Cattail marsh dangers

[Brad]

I know Dan explained to us what to watch out for when hunting and scouting the cattail marshes and to step to the sides so we stay on the cattails with our feet, but is there any other things people do to stay safe? I have never hunted these and am going to really devote a lot of time to them this fall, so I want to make sure I am safe and not getting wet any more than I have to. Also, how do you get out if you "really go in", do you carry a rope with a hook you can toss or just grab the cattails or? I guess any stories of things that went wrong could be included to, because we can all learn from mishaps and possibly prevent someone else from having the same experience.

[headgear]

I would say there is a 100% chance of you getting wet or falling through if you hunt the cattails long enough, no way around it so just try and be ready when it happens. I know Dan has mentioned falling forward as a good technique to keep from going all the way through, it has worked for me a few times. After a while you start to get a feel for where the bad parts are and avoid them but eventually the swamp will get you and you just have to drag yourself out.

One time I got my boots suctioned down deep in some mud, it literally took me 15 minutes to get them out. You start to get a little nervous after a while but you just have to slow down and slowly work your way out. There are faster ways to get out but those often leave your boot at the bottom of the swamp and you walking back barefoot.

[dan]

The biggest thing about the cattail marshes and floating bogs is to "not fear them" A lot of the areas I go its just like walking an a water bed and the ground actually ripples up and down quite a bit. It scares a lot of newbys. But really, its not to often a healthy man gets in trouble. I have heard story's about an elderly guy who lives near me getting stuck down to his armpits in a weak spot. But if it were dangerous to "most people" there would be hunters disappearing out there every year and there is not... If you do go thru its usually one leg 1st giving you time to lean and fall into the cattails. When both feet punch thru you can lean forward and spread your arms.
Don't walk any where that cattails or brush don't grow.
Walking on ice is more dangerous than when the marsh is full of water. There are always "hot spots" where vegetation rotting under the ice heats up. Again, don't cross ice in the marsh that is open without cattails... But for the most part. Don't be afraid of the cattails, or afraid to get a little wet. If you have to, bring a change of socks.

[Dewey]

The #1 thing I can suggest is avoid floating cattail bogs. If you bounce up and down and the cattails ahead of you are moving in a wave back out of there immediately. You can get yourself into trouble very quickly if you continue since the water can get pretty deep under these floating bogs.

Usually if you cross spots in cattails with deeper spots it's not so much the water but the muck underneath that will give you the most problems. Many times if you just have knee boots on it will suck your boots off your feet and that is why I prefer hip boots with straps attached to my waist belt.

Like Dan said most spots you can travel by stepping at the base of the cattails by the roots since this is where the most solid ground is.

If you get stuck in muck deep enough you will barely be able to move your legs to get out. I saved myself a few times by using my arms to reach nearby cattails to pull myself out.

I find that by looking ahead for the densest cattails is where you will have the most solid travel. Any open areas more than likely have deeper water and the cattails will not grow there.

Most of the time you can follow deer trails in the cattails that have been used for many years and they seem to travel in the best areas for footing.

I like to mark my trail walking in on my GPS. When you walk out in the dark it can get very tough finding the safe way back out when you cannot see. I zoom in to 20ft and follow my same exact path back out. Learned that the hard way by walking out blind and getting into some really bad situations.

Oh yeah......if you have a cellphone make sure you put it in a ziplock bag so it stays dry. They don't like getting dunked in water and marsh muck! I found this out the hard way!!

Another thing I wanted to suggest is as you navigate thru cattails avoid muskrat houses since these are usually surrounded by pools of deeper water.

The marshes I hunt are huge so some of this might be a little extreme for smaller ones. Where I hunt the floating bogs can be very dangerous especially when it is a very wet summer.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Brad]

The #1 thing I can suggest is avoid floating cattail bogs. If you bounce up and down and the cattails ahead of you are moving in a wave back out of there immediately. You can get yourself into trouble very quickly if you continue since the water can get pretty deep under these floating bogs.

Usually if you cross spots in cattails with deeper spots it's not so much the water but the muck underneath that will give you the most problems. Many times if you just have knee boots on it will suck your boots off your feet and that is why I prefer hip boots with straps attached to my waist belt.

Like Dan said most spots you can travel by stepping at the base of the cattails by the roots since this is where the most solid ground is.

If you get stuck in muck deep enough you will barely be able to move your legs to get out. I saved myself a few times by using my arms to reach nearby cattails to pull myself out.

I find that by looking ahead for the densest cattails is where you will have the most solid travel. Any open areas more than likely have deeper water and the cattails will not grow there.

Most of the time you can follow deer trails in the cattails that have been used for many years and they seem to travel in the best areas for footing.

I like to mark my trail walking in on my GPS. When you walk out in the dark it can get very tough finding the safe way back out when you cannot see. I zoom in to 20ft and follow my same exact path back out. Learned that the hard way by walking out blind and getting into some really bad situations.

Oh yeah......if you have a cellphone make sure you put it in a ziplock bag so it stays dry. They don't like getting dunked in water and marsh muck! I found this out the hard way!!

Another thing I wanted to suggest is as you navigate thru cattails avoid muskrat houses since these are usually surrounded by pools of deeper water.

The marshes I hunt are huge so some of this might be a little extreme for smaller ones. Where I hunt the floating bogs can be very dangerous especially when it is a very wet summer.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Good post Dewey, Dan had us walk in on the deer trail and I imagine I will continue that method because I am not worried about leaving the scent behind, it will be awhile before I hunt it again anyways. I just don't want to get trapped in the muck and not be able to get out and drown or something. I am sure it is like ice fishing, after a few seasons you learn what's good and bad and what to walk on and what to stay off of, but being new to this it is something I want to keep in mind and try and avoid problems before they start. For the most part I am probably over reacting to a small problem, but I figure better safe than sorry.

[Dewey]

Don't know if you plan on scouting soon or not but I just wanted to mention I was out all day yesterday marsh scouting and was surprised the ice is holding up surprisingly well. No standing water anywhere and never broke thru the ice.

It's a great time right now to get out there scouting. Snow in minimal and access is as good as it gets if you want to reach hard to get areas.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[whitetail007]

one spot i hunt the only way in is over cattail bog. i went in once and never felt bottom another time i thought i was safe when i reached the edge of a island and fell in a spring hole that was covered with dry dead leaves, i looked just like everything else did but wasent. i have made trails through the cattails and every time you walk it they sink more and more. it went from 6 inches of water to 3 feet from walking it about 6 times. i kept walking the edge of the floating cattails but even then it was sinking faster and faster. you will get wet and muddy but its all worth it.

[BigHunt]

im looking forward to this up coming season and hitting these marshes.....its defiantly going to be a different learning curve

[Swampthing]

Another thing I never scout without is my walking stick. I think it is invaluable out scouting. Many times I've saved myself from getting wet by using my stick. And it works great if your trying to step across an unstable spot and you can,t find a solid spot to plant your foot. Just plant your stick and hop over. There are many sticks out there. Most are too heavy. But I did find one at Mills Fleet Farm I really like. Super, lightweight and on the bottom there is a rubberfoot which unscrews and reveals a short 1" spike. It works good when your walking on ice.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Singing Bridge]

if you have a cellphone make sure you put it in a ziplock bag so it stays dry.

Definitely- cell phone, GPS, Wallet, Scouting Camera... Supposedly waterproof GPS units do not surivive a dunk in a cedar swamp or marsh "more often than you will like". I break out the GPS if needed while stationary and not moving.

When you get serious about scouting, and I mean really serious, you are almost certainly going to take a dunk or two... comes with the territory. Wear it like a badge and move on- Last spring I broke through and went swimming on a couple of different occasions, while scouting beaver ponds / cedar swamps / marshes etc.

[whitetail007]

i carryed my phone all the way back in the marsh in a zip lock only to drop it out of the stand and right into some water. that year i think was the year i went through 7 phones.

[venisonassassin]

Another thing I never scout without is my walking stick. I think it is invaluable out scouting. Many times I've saved myself from getting wet by using my stick. And it works great if your trying to step across an unstable spot and you can,t find a solid spot to plant your foot. Just plant your stick and hop over. There are many sticks out there. Most are too heavy. But I did find one at Mills Fleet Farm I really like. Super, lightweight and on the bottom there is a rubberfoot which unscrews and reveals a short 1" spike. It works good when your walking on ice.

[ Post made via Android ]

I also use a walking stick as kind of a third leg. It has saved me from falling in many times. I just use a stout stick that I find in the woods, that way if I leave it out there it's no big deal, there are plenty more out there.

[Dewey]

i carryed my phone all the way back in the marsh in a zip lock only to drop it out of the stand and right into some water. that year i think was the year i went through 7 phones.

7 phones!!

I think you need to attach some velcro to your hands!!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Czabs]

Good thread. I'm still young, fearless, and stupid. I'll let you guys know and possibly post some pics when I find out the hard way

[fbcoach39]

Gators & Cottonmouth once it warms up.