Did some scouting in public marsh today

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Dewey
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Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:29 pm

This bed is from a mature buck I saw the last two seasons but never got a shot at him. He beds on a small island surrounded by cattails and water so the closest I have ever gotten to him is 90 yards. Now that there is some good ice I snuck onto the island today from the downwind side with my bow hoping to get a shot. When I got within 30 yards about 20-25 turkeys that I didn't see busted up off the island and flew away! :shock:
I went to the bucks bed and it didn't look like he was there recently. I actually saw this buck rise out of this bed from my treestand 90 yards away a few times in the last few seasons. He pretty much staged there and did not move during daylight.
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I sat right in the bucks bed. And this is his view.
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He has a trail out the backside of the island so if somebody comes from the mainland he slips out the back on that trail deep into the cattails. I didn't find any fresh tracks in the snow so either he is dead is using a different bed. Maybe the turkeys took over the island. Looks like they have been there awhile scratching and kicking up the ground all over.

Checked out another island and found this bed on the NW side in the transition from marsh grass to cattails by a lone tree.
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These rubs were about 75 yards south of the bed in the hardwoods. The top of the second rub was just below my chest.
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I got trailcam pics of these two bucks a few seasons ago on this island. Funny thing is they both came past my camera about the same time!! If you look closely at the second pic you can see the second buck coming up onto the island out of the cattails. Never saw the first one on stand but the second one I passed on twice that year and earlier this season I saw him again but couldn't get a shot. He is quite a bit bigger and probably in the 130"-140" range now. I believe he is the one using the bed in the pic above. I kept my camera off this island this year so I didn't mess it up with extra scent.
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This buck has pretty much everything he needs on this island since there is still plenty of white oak acorns and hickory nuts still on the ground and the entire island is surrounded by deeper water for at least 300 yards on all sides with cattails beyond that.
I won't be hunting these spots the rest of the season so I wasn't too worried about intruding in them. Felt good to get out and do some walking today. Fresh deer sign was very hard to find today even though there is still snow on the ground. Kinda weird and never seen such a total lack of fresh tracks. Starting to think the deer population is getting hurt badly by all of these herd reduction tags.

Back to the treestand tomorrow hoping to get on a different buck I have been hunting.

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DEERSLAYER
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:23 pm

Looks like a nice island and a good spot Dewey.
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Swampthing » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:35 pm

That's a good looking spot, and awesome bucks hanging around, nice.

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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby dan » Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:59 pm

8-)
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby adrenalin » Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:48 pm

Very cool, Im suprised you passed that second one last year though. He's pretty nice for public..
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby RaisedByWolves » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:37 am

great public bucks there Dew, good luck with the one your after
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:00 am

Nice beds and bucks! Goodluck!

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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Czabs » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:18 am

Awesome Dewey! Takem out this upcoming season!
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:08 pm

Since it was so windy today I decided to do some more scouting/hunting again today. Finally found some fresh deer sign. For some reason the deer relocated about a mile north of where I scouted yesterday. Pretty sure it is food source related because there is a small unpicked corn field nearby. Kinda disappointed because I didn't find any beds though. Looks like I need to spend more time here in spring to find them.

Couldn't believe the number of rubs I found in a small concentrated area. None of them were huge rubs but from the amount of rubbing there must have been at least one pretty agressive buck around!!
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Found an old scrape and a pretty good trail that skirts just inside the edge of the treeline.
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Wasn't too bad of a day and learned a new spot for next year. Might have to give it a shot later this week if the wind is right again.
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby rack addict » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:11 pm

great pics Dewey! I always love finding an area hammered with rubs.
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby BigHunt » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:22 pm

wow nice ....keep it up 8-)
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Czabs » Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:30 pm

Oh gotta love it. I went into a spot last Saturday, crazy rubs just like you posted. Were you jumping around running from one to the next like a kid in the candy store? I was. :mrgreen:
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:12 am

Czabs wrote:Oh gotta love it. I went into a spot last Saturday, crazy rubs just like you posted. Were you jumping around running from one to the next like a kid in the candy store? I was. :mrgreen:

It's cool finding a bunch of rubs but the reality is that this time of the year the buck that made those rubs may not be alive anymore. I get more excited finding rubs like that pre rut. I can bet that most of those rubs I found in my second post were made by 2 1/2 year olds. They seem to do a bulk of the cluster rubs.

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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby Czabs » Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:52 am

Yea, I suppose. Either way it gets me going.
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Re: Did some scouting in public marsh today

Unread postby NightwishMike » Thu Jan 05, 2012 6:36 am

Nice bow Dewey! :mrgreen:

Awesome pictures as well.


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