Change in terrain and how to adapt.

[Marshbuster89]

This is a topic I have personally observed over the last 5-10 years in the swamps and marshes I hunt in Wisconsin and am interested to hear how it has impacted others. The other day as I was scouting an area that I have some very good memories with that I will describe, and I noticed that the very last tree (of about 30) had finally fallen over.

A lot of great bedding spots, mainly early season bedding when the deer are still coming to bean and alfalfa fairly early, were points or fingers compromised mainly of Ash trees that dipped out into the marsh. They used to be dynamite spots and as long as no one else had been in the area, they would always produce.

Since the emerald ash borer has been around, 95% of all these areas have gone cold. There is no more cover from the sun and not the same cover on the ground for the deer to back up to as effectively as they once did. The trees are dead and either still standing Without leaves and barely any branches or they have actually fallen down after being there for so long.

Dan, I know we talked about this and how you’ve definitely noticed this same thing in your area when I was down by you doing gun drives 2 years ago with Jake. What I have personally noticed is that instead of staying up closer to the food during early season (lets say first week or 2 of archery in WI), the deer are dropping back to their red-brush haunts out in the cattails right away. And I wanted to bring this up because it’s not necessarily just a problem with ash trees, but I’ve also noticed a couple places that used to be THE bedding areas along rivers have become void of deer because of the erosion problems we’ve had the last couple years. There are also some spots where the DNR has come into during winter and leveled areas, even tho they said they were going to select cut or just try to remove buckthorn, etc.

As I have been looking at maps the last few weeks, I noticed how many areas on google maps or OnX are dated and they still show some of these areas as I remembered hunting them, and not how they actually are now. You need to get out and physically check stuff or you may be unpleasantly surprised when you walk out there with your bow and see that the point you wanted to ambush is in fact no longer there.

When these uncontrollable changes to the terrain happen, the deer adapt, and you need to also. It doesn’t necessarily mean that area isn’t good to hunt anymore, but you have to approach it much differently for sure.

Thoughts? Similar experiences?

[Hawthorne]

I had the same thing happen to me with a spot that had thick multi flora rose. It caught disease and the pond next to the thicket sprung a leak and is now dry. I shot some nice bucks there over a period of about 5 years. In your situation maybe you can transplant some willow where the ash died. Willow grows really easy in wetlands and all you have to do is stick a stem in the ground. Or plant some tamarack. Both are native and non invasive. I know it’s probably illegal being public. I have some wet area on my property I thought about planting some tamaracks. Norway spruce wouldn’t grow there.

[dan]

yep... ASH DIE OFF HAS BEEN A HUGE GAME CHANGER, but buckthorn take over has effected even more... times are changing, and how we see maps is too... Bottom line is you have to physically scout, and you have to be capable of noticing and adapting to change.

[headgear]

Good posts, I know I have been finding less sign in the swamps, no ash borers up here to speak of and maybe it is just less mature bucks around my old swamps but I have for sure noticed a trend. Been find a lot more sign in overlooked and hill country areas that has forced me to adapt big time. Been a great learning experience and should help me round out as a better hunter in the long run. Just need to scout the hills a little more in my area, going to focus most of my time there this spring but not going to abandon my swamper ways. Hoping to score my first hill country buck this year.

[greenhorndave]

This is a topic I have personally observed over the last 5-10 years in the swamps and marshes I hunt in Wisconsin and am interested to hear how it has impacted others. The other day as I was scouting an area that I have some very good memories with that I will describe, and I noticed that the very last tree (of about 30) had finally fallen over.

A lot of great bedding spots, mainly early season bedding when the deer are still coming to bean and alfalfa fairly early, were points or fingers compromised mainly of Ash trees that dipped out into the marsh. They used to be dynamite spots and as long as no one else had been in the area, they would always produce.

Since the emerald ash borer has been around, 95% of all these areas have gone cold. There is no more cover from the sun and not the same cover on the ground for the deer to back up to as effectively as they once did. The trees are dead and either still standing Without leaves and barely any branches or they have actually fallen down after being there for so long.

Dan, I know we talked about this and how you’ve definitely noticed this same thing in your area when I was down by you doing gun drives 2 years ago with Jake. What I have personally noticed is that instead of staying up closer to the food during early season (lets say first week or 2 of archery in WI), the deer are dropping back to their red-brush haunts out in the cattails right away. And I wanted to bring this up because it’s not necessarily just a problem with ash trees, but I’ve also noticed a couple places that used to be THE bedding areas along rivers have become void of deer because of the erosion problems we’ve had the last couple years. There are also some spots where the DNR has come into during winter and leveled areas, even tho they said they were going to select cut or just try to remove buckthorn, etc.

As I have been looking at maps the last few weeks, I noticed how many areas on google maps or OnX are dated and they still show some of these areas as I remembered hunting them, and not how they actually are now. You need to get out and physically check stuff or you may be unpleasantly surprised when you walk out there with your bow and see that the point you wanted to ambush is in fact no longer there.

When these uncontrollable changes to the terrain happen, the deer adapt, and you need to also. It doesn’t necessarily mean that area isn’t good to hunt anymore, but you have to approach it much differently for sure.

Thoughts? Similar experiences?

Have water levels also played a part? I know a lot of stuff I expected to be good was underwater the last couple of years.

[Marshbuster89]

Have water levels also played a part? I know a lot of stuff I expected to be good was underwater the last couple of years.

Good question Greenhorn...and yes, absolutely. It has played a huge impact in the half dozen public marshes/swamps I hunt. To tell you how bad it was this last year, I checked the damn in one of the main marshes I hunt towards the 3rd week of August right before a trip to Canada and Colorado. PredatorTC got a kick out of how I check water levels more than I actual go in on foot later in summer, but I know what to expect based off what the dam level is lol. I constantly monitor water levels throughout the year because it tells me a lot based off the last 10 years I’ve been hunting and scouting marshes. The water level was down to about 3.5 feet which is fairly normal. Fast forward to Sept 22 when I got back from CO. The first thing I did that next day was walk out to the dam. Water levels were over 7 feet and absolutely raging. I knew everything was going to be swamped...but I’m stubborn so I had to check. Sure enough, I made an hour kayak trip out to a couple islands and I kid you not....I kayaked right across the tops of the islands and it wasn’t just a little bit of water, it was 2 feet of water ABOVE the highest spots of the islands! Muskrat huts where deer bed at times were totally submerged. I took a couple nights to drive around this marsh at dusk and saw piles of deer already feeding in the private ag fields surrounding the marsh. This told me that the deer had mostly vacated the marsh and relocated to the private high ground. So I wrote that entire marsh off til gun season.

I had to relocate and shot my archery buck in a totally different marsh that I may only hunt 3-5 times a year. After gun the seasons I was otter trapping in the flooded marsh...the damn was still above 6 feet. It was bad in 2018, but this past season was even worse. All a guy can do is relocate to find killable deer.

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[Wannabelikedan]

Water levels in sloughs located in creek/river bottoms are the biggest factor for me. If they’re dry, bedding grows exponentially and so do the number of deer in general. Last dry year was 2017 and it was a feast down in the lowlands. Since then, it’s rained too much and the water rats have dammed up all the water making it easier for those areas to stay full of water. 100% correct when you say move on and find killable deer.

[Marshbuster89]

I definitely agree with you Wannabelikedan. Tho I rarely hunt this type of terrain, I do have a couple spots like that in my back pocket and have noticed an extreme change in whitetail patterns in those areas.

Also, as Dan mentioned, buckthorn has become a whole new animal in itself.

[stash59]

This reminds me of going elk hunting out west. And finding the bedding areas that held elk had been clearcut since the last time you had been there!!!

Only one thing is constant. And that is change. Whether it's an almost sudden change, like disease, fire, wind storms. timber cutting. Or the slower natural growth/maturing of trees and vegetation. Keeping on top of it can be key to continued success!!

[matt1336]

Water levels screwed me last year. Completely displaced the deer from one of my best areas.

[justdirtyfun]

This reminds me of going elk hunting out west. And finding the bedding areas that held elk had been clearcut since the last time you had been there!!!

Only one thing is constant. And that is change. Whether it's an almost sudden change, like disease, fire, wind storms. timber cutting. Or the slower natural growth/maturing of trees and vegetation. Keeping on top of it can be key to continued success!!

That elk trip must have been a challenge.
My local conservation ground is going through timber sales. I have been scouting the changes almost more than I want to. The out of town guys are in for a real shock next season.