Marsh island sharp transition
-
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:56 pm
- Status: Offline
Marsh island sharp transition
Will a buck bed on an island in a cattail marsh, let's say a 1/2 acre in size that is perfectly circular and has no points jutting into the marsh and the transition is fairly sharp from island to marsh all the way around? Would they much prefer islands with that slow transitional point with brush to bed on, or maybe even just a lone tree out in the marsh with a patch of high ground?
- Singing Bridge
- 500 Club
- Posts: 7162
- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:11 pm
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pro ... 1329617473
- Location: Logged in - from above
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
Yes... and yes.
Bucks will bed on a marsh island type that you describe, it depends on many things... hunting pressure, distance to mainland, weather and wind, other deer... and many other factors.
Bucks will bed on a marsh island type that you describe, it depends on many things... hunting pressure, distance to mainland, weather and wind, other deer... and many other factors.
- PK_
- 500 Club
- Posts: 6894
- Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:10 am
- Location: Just Off
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
They can, they will, I wouldn’t say it’s the preferred scenario for a mature buck tho in most cases.
Depends if there is other deer traffic on/off the island as well as other things.
But they seem to much prefer small humps, trees, clumps of bushes/dogwood etc... around the periphery of an island of that size. During the fall anyways...
During summer they will bed right on that island if that is where the shade is but they likely will be bachelored up so that changes the bedding tendencies anyways, many times.
Edit; also depends on how thick the island is. I was picturing an island with mature trees. If it is all thick then they would be more likely to use it for bedding obviously.
Depends if there is other deer traffic on/off the island as well as other things.
But they seem to much prefer small humps, trees, clumps of bushes/dogwood etc... around the periphery of an island of that size. During the fall anyways...
During summer they will bed right on that island if that is where the shade is but they likely will be bachelored up so that changes the bedding tendencies anyways, many times.
Edit; also depends on how thick the island is. I was picturing an island with mature trees. If it is all thick then they would be more likely to use it for bedding obviously.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
-
- Site Owner
- Posts: 41588
- Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
- Location: S.E. Wisconsin
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
You might find beds there, and even kill deer there... But that does not sound like scenario I would expect to shoot mature bucks at unless one makes a stupid and random mistake in rut.
-
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:56 pm
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
Thanks for the responses.
So, a marsh with a few islands in it.......the best bedding of the islands will generally be with the brushy points and not the ones with the sharp transition to cattails all the way around.
So, a marsh with a few islands in it.......the best bedding of the islands will generally be with the brushy points and not the ones with the sharp transition to cattails all the way around.
- NorthStar
- 500 Club
- Posts: 1518
- Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:43 am
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
MNarrow wrote:Will a buck bed on an island in a cattail marsh, let's say a 1/2 acre in size that is perfectly circular and has no points jutting into the marsh and the transition is fairly sharp from island to marsh all the way around? Would they much prefer islands with that slow transitional point with brush to bed on, or maybe even just a lone tree out in the marsh with a patch of high ground?
Is this a hypothetical island or one that you have scouted? If this is an island you have scouted, was it done with boots on the ground or cyber scouted?
The only reason I ask these questions is that I have found small point beds on islands like these that don’t show up very well on aerial maps. Anyone else’s encountered this?
“The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.”
Proverbs 12:27 NIV
Proverbs 12:27 NIV
-
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:56 pm
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
NorthStar wrote:MNarrow wrote:Will a buck bed on an island in a cattail marsh, let's say a 1/2 acre in size that is perfectly circular and has no points jutting into the marsh and the transition is fairly sharp from island to marsh all the way around? Would they much prefer islands with that slow transitional point with brush to bed on, or maybe even just a lone tree out in the marsh with a patch of high ground?
Is this a hypothetical island or one that you have scouted? If this is an island you have scouted, was it done with boots on the ground or cyber scouted?
The only reason I ask these questions is that I have found small point beds on islands like these that don’t show up very well on aerial maps. Anyone else’s encountered this?
These are marshes that I have looked at aerials and will scout this spring. It seems that there are always islands that look to have no brushy points and ones that do have the obvious bedding points, and the all the islands have heavy trails between them. Good tip on checking these islands anyways since not everything will show up on an aerial.
- NorthStar
- 500 Club
- Posts: 1518
- Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:43 am
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
Yes, this took me by surprise during my last scouting trip. And I even looked at 4 different time frames in google earth before scouting. Keep us updated!
“The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.”
Proverbs 12:27 NIV
Proverbs 12:27 NIV
- Singing Bridge
- 500 Club
- Posts: 7162
- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:11 pm
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pro ... 1329617473
- Location: Logged in - from above
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
Although optimal scouting may be when the snow just came off, I wouldn't wait and I scout the year 'round even with lots of snow.
A lot of guys with jobs / family wait and it costs them dearly because they miss out on many areas they wanted to check out when they run out of time.
Some of the biggest and most mature marsh bucks in any given area bed on sharp island transition locations that cannot be detected on aerials or topo's... the time to find those islands with easy walking and frozen marshes is now... I wouldn't wait.
The half acre you mention is only 35 yards by 35 yards or so and I can assure you that many marshes have islands that size that hunters cannot see... boots on the ice and snow scouting is how you typically find these areas.
A lot of guys with jobs / family wait and it costs them dearly because they miss out on many areas they wanted to check out when they run out of time.
Some of the biggest and most mature marsh bucks in any given area bed on sharp island transition locations that cannot be detected on aerials or topo's... the time to find those islands with easy walking and frozen marshes is now... I wouldn't wait.
The half acre you mention is only 35 yards by 35 yards or so and I can assure you that many marshes have islands that size that hunters cannot see... boots on the ice and snow scouting is how you typically find these areas.
-
- Site Owner
- Posts: 41588
- Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
- Location: S.E. Wisconsin
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
You need to physically scout them to know for sure.
- Marshbuster89
- Posts: 405
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:32 am
- Facebook: Jordan Kurkowski
- Location: WI
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Marsh island sharp transition
dan wrote:You need to physically scout them to know for sure.
Exactly this. Friend of mine is starting to venture into public a little more as I’ve gotten him to realize that he severely overhunts his private.
Today we walked a piece that is within reasonable distance of his home. It had classic “good” islands with points, bowls, etc and there was not much good sign at all. I thought for sure there would be. This told me that they don’t feel same on them for whatever reason. With that being said, there were a few little patches of brush with some smaller trees about 200 yds away from the islands and more in the open, but guess what we found. That’s where they’re living. And it was obvious why, they can see and smell for a long ways from those little patches. Sometimes stuff looks awesome on a map, and it just isn’t what they prefer once you get out there. We found a climber out there so I’m guessing it gets hunted enough, and the deer know it.
Never rule anything out 100%. They’re wild animals and don’t always follow the plan completely, but they’re probably not too far away. Let the deer tell you where they are
How bad do you want it?
-
- Advertisement
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: D1ngo_, marqum2, thwack16 and 82 guests