Mauser's Michigan Adventures '17

[mauser06]

I did decide to sit it out. Planned a better access route for the morning too.. I will come in off the ridge above. Not walking the transition trail and staying downwind of it.

I didn't cross any trails leading into the swamp but same as usual...big swamp and not a lot of deer...

It's a cedar swamp I guess I'd call it.


I'm surprised this isn't pounded with hunters.

[mauser06]

Nothing came by...which is kinda surprising. On my way out I found rubs just all over. Found another fresh scrape and one that hasn't been hit in a while.

Planning to make a half mile trek across the ridge and drop down in tomorrow morning. Might sit it all day. Seems like a lot of midday movement. My girlfriend almost hit 2 different bucks in different areas between 1-3pm today. No hunters around. 1 I was with her..he was an 1.5yo rutting hard




Can see I was probably right behind him...



Good view of the transition.



View of the swamp.

The swamp isn't a monster but it is fair sized.


Tomorrow's weather looks a bit rough. Windy. But it's basically always windy here..lol. Colder too...maybe get them moving better.


Tomorrow will probably my last day. Maybe sneak out Monday morning. Hopefully I put the hammer to one in the morning!

Ive never worked so hard for a buck lol. Literally between this season and last I don't know how many miles I've logged.

Wish I had more time to scout...that'd make a huge difference. I knew it wouldn't be easy and I feel for the little time I've really put in I'm doing alright. Frustrating when I'm somewhat accustomed to seeing 20-40+ deer on opening day lol. I've had an opener at home not too many years ago I easily saw over 100. Basically all day turn your head and see deer.

[uncleron]

Good luck Mauser!

I hunt a couple counties south of you but also noticed the lack of rubs this year. Public and private. I’m thinking the unusually warm first half of Oct may have something to do with it. There’s also very few acorns in my area this year. Local farm fields are loaded with deer at night. Our annual scrape area was tore up with 20+ scrapes but the number of rubs and number of deer sightings have been down slightly. Still a couple large, standing corn fields in the area too. Most of the shooting on the opener came from those directions.

[mauser06]

Thinking of it now.....

I didn't get to archery hunt PA a whole lot but rubs were slim at home too...

I don't remember ever seeing a year where rubs are sparse. Very odd.

[mauser06]

Found easier access that skirts the base of the ridge. Worked well.

Got a heavy dusting of snow.. mostly crunchy sleet balls...not a total ground covering.

But spot I could come up with is 5yds downwind of the transition trail. I can see and shoot both directions and into the swamp. Bad part is I gotta scan both ways and stay alert.

Wind isn't as heavy as expected. I can probably last all day if it doesn't get worse. I'd like to stay.. ground conditions are tough for still hunting now that it sorta froze..


Come on Bullwinkle!

[oldrank]

That little swamp in the pic looks premium. Good luck today !!!

[mauser06]

Thanx!

3 doe just came and entered the swamp. Momma is ripe. I could smell her. If a buck crosses her tracks he's gunna be on em like a hound dog.

The trap is set now!

[mauser06]

Just measured the swamp. Roughly a little over 1/2 mile long and 300yds wide. Looking now Its not cedar. Some kinda pines and 5ft thick wooded vegetation. I don't have swamps at home really so this stuff is new to me.


Without this forum and Dan's videos, I wouldn't be sitting here.

[oldrank]

Just measured the swamp. Roughly a little over 1/2 mile long and 300yds wide. Looking now Its not cedar. Some kinda pines and 5ft thick wooded vegetation. I don't have swamps at home really so this stuff is new to me.


Without this forum and Dan's videos, I wouldn't be sitting here.

That's a good size swamp. Most of mine down here are smaller than that. If I found that down here I would just about guarantee there would be a buck in it.

[mauser06]

Here's my 180.

[mauser06]

About an hour before dark I can hear the classic crunching of a buck on a mission. I catch movement and get the gun ready. 1 big tree between us..he steps out and it's over.

He closed the gap in a HURRY. Like if I took any longer to get the rifle shouldered, he would busted me.

Pops out from the tree....dang spike!


Wind was pretty tough today... literally gusts from every direction. It'd blow steady from the WNW like it was supposed to..but then it'd gust south..north..east..west..I'm sure that didn't help. The last hour it pretty much blew dead wrong.



Tomorrow it's supposed to blow from the opposite direction...if I hunt, it'll be a short morning hunt. Gunna come in from the other end of the swamp and pretty much setup blind. Probably won't go real far because the ground is so dang crunchy.

I feel like this area is much better than my other area...though I love the other area..there's predictable travel in this area..

[mauser06]

Last morning.


Snuck in off the opposite side of yesterday's spot.

Went in blind but it's pretty similar to the other end..

I have a couple trails coming off the hill so I sat down here.


We'll see what happens.

[Jackson Marsh]

Good luck mauser

[mauser06]

Well...that's a wrap. No Michigan buck for me.

I felt pretty confident in my spot even though I went in blind in the dark. Around 8am I kept debating walking another 100yds or so to be centered on a point of land that juts into the swamp. I stood up and it was so dang crunchy..I'm sitting on a trail that clearly goes into the swamp..plus the transition trail..I opted to stay.

Nothing came by.

Around 10 I decided to use my last hour to scout the area a little better.

I walked the transition trail 100yds or so and look into the swamp...



I spot a rub just glaring at me...

About 20 yards past it was a recently used trail going out into the swamp. Couldn't tell how fresh..could been where the spike came from last night.

I found an area 100-150yds away that must been a feeding spot...covered in rubs.

Found 1 stand about 100-150yds away.. actually in a decent spot..but easy access and close to parking.

I don't know if this is a swamp or what...



Looks fairly dry. Pines don't grow on wet ground right??

I tried to follow the deer trail to see where the beds we're exactly.

Not happening. The trail is actually water. Tried walking on the vegetation and it's basically floating. Without rubber boots, I couldn't get in there...


I learned a lot this season. I feel like I'm on the right track and there's probably a Michigan buck in my future. Next year how Thanksgiving falls, I'm not sure if I will make it or not...I hope to. I really enjoy hunting here even though I don't see much deer and in 2 years I haven't gotten a shot.

I feel like I grow more as a hunter here.. foreign ground..I have to put my knowledge to use and find the deer. With 2 short seasons under my belt, I feel like I've made good progress.

Really without The Hunting Beast and Dan's videos, I'd probably be on a real struggle bus. I don't have ground like this at home. I can relate to the hills here...but even they are different..and largely they are open mature forests and IMO not a place to find mature bucks in daylight with any consistency. I'm sure guys shoot them up there on the ridges..I know they use them..but I think my efforts are better focused on the wetter, harder to access places..

I could have filled my tag at 1 o'clock opening day...itd been nothing except a punched tag and my smallest buck ever. I do not regret my decision not to shoot him. I learned more by not shooting him...and next season he will have a better set of antlers on his head.


Tagging a buck here will be awesome. But not punching a tag doesn't bother me. Ive enjoyed the heck out of my hunt.

[Hawthorne]

It was fun reading about your adventures. When i took to public land in Michigan i didn’t kill to year 3.I think next season you will get a buck. Thanks for sharing!