunt" and if it's enough to hold deer maybe a place to sit all day Saturday when pressure is elevated.


I know that surrounding area gets hit pretty hard. But I know there are some beasts..they can be seen in the Meadows and such..im looking at nasty stuff to capitalize on pressure and try to drop a toad..but really I'm likely to hammer the first legal buck to come by.
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby Bedbug » Fri Oct 27, 2017 4:44 am

Looks like fun ground. Likely low pressure. Your planning on just gun hunting it.?
If it we're me I would Go in on a well educated guess this year. plan on scouting hard off season.
I capitalize on these flat Marsh's because there so overlooked in my area. They hold great deer but are easy to pressure out as well. Just from the pictures I wouldn't count on finding a suitable tree in the right spot.
I end up shouldering in a step ladder most times. Take pics if you do go in!
mauser06
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby mauser06 » Fri Oct 27, 2017 6:35 am

Yes just gun. It's in a different state..lol. I am planning to be there and have 1 day prior to the opener that I might have time to scout.

Been there and know some of the area. I've actually been through that marsh but not scouting. I do remember seeing deer sign.


I think with my lone wolf I can hopefully get up a stick or 2 above that grass or pull a Dan and climb high in one of the dead trees and try to hammer them before they have a chance.

The first day or 2 of the hunt I don't expect a ton of pressure and will probably hunt the hills. Friday-saturday-sunday I plan for pressure and wanna be tucked into somewhere like that spot...

Not sure if I should go out and take a look one of my first days there or go in blind with the stand on my back Friday or Saturday and hope for the best.


Hoping for snow..this will be my 2nd season hunting there. It's a real foreign landscape and lower deer density than I'm used to so snow would help me learn the deer habits. Though I feel this season should be better than last. Learned a lot last season.
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sir_tob
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby sir_tob » Fri Oct 27, 2017 7:09 am

Looks like Tamaracks...

Watch Dans Marsh Bedding DVD.. worth every penny.
mauser06
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby mauser06 » Fri Oct 27, 2017 7:17 am

Thanx. I have all of Dan's videos and been rewatching them regularly lol.

Im guessing they are tamarack too. That's a early spring picture and they have color to them.

Going to keep looking over the satellite images and see what else I come up with. By Friday or Saturday of my hunt I'd like to be in one of these areas that should hold the deer once the lead starts flying.
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby mauser06 » Sat Oct 28, 2017 2:11 am

After reviewing stuff last night....I realized I hiked through the other block which was grass/brush/scattered trees/scattered wet areas.

I drive by this block but haven't been into it.

I've determined it's actually likely a cattail marsh....not grass. Lol. I know the stuff is thick and tall. After watching marsh bedding last night it clicked.


The clump of trees is still enticing. Don't know if it's possible..but I'd LIKE to blaze through from the road where there aren't trails going into it... not uncommon for a buck to run for known cover even if it's crossing Meadows and roads so I'd like to keep the deer trails scent free if I can...might even be something to hunt prior to the weekend and try to actually catch one moving in there naturally.


The northern transition is also of interest. I can walk it with a stand on my back and find a hot trail and basically sit it. The buck is either in there and will be coming out or will get bumped from the woodlots and try fleeing into it..and I suspect that edge will be used heavily as deer try to escape pressure.


I am definitely going to take a good look at the area. Its not a huge marsh...but I do bet it's worth looking into. I know the surrounding woodlots get hunted pretty heavily.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't after the biggest oldest buck around. But I didn't see a buck last year...so the first legal buck I see is going to be tempting even early in the hunt. We'll play it by ear. It's all looking like Mausers Michigan Adventures will be a go... I think the house buying process will basically be in limbo that week..
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strutnrut716
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby strutnrut716 » Sat Oct 28, 2017 2:39 am

I think you got a great spot there ! Just a suggestion (if you haven't already) is to use Google Earth and zoom in as far as you can. GE has really updated their photos and the up-close zooms can be incredible ! Also try the timeline feature and go to prior photos (ie, different years and different times of the year). I sometimes have luck comparing a place of interest (ie, your possible island) and look at other known spots and see if it "appears" to be the same type of vegetation/consistency on the photo.

Good Luck ! Would love to see a live-on-the-ground photo of that spot. Bet there's a boat load of deer trails in there !!
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headgear
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Re: Grass marsh help

Unread postby headgear » Sat Oct 28, 2017 3:13 am

That is no island but looks like a great bedding area to me, worth some hunts and for sure a good thorough scout in the spring.


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