Huge Marsh - Islands or Transition line?

[Slangeland]

I need some advice on planning a gun season setup.

I am internet scouting a new area. Huge marsh with many islands. The transition line is a very long edge running north and south. Deer movement is generally east west.

We will be hunting during gun season in michigan, since it is the rut I am planning to concentrate on the areas with the most sign of traffic from the hard woods to the islands.

The problem I have is that there are so many islands I am having a hard time selecting a spot to focus on one travel area without sacrificing coverage of the downwind area.

MY question - Has anyone had success setting up on the transition line versus setting up in the marsh on the islands? I am thinking of setting up on one island and covering the travel routes between the islands near them 100-200 yards away. I am expecting that I will need some sort of elevation in order to see the movement in the marsh.

Note that some of the islands are small, but there are larger ones which are generally long and narrow. I am not sure whether to setup on the travel routes between the islands, on the travel routes on the larger islands, or stick to the transition line at the edge of the hardwoods.

Dans videos have been very helpful, but most of them have a single island and are not during the rut.

Any advice or prior experience would be greatly appreciated.

[Jackson Marsh]

I assume it's a high pressure area, so I would start in spots hard to access, hopefully there are some. Is the area known for good bucks?

Ultimately it depends on where the best bedding is located, could be along the mainland transition or could be around the islands.

[matt1336]

If there’s a river in there use a boat. In high pressure marshes, hard work, intelligent scouting and sweat equity=success. Well actually that equation works anywhere. What I’m trying to say is that in marshes you have to out work the next guy. Cross water, muck and long stretches of cattails for success. Protected islands are your friend and you need to target them. Be ready for a good workout, especially after you kill one

[greenhorndave]

If there’s a river in there use a boat. In high pressure marshes, hard work, intelligent scouting and sweat equity=success. Well actually that equation works anywhere. What I’m trying to say is that in marshes you have to out work the next guy. Cross water, muck and long stretches of cattails for success. Protected islands are your friend and you need to target them. Be ready for a good workout, especially after you kill one

I found on a recent property that some great-looking spots (trees in the middle of a lot of cats not far off river) on aerial that would be better without the river. There were stakes with brighteyes on them and ropes attached from the stake to a tree. In multiple spots. So an area that would have almost zero pressure out in the middle now gets it from two sides.

I’m moving on to other properties, mostly because there was no sign of big bucks, but I do want to find a place with more isolated islands like you mentioned. Your comment plus Dan’s scouting workshop showed the value in those places.

[Wolfie417]

I would break it up into sections and scout what I would think are the best sections first. You would think there should be a couple of good spots in a marsh that big.

[tgreeno]

IMO, if you're just gun hunting it, I would just stalk it the entire season. Use the wind to your favor, and stalk every suspected bedding area in there. If that marsh is home to a good buck, chances are you'll catch up to him at some point. Take your time. Glass as you go.

If there's snow, even better! Come upon a good track, get on it and track him down!

[matt1336]

IMO, if you're just gun hunting it, I would just stalk it the entire season. Use the wind to your favor, and stalk every suspected bedding area in there. If that marsh is home to a good buck, chances are you'll catch up to him at some point. Take your time. Glass as you go.

If there's snow, even better! Come upon a good track, get on it and track him down!

I like that too. Cattails allow you to get close just don’t let them smell you then mark where you jumped them. That will help you in the future