creating bedding in marsh

[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

Has anyone brought one of those military shovel with them and tried creating a bed by flattening out the humps around the tree?

Scouted friday, had some small wooded area that deer Cross to get to AG fields......Small woods,lots of red brush (like 10 acres at least,but very lumpy and wet ) scattered big trees in the red brush, which goes to a point. Found good bedding on the point. The point opens up to some small patches of timber and open marsh grass.

Problem is setting up on the beds is tough....ton of trails in the red brush. I just feel I would be to far from the beds before they made their way thru the red brush before last shooting light.

Thats why I thought it would maybe work to create some beds,closer to the woods. Any thoughts?

Some of these trees in the red brush would make excellent bedding....IMO

[dan]

I think it could work, but the scenario you posed makes me question why they would choose your spot over the one they are currently using? Are you thinking mainly because its closer to the food? The biggest bucks are going the bed in spots based on safety. If your going to try and create a bed, it would have to have all the ingredients needed.

[Singing Bridge]

I also think it would work- but I think there would be an excellent chance of a junior buck taking over the bed and acting as a sentinel for the big fella- an early warning system, so to speak. I see this in a lot of swamp and marsh bedding areas.

Not always, though- and there are certainly situations where this would work. I have one mature buck I am hunting that takes the primary bed right in the middle of all deer activity, ALL of the other deer have to work around him for travel to food and to bed, and they definitely go AROUND him. The junior bucks appear to get sentenced to the more distant and remote beds "most" of the time. I think this is for several reasons: He likes to monitor all of the other deer activity in this area... He can approach and exit this bed from several directions... The bed is flat-out super secure, with endless marsh behind it and cover so thick and wet everywhere else nothing can get near him without him knowing about it.

[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

That is what I was thinking Friday....is they are bedding in the best spot, off the point. But my mind has been thinking on it for a day and I thought it might work.

I have seen other little spots out a ways in the marsh and thought this might be golden, only to get out there to find no bedding because of the humps.

This spot Dan is the spot close to the road that a co- worker of Josh's told him they see bucks right after dark.

Do you think if we set up on the transition the buck would get there before shooting light is over?

It is at least 10 acres or more of red brush between him and the woods.

[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

Good stuff SB...... thanks. Nothing going on right now, just thinking out loud on the computer. LOL

[dan]

This spot Dan is the spot close to the road that a co- worker of Josh's told him they see bucks right after dark.

Do you think if we set up on the transition the buck would get there before shooting light is over?

It is at least 10 acres or more of red brush between him and the woods.

If that were my best feasible option, I would sit there on days when I figured a deer may move earlier to get that distance. I think there is a chance he goes thru the red brush and then stages at the edge of the trees if he is not being harassed.
I liked that area, it looked like it might be over looked by the majority of other hunters.