How close to a bedding area do you put up your stand?

[mag1]

How close should you try to hang your stand to a bedding area in Marsh country?

I have a couple of spots that I need to figure out alittle better, but I'm trying to see how close I should try to get. One is an slight island on the edge of a marsh, it is about 30yds out from a 5 acre chunk of woods, with red brush to the E, heavy mash to the S/W/N of island with a river/creek to the W. The island is only 15yds x 50 or so. good points on the south end, and a possible spot on the N end. I need to check it closer in March. Would you try to get onto the island, or stay on the edge of the woods, there is a spot that you can see the entire small island. Also, one good oak about 60yds from the island. I still need to work on getting the stand/sticks up quieter. not to bad, but get some noise once in a while.

thanks for any suggestions.

[PLB]

Without a map I'd say if you can get 60 yards from the island, you're in pretty good shape. Provided there is a buck bedding on one of the points and his evening travels take him your way from the bed. Is there acorns on the mainland or crop fields nearby he would be headed to? I would get in on that island right after snowmelt and find the exact bed and find my tree after seeing what he sees and what you can get away with. But if you are setup 60 yards from the bed I'd say you're in his staging area and doing pretty good.

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[mag1]

That sounds about right. From what I've seen so far, there is a doe family group on a set of islands about 250yds NE of him. He was there in Oct, and i seen tracks by the 5 acres on 1/3/14. Crops are SE (1/2 mile) and NE (3/4-1mile) across the marsh/river. Ok, thanks for the input. Both Dan and Stanely have looked the maps over, made their suggestions, but once I got out to hunt the last time, the one spot looks like I would need to stay back just a bit. But, I think I have 3 sets of trees to hide in depending on wind. Can't wait for next sept.

[Dewey]

I normally set up anywhere from 50-150 yards from a bed depending on amount of cover between me and the buck or amount of wind on that day to cover noise.

Get in there between now and green up to find the exact location of the beds. When you do sit right in the bed and see what the bucks view is from his bed. This should give you a good idea where you can set up and how high you can go up the tree.

Singing Bridge had a great idea awhile back when he stuck a stick in the bed with a blaze orange hat or glove set at the approximate height a bedded buck would be. This will allow you to get up in your tree right now and plan on where you can sit next season. Works great.

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[Swampthing]

I normally set up anywhere from 50-150 yards from a bed depending on amount of cover between me and the buck or amount of wind on that day to cover noise.

Get in there between now and green up to find the exact location of the beds. When you do sit right in the bed and see what the bucks view is from his bed. This should give you a good idea where you can set up and how high you can go up the tree.

Singing Bridge had a great idea awhile back when he stuck a stick in the bed with a blaze orange hat or glove set at the approximate height a bedded buck would be. This will allow you to get up in your tree right now and plan on where you can sit next season. Works great.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I forgot about that, good reminder Dewey.

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[Edcyclopedia]

Sounds a lot like this area, although there is no mention of suburban deer but thought it depicted a similar aspect of your post...


I helped an older friend figure his spot out...

- He lives @ the house that is marked "stand"
- He is 20-yards from the edge of the cattail swamp
- I had a trail cam setup showing him that he was pattered by the deer (date & time)
- Told him to stop stinking his area up with his dog
- Told him only to hunt any westerly wind NOTHING else!!!
- Green circled areas are islands w/ bedding



Resultant





Much success so he has put me in his will for his mounts...
This years buck 205 dressed



Wish it was that easy for all my hunting spots too, but sometimes it's just a good honey hole!!!

[mag1]

Great points, its not suburban country, but there is private close by with houses within 350yds on one side, and a major hwy about 1 mile or less, away.

[dan]

As close as possible...

I check the beds at this time of year and see how far the buck can see, how high he can see, I think about noise and wind and pick a tree that is just barely out of sight, sound, and smell...

Most of the biggest bucks I have killed have been within 100 yards of the bed... I can think of many bucks I watched rise up out of beds in marshes a 1/2 hour to an hour before closing and never get farther than 75 yards in daylight...

When your talking blocks of cover like an island, its pretty important to get onto, or be able to shoot onto the island. It seems to me they hesitate till dark at the transition line a lot.

[mag1]

Thanks all, that is the clarification I needed. I will need to work on my setting up more so I can do it quietly. I've watched Dan's video on that, also "Stealth stripped" my sticks and the cables on my stand. May need to do the stand itself.

[BigHills BuckHunter]

As close as possible...

I check the beds at this time of year and see how far the buck can see, how high he can see, I think about noise and wind and pick a tree that is just barely out of sight, sound, and smell...

Most of the biggest bucks I have killed have been within 100 yards of the bed... I can think of many bucks I watched rise up out of beds in marshes a 1/2 hour to an hour before closing and never get farther than 75 yards in daylight...

When your talking blocks of cover like an island, its pretty important to get onto, or be able to shoot onto the island. It seems to me they hesitate till dark at the transition line a lot.

Dan have you had better success on island transition lines or mainland transition lines in marsh?

[dan]

Dan have you had better success on island transition lines or mainland transition lines in marsh?

Its all dependent on where the bed is... I would say there is no difference. Whats important is that you get within the bucks safe zone where he moves in daylight. 75 yards from a bed on an island is not much different than 75 yards from a bedded buck on the edge of the swamp...
The only thing that would lead me to be more inclined to say an island is better is pressure either from hunters or predators on the land mass. But, with all pressure being equal, where there at should not matter as long as you can get close enough.

[mag1]

Great tips.

[BassBoysLLP]

I agree with Dewey. 50-150 yards in marsh/swamp/thick country depending on cover. Very difficult to get closer than 150 yards in hill country.