AHA moment...salt marsh bedding

[fenderbender62]

This is my second year hunting on public, and I've made it a point this year to figure out an area of the property. Its a big tidal salt marsh with lots of dry land points sticking out into the marsh and drainages that cut back a few hundred yards up into the upland. There arent any islands in the marsh, just a vast areas of marsh grass and cattails.

So we've had a lot of rain her in the last 5 days, anywhere between 3-6" so I was expecting everything to be flooded yesterday when I went out for the gun opener. The drainages and ditches were full flooded but when I got to my stand on a creek that has marsh grass and cattails around it, it was surprisingly low. The creek runs out to the river.

As i sat in the morning I didnt see any movement, then around 9am I noticed the water was coming up pretty significantly and at a decently quick rate, The tide was coming in. By about 10am the tide had come in enough that the marsh along the creek had flooded and the water was well up to the dry land transition. I suddenly started seeing deer walking right on the edge of the dry land at 10:30am.

I was thinking what the ? I rarely see deer in daylight, especially in the middle of the day. Then the AHA... The deer had been bedded in the marsh along the creek all morning and once the tide came in they had to get up and relocate to the dry land. It seemed so obvious and simple, but I had never sat on stand so close to the water to notice the water levels changing so dramatically, I'm talking 3' in 3-4 hours.

The high and low tide times and water levels are posted online. You can believe I'm going to be using the tide to my advantage in the future.

Please share if you have any experience hunting marshes near the coast with tidal fluctuations in water level and how its affecting deer movement and how you hunt.

[PK_]

My limited experience with tidal marshes is that mature bucks generally have a bedding area that is secure for high and low tide. Similar to marsh and swamp bucks dealing with the occasional high water. Mature bucks do not like being constantly displaced by rising water. Even if it’s just a small hump or rootball that they lay on and they can still Wade around within the bedding area and browse even if the tide is up...

[Rob loper]

Tidal Marshes Are pretty much all I hunt or mostly.
This may sound like excuses but they are not its facts. Also it is not directed towards anyone or any group just my opinion on how a bad situation can easily arise dealing with the salt marshes of the east coast.
I am talking or referencing way out or far far from any Wood transitions of marshes going in by boat, jumping creeks, wading through nasty creeks.

My father and all 3 of my brothers all were tidal marsh duck hunters they were duck nutts .I learned quickly how bad and dangerous our salty tidal marshes can be.
A hunter needs to be very careful at times and if he or she hunts especially in a boat. A hunt can become a major catastrophe and a quick air lift from the coast guard if not careful and very thoroughly planned out.
I see several gung ho hunters or so called experts every year being airlifted from the nasty tidal marshes in my area. Deer and duck hunters
With that said in my areas it is extremely difficult to hunt where the deer end up especially after highly pressured times of year.
Its not as easy as some of the videos shown on YouTube or T.V. especially tidal marshes.
Boat access is really limited and has to be really planned If there is even enough water to get there and if not , like I said your gonna find yourself in some trouble.
Some of our back creeks and even main creeks have water in the middle to navigate through to your destination but, low tides there is no water on the creek shores just 6-8 foot of Mud.
Try to jump out into this especially in mid to late season, water in your boots? try water to your chest or chin, your hunt is now ended ,Wet hands and feet in 40 degree and below weather brings a very very uncomfortable hunt and a lot of times a later trip to the ER And probably a week rest in bed. Very dangerous and un worth the risk.
Its easy to sit with wet feet or water filled boots in September to late October but try it after Mid November, I would not recommend this, Chest waders this time of year are a must and even then don't get stuck in mud in waders you will be stuck really quick.

My point is just this.
when does it really become crazy and even dangerous ? well if the deer know what's coming with the tides I guess or hope the hunter who attempts to hunt them deep on the east coast tidal marshes especially after reading or watching someone doing this 2-3 miles in a marsh.
so please all my beasties be safe and really do your homework and plan thoroughly before you hit out deep in these spots

[fenderbender62]

whats up buckpsych...Ive watched some of your content on youtube.

I agree with the danger/safety factors that need consideration.

That said, do you have any tips considering your life long experience with salt marsh? Are the deer out there completely unable to be killed?

[Rob loper]

whats up buckpsych...Ive watched some of your content on youtube.

I agree with the danger/safety factors that need consideration.

That said, do you have any tips considering your life long experience with salt marsh? Are the deer out there completely unable to be killed?

Thanks man.
Appreciate the support.
I love doing it I'm really looking fir no kind of reward or gain. I just enjoy doing it and keeping shît real and raw.
I wanna kind of answer your question in a way that will describe what i think goes on in these bedding areas and a sorta explanation why. Try to simplify it and sorry if i ramble but i think little things are important. Especially when talking about mature older deer. Especially bucks.

I don't think any deer is unkillable. Also like many seem to disagree with me I dont believe any deer is completely nocturnal. Close but not completely.
Pressure/food dictates everything.
I will say i do think that there are probably quite a few bucks out in specific areas that they are so deep in that they do not reach the mainland until way after dark and thats why people think they are nocturnal.
They move during daylight in bedding areas weather on the marsh, in a swamp, cutovers, pine thickets or even a huge briar thicket in a big woods.
Deer want to live thats why they hide just the older they get the better they get at it ( they learn)
In Marshes they eat dogwood or will nibble on spicebush on east coast or certain grasses out there. I think one is called horse tail.
Crp fields and cutovers they eat briars, goldenrod, black caps, wild clover etc. alot of food out there
Cutovers can be looked at just like a marsh. They use them almost the same way.
Swampy wet areas they eat alot of things. Big one in swampy wet areas or ditches is again pokeweed or jewel weed.
Swamps i also look at the same as a marsh. There is just mature trees all over. Take away the tall mature trees your gonna have the same as a marsh.
Thickets, brushy areas, points , bowls transitions.
i think people get overwhelmed in a woods swamp because the trees i guess make them over think things.
Ive been there. Done that.
Big woods will be briars, or certain bark of different trees, a-lot of different things.
So the deer really do not have to exit their sanctuaries until after dark. And most everyone including myself hunt the edges of it. A lot of these places have way to many advantages for the deer to smell , see, or i think mostly hear you coming into the area. Thats why they bed there.
That's why in my opinion in season scouting around a cutover is really important but on the other hand stolill very difficult to hunt and get on a older buck. Even on hot sign.
Deer use certain areas for in my opinion 2 reasons.
Cover/ security and food.
Now with me saying that i will say in the last few years i have literally scouted probably 100 beds and areas.
Just about Every one of those bedding areas had some sort of browse or food. Food Within it
This makes the deer especially the bucks stage up and eat where they sleep.
Basically if a big buck you have a few pics of and have targeted is living in a marsh piece 500 yards off the woods edge. How do you hunt it? Well you gotta go to him or get close enough to him so he gets within shooting range before dark. In my opinion outside the rut and really alot during the rut. A big 4 year old or older may only travel 100 yards from his bed or wherever he bedded down fir the day.
So how is that buck gonna make it to the majority of hunters on the woods edge by dark? He is not.
Again you gotta go to him wether creek jumping, bog bouncing, or boat. Get to him if you can but dont put your self in danger doing it.
Be careful and plan ahead snd plan other routes out in case something happens. Just be safe.
Years ago me and my buddies went out duck hunting and got caught in the tide shift. We sat there for 8 hrs. Cold as and we all were sick as dogs for the next week or so.
Another time is I actually knew a guy who wanted to duck hunt a pond that butted up to an island way out in the marsh. Me and my dad would slay them there. We used a boat for access
The guy creek hopped and got to the pond and hunted.
He did not have a boat but still wanted to try.
After dark he wrapped up and started back to the mainland going the same course.
Well he must have misjudged a creek hop and it was low tide so he came up short. Chest deep in mud. Well his chest waders filled up with mud and weighed him diwn more and he kept sinking. He did either have a flip phone or a vhf and called someone for . He could not pull himself out of the mud. From the weight of the water in his chest waders filling up This gentleman sunk below his eyes and drowned. Yes that mud is that deep.
So all be careful plan your entries and exits and think and decide twice before you do something.

[mbone1327]

Good stuff buck pysch. That story about the kid drowning is terrible man. Tough way to go. Makes you think the deer gotta go through the muck too huh.

[Rob loper]

Good stuff buck pysch. That story about the kid drowning is terrible man. Tough way to go. Makes you think the deer gotta go through the muck too huh.

Yea but they can really jump high and long ways.
Plus for some reason they dont seem to get stuck in the mud. The man upstairs made to adapt. Never known or seen an animal who can adapt to changes in their environment like a deer. They are amazing.