cracking a swamp

[raven lundy]

I'm not one to post or comment much but I study the forums and try and soak up as much information possible. I been following the site for several years. I have all the vids and been applying what I have learned to where I hunt. Anyways from day one I've always been drawn to marshes and swamps. I love the adventure! I have a swamp I have been trying to crack for many years now. It's cypress swamp running along a river stays wet almost year round but there is some high ground areas. Thick thick. Swamp is about 3 miles by 3 miles and 3 sides border either creeks or river and one side bordrers heavily pressured private land to the far west. Deer numbers are prob moderate and there's bears in the area too. I'm looking for deer. I started in the edges of the cypress swamp areas unsuccessful for a big buck but seen sign and does. Moved to the islands in the marsh frags unsussesful again for a mature buck and didn't find the doe sign either. The deer have to be in the cypress swamp area. I recently found this island Rt in the middle of the cypress swamp. Maybe 50 yards wide by about 100 yards long running north to south. Prevailing wind is north. It's a trek to get in there but it's possible. The island is at least a mile west of the private land ag feilds. On this little island Is 4 or 5 massive white oak trees and a few massive pines. Yes they are producing trees I can see the acorns in the trees and caps from previous years on ground. Almost every little tree is rubbed. Didn't find any sign of other hunters.. Found several sheds under the oaks. Beds I assume the deer bed on the edge of this high ground island but I didn't find an actual bed. My question now is how should I hunt this island without knowing where the beds are? Should I set up next to the oaks in the island or just outside of the island more in the swampy cypress stuff. thinking I could Get an early season hunt and something during the rut type of thing. Any ideas suggestions are much appreciated. I know it's a good spot hopingI don't booger it up. Thanks!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[headgear]

Sometimes the only way to figure it out is to hunt it, from the sounds of things they are bedding on or close to the island. The bed locations probably depend on the wind. If you are going to dive in try and find a wind where the bucks are bedding on one of the points of the island then slip onto the other end and setup so you scent won't hit him. You could try a cross wind but the bedding might be less predictable and the buck could be bedded in a location not as easy to hunt. Give it a crack early season and again later in the year, maybe even twice if you can get back in there. I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't double down on some of my better spots during prime time.

[raven lundy]

Thanks. The re assurance def helps. I was thinking along the same lines for an early season hunt and was kinda thinking during the rut I could catch a cruiser too. Time will tell. Thanks again

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Buckshot20]

I have similar swamps I hunt and I'm finding beds either right on the waterline or on tussucks 30-40yrds in the water. Look for fallen cypress or hickory trees. The uprooted root balls make high spots. Also on an island that small they can circle down wind easy before going up on it. Hunt close to the water so you can kill them before they get down wind and your thermals don't get pulled that far. They can be great spots during the rut especially if tge island has food/browse.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Florida]

That sounds like a really remote food source. Do you have a black flash camera to put up? Obviously you don't want to mess up the spot checking a camera repeatedly, but you could just set it and check it when you hunt. If they are bedding close, they might hit that white oak for a midday snack. You could sneak in after first light if you could do it quiet. Just thinking outside the box a bit.

[ Post made via Android ]

[PK_]

Were any of the sheds shooters? Bigger bucks may not bed on the island but right around it like Buckshot said.

I would hunt it when the whites are falling. I would be very careful about how I access it and would prefer to leave it for gun. I would try to clear a shooting lane straight down the center of it and prep a tree or spot from the ground on either end for different winds. I would be sure to be absolutely silent when accessing it and would love to do so late morning or an early afternoon during rain.

Nobody is touching it, otherwise those sheds wouldn't be there. My highest priority would be to not screw it up.

[Florida-East]

Yup... everything posted above.

Camera up high that's not a white flash. And leave it up from now until February. And what Pk said, gun hunt that thing from as far as you're comfortable... worst case you don't get a shot but a visual of what's happening

[ Post made via Android ]

[mainebowhunter]

I'm not one to post or comment much but I study the forums and try and soak up as much information possible. I been following the site for several years. I have all the vids and been applying what I have learned to where I hunt. Anyways from day one I've always been drawn to marshes and swamps. I love the adventure! I have a swamp I have been trying to crack for many years now. It's cypress swamp running along a river stays wet almost year round but there is some high ground areas. Thick thick. Swamp is about 3 miles by 3 miles and 3 sides border either creeks or river and one side bordrers heavily pressured private land to the far west. Deer numbers are prob moderate and there's bears in the area too. I'm looking for deer. I started in the edges of the cypress swamp areas unsuccessful for a big buck but seen sign and does. Moved to the islands in the marsh frags unsussesful again for a mature buck and didn't find the doe sign either. The deer have to be in the cypress swamp area. I recently found this island Rt in the middle of the cypress swamp. Maybe 50 yards wide by about 100 yards long running north to south. Prevailing wind is north. It's a trek to get in there but it's possible. The island is at least a mile west of the private land ag feilds. On this little island Is 4 or 5 massive white oak trees and a few massive pines. Yes they are producing trees I can see the acorns in the trees and caps from previous years on ground. Almost every little tree is rubbed. Didn't find any sign of other hunters.. Found several sheds under the oaks. Beds I assume the deer bed on the edge of this high ground island but I didn't find an actual bed. My question now is how should I hunt this island without knowing where the beds are? Should I set up next to the oaks in the island or just outside of the island more in the swampy cypress stuff. thinking I could Get an early season hunt and something during the rut type of thing. Any ideas suggestions are much appreciated. I know it's a good spot hopingI don't booger it up. Thanks!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

If you can get to the spot without busting the deer out, bucks should show up in daylight if those trees are producing. I would also walk the edges and see if you can figure out how the deer are entering the spot. Guessing that its wet all around it, if deer are showing up with any regularity, there should be some pounded runs coming into the spot. I would guess the deer are bedded close.

The hard part being that its remote, the deer could bed right near the acorns.

Personally, I always err on the side of being to aggressive. If I know big bucks are around, I am not one to sit back and leave it till next season with cams running. Cameras could be your friend here. Putting cameras up as soon as possible. Then leaving them till you hunt it...placing in strategic places so you can check as you head to your tree. Then maybe in the offseason, you can tear the place apart trying to find the beds.

No matter how you do it, if you do not have the intel, you need to get it. That is something you hear repeated often around here.

[whitetailassasin]

Being wet should aid a little in keeping scent as minimal as possible. Early season I would hunt between food and suspected bedding. Give it a couple hunts, pay attention to the sign. If you don't see anything, but you hear deer, make an adjustment. Other than that give the rut a crack or two.

[ Post made via iPhone ]