Wind blowing to bedding during access

[mauser06]

I have a Marsh spot that has a large bowl bucks bed in. I haven't narrowed down rhyme or reason of any sort of wind direction. There's buck beds all through it...and I really think many of them get used regularly judging by the sign that's always in there...the bowl is maybe a couple hundred yards of red brush, some scattered trees, some wet ground etc.


Anyways. The one side of the bowl is impassable marsh. Usually looks like ground but I've been upto my armpits every time I've tried to cross it...so I access from the other side and loop around the bedding area.

My issue is the side I have to access from is the predominant wind side. The way that side sets up, my only access is a couple hundred yards from the bedding area.

I don't hunt it when my wind is going to blow into the bedding area....which means I don't get back there on most days.


Am I being overly cautious?? Or am I playing it right?


I wanted to hunt it this evening but the wind will be blowing right at the bedding. I'm going to try a small piece of timber on the other side I've never tried. If anything wants to walk right to the crop fields from the bedding, he's gunna come through there...so I actually might have a good plan.

Just got me curious as to whether or not I should be pushing that envelope. In my mind, they'll smell me accessing and either blow out, or probably sit tight and leave the other direction knowing they smelled a hunter ..

[MN_DeerHunter]

Are you down in the cattails on the upwind side? If you waited for a calmer wind day, even if it’s blowing towards the bedding you might be fine. I don’t know if your scent would travel that far if your way down in the cattails.

Could be way wrong but I would hunt it. Hoping others here will chime in cause I run into this issue a lot.

[mauser06]

This area isn't so much of a cattail marsh. Picture hardwoods in the shape of a C....the open area is a bowl...redbrush, marsh, and some scattered trees and high ground.

The hardwoods and high ground are barely higher than the marsh...very low flat land.

If you picture that C I'd access from the West side and like to hunt the north side...there's a couple good oaks back there.


I just read that being that close to the bedding as I loop around it, my scent will tip them off.

[basspro05]

I have a Marsh spot that has a large bowl bucks bed in. I haven't narrowed down rhyme or reason of any sort of wind direction. There's buck beds all through it...and I really think many of them get used regularly judging by the sign that's always in there...the bowl is maybe a couple hundred yards of red brush, some scattered trees, some wet ground etc.


Anyways. The one side of the bowl is impassable marsh. Usually looks like ground but I've been upto my armpits every time I've tried to cross it...so I access from the other side and loop around the bedding area.

My issue is the side I have to access from is the predominant wind side. The way that side sets up, my only access is a couple hundred yards from the bedding area.

I don't hunt it when my wind is going to blow into the bedding area....which means I don't get back there on most days.


Am I being overly cautious?? Or am I playing it right?


I wanted to hunt it this evening but the wind will be blowing right at the bedding. I'm going to try a small piece of timber on the other side I've never tried. If anything wants to walk right to the crop fields from the bedding, he's gunna come through there...so I actually might have a good plan.

Just got me curious as to whether or not I should be pushing that envelope. In my mind, they'll smell me accessing and either blow out, or probably sit tight and leave the other direction knowing they smelled a hunter ..

I think you are explaining exactly why it’s such a good bedding area...they know where the pressure is going to come from , the easy way in....I would bet they bed there when that predominant wind is happening, they know no pressure is coming from the impassable side.

You have to find a way in from the impassable side

[mauser06]

Well....might go for a swim looking for that way in.



I scouted into the spot I had in mind. Got close to where I wanted to be and found a guy pile...


Kept going and 40yds away I could see the bedding I wanted to hunt and picked my tree....the exact tree the other guy climbed lol. I'd like to know who it is because we can do some damage together. I'd almost bet he's a member or lurker here.... textbook beast style Marsh spot.


Not sure of I aughta sit it or try to loop around. Hate to risk moving now...i have 4 hours of light...but I already snuck within close proximity to the bedding.....at the same time... Bullwinkle probably isn't coming out this way for a while.....

Decisions decisions.


Not concerned about someone killing one. My camera here in years past showed a crazy number of bucks. May been a doe he shot too..hard to tell.


Looking at the satellite images, I see water and cattails for a good ways...I don't think there's a way over there without a swim.

[headgear]

I've shot a buck before after crossing upwind of the bedding area, the further away you are the better but if you get there early or on a really windy day that might also help. I think crossed 300 yard or so because it was my only access, if you have to you have to so just go for it.

[mauser06]

Weighed my options and climbed the same tree someone else killed a deer from.....


Duck season opened Saturday and the parking lot is covered in feathers and it looks like it was packed with trucks.

Thinking maybe the deer got all moved around and maybe play on my favor.


If not, I will push back to my usually area next time.


Thinking about all this makes sense though. Last year the buck I shot, I hunted the edge of the wind knowing it was barely missing the bedding. They likely exit the bedding into the wind...


Several "canals" of water run through the cattails on the "impassable" side...and they are deep.