Attempting my first swamp hunt!

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wnchunter15
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Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby wnchunter15 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:31 pm

Hey guys, been doing a lot of reading and studying on the sight as well as numerous YouTube videos on swamp hunting (I need to purchase the swamp bedding DVD) but I’m still curious on how to approach this swamp with the pre-rut starting to kickoff. I’m leaving next Friday for a 9 day hunt and want to take a crack at this swamp but I’m stuck scratching my head on where to go. I don’t know where to begin when it comes to swamps...I’ve only hunted hill country and big woods terrain so any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

The yellow line on the images are a dirt road that runs through the property and I should also mention that it is accessed by waterfowl hunters until 2pm. The read line is the boundary between private/public.

https://ibb.co/kS0hD0
https://ibb.co/dwOf0f

And if anyone can explain how to post the images straight to the topic without an image link that would be great. Thanks again.


wnchunter15
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby wnchunter15 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:15 am

Bump for some help.
Rich M
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby Rich M » Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:37 am

Do a lot of walking until you find hot sign, then figure out why it is there.

Watch public land challenge videos
wnchunter15
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby wnchunter15 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:50 am

Rich M wrote:Do a lot of walking until you find hot sign, then figure out why it is there.

Watch public land challenge videos


I’ve watched all of those videos consistently but this swamp isn’t marsh or cattail. Does that matter? I’ve got chest waders to walk through it.
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Tufrthnails
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:36 am

I looked at the aerials and to be honest I'd just hit the transition lines and bust some ground up until I found some sign. Walk the transitions looking for trails coming from the nasty stuff. try the IR filter on Caltopo to see if there are any higher spots down in the swamps. Look for bigger trees.
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
wnchunter15
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby wnchunter15 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:25 am

Tufrthnails wrote:I looked at the aerials and to be honest I'd just hit the transition lines and bust some ground up until I found some sign. Walk the transitions looking for trails coming from the nasty stuff. try the IR filter on Caltopo to see if there are any higher spots down in the swamps. Look for bigger trees.


Thanks for the advice man. That was kinda my thought going in but I wasn’t sure with it being close to potential waterfowl hunters if the bucks (deer in general) would hang up in the swamp before making it to me in daylight. Would you trug through the much and up onto an island or is that pushing to envelope too far?
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Tufrthnails
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:48 am

wnchunter15 wrote:
Tufrthnails wrote:I looked at the aerials and to be honest I'd just hit the transition lines and bust some ground up until I found some sign. Walk the transitions looking for trails coming from the nasty stuff. try the IR filter on Caltopo to see if there are any higher spots down in the swamps. Look for bigger trees.


Thanks for the advice man. That was kinda my thought going in but I wasn’t sure with it being close to potential waterfowl hunters if the bucks (deer in general) would hang up in the swamp before making it to me in daylight. Would you trug through the much and up onto an island or is that pushing to envelope too far?


I think I'd prob let the sign tell me that. If it's near potential bedding id prob sit it if it looked fresh. If it looked old or there didn't appear to be any bedding near it I'd probably be jumping into the island. The more aggressive I get the more I realize how different swamps can be and play out. I don't deal with waterfowl Hunter very often.
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
wnchunter15
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby wnchunter15 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 1:13 pm

Tufrthnails wrote:The more aggressive I get the more I realize how different swamps can be and play out. I don't deal with waterfowl Hunter very often.


I’m betting that I’ll learn quite a bit over the 9 day hunt and I’m excited for that. Off topic but with the swamps, and especially since they’re not cattail marshes, what should I expect in the way of snakes? :shock:
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby Rich M » Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:26 am

I hunt FL - and don't worry about snakes. Some places have lots some have few, less snakes on cool mornings as opposed to hot afternoons.

Do the transition thing - focus on points, bowls, downwind side, upwind side. Bring your stuff for crossing muck and water but don't unless you have to. Dan and TC hunted swamp in the public land videos - forget about cattails and such - just look at what they did. They scouted multiple hours for every hour they spent in the stand. They scouted transition zones primarily.

That was my "aha" moment for the year. These guys walked "50 miles" and drove 3 hrs each way in order to hunt a "better" area. I am not that die hard and hunt quota areas for short 3-7 day hunts, BUT I CAN apply the approach to my hunt areas.

Scouted 5 days and walk 20+ miles or so in 90+ heat to hunt 2 mornings.
I started with a point - there was a scrape and decent track and a trail that led downhill. I then went into the bottom area and found another scrape, followed the trail off that to find 2 rubs. That trail led into a bowl. Instead of going thru the bowl, I circled it and found 3 converging trails and a ton of tracks.
Set camera - had deer, including a mature buck daily on it. Compared to my other cameras which showed a few deer during the week it sat. The bowl cam was adjusted (buck drops out of sight due to 2nd human intrusion), the other cam was moved. Again - daily deer movement on bowl cam, 1 pic on other cam.

There is also a serious pinch point and heavy use deer trail not to far from the bowl - the deer using that trail are on a mission, walking smoothly thru, no pausing. They know they are in a pinch point - very cool. No cams here - hunt buddy was here first morning and had deer catch him in tree.

The 2 mornings hunted had 5 bucks and a doe come thru. I saw 5 of the 6 deer, hunt buddy saw the other one. We shot 2 deer and our season was over.

Definitely push yourself to cover more ground until you find the deer. That's what they are saying when they say hunt with your stand on your back. You push in until you believe you are in it and then hunt - first sit is the best sit with most spots.

The duck hunters regularly see deer - deer are used to 'em. I've shot ducks within 75 yards of 2 bedded deer before.
wnchunter15
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby wnchunter15 » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:32 am

Rich M wrote:Definitely push yourself to cover more ground until you find the deer. That's what they are saying when they say hunt with your stand on your back. You push in until you believe you are in it and then hunt - first sit is the best sit with most spots.


I appreciate the info and advice Rich. I was figuring the same thing...find the hottest sign and hunt it and if nothing then push in further. So your saying don’t cross the water and muck unless I have to??
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Re: Attempting my first swamp hunt!

Unread postby Rich M » Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:22 pm

Watch Dan's week hunt video he just put up - not all hunts have to be difficult.

He's got one that he followed into the swamp based on sign.

I say go where the deer are, not necessarily make things miserable on yourself. That's what these videos are showing - hunt the sign, go the extra step. Not go to the extreme.

If your hunting spot is anything like mine was this year - most guys went left, I went right. don't dive into the group of hunters, go where you think the deer will be. Then let the sign tell you where they are. Don't be afraid to hang a cam or two as you look. at the very least, they will tell you when the deer are moving. If you check the cam in the afternoon, and find afternoon activity that you like, hang and hunt right then.

I used to find a few pinch points, doe travel routes and sit and sit and hope for doe or buck. Now, I want frequent and daily movement to hunt it - I usually only get 3 days to do something and it is tough. Your first 3 or 4 days will probably be finding the deer - remember that it only takes 1 hunt to harvest.

I'm not a big buck hunter by any stretch, just bumbling along and learning that I often stopped looking way too soon. I don't know what you are hoping for - right now I'd be tickled pink with a decent 6 or 8 pt. A lot of guys get a long season. I had a 7-day tag (limited out in 2 mornings - should have been done the first sit) and have a 3-day tag coming up where I only get 7 days to scout and 3 to hunt. Gonna scour that place and set cams - we'll see what the sign says to do. And by that, I'm just looking for regular deer use. A 3-day season doesn't give much leeway - you either get a shot or you don't. All I know is that I'm excited to be going into this and that thanks to the beast, I have a good shot at a buck.

Ultimately - you need to find fresh sign and sit it. If nothing, follow the trails further in and sit. If you bump does or small bucks it is okay - go a little deeper an sit. Bump a big buck - shoot him if with rifle, or hope he comes back. Above all else - know that you can do it - this is within reach. scout, observations/cams, hunt where the deer are.


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