AGAIN- Bridge in the Cattails 2 !

[Singing Bridge]

I haven't been able to scout as of late due to home repairs taking up all my time... but before these chores became necessary I decided to drive a couple of hours to the cattail marsh I had so much luck scouting and posted about previously (the first time I purposely scouted a cattail marsh, ever). This would be a new area, over a mile from the last. I had closely scouted aerials and topos and had an island of high ground I wanted to get to back in the marsh. When I got there it didn't take me more than 5 minutes to find this rub:



The rub was 48" at the top, with tine marks above the top of the rub that were well over a foot above it. I was definitely pleased to find this tall rub, but what was lying 4 feet away from it really added to the fire. Many of the pellets are over an inch in length with the smaller pellets over 3/4" in length... the clump was nearly as big as my fist. This is a big animal, and a 4" long deer hair was on top of the pile as he had recently passed through and deposited it by this rub.



I found several rubs from the big buck that topped out at 50", with tine markings up to 16" above that... I made a beeline for where I assumed he would bed and struck paydirt:



The bed is in a 90 degree corner of the high ground tucked up against a beaver pond. The bed had a number of old and new rubs very close to it:








This old rub was ten yards from the bed, it looked like he may have hit it...



Better look at the back of that old rub... yep, he hit it:



Pictures do not do this buck justice, his rubs and droppings are most impressive. He overmarked (rubbed) right over the top of a number of big old rubs. Now if I can get him to move the 100 yard distance to my stand tree next fall before dark...

Two trips to the cattail marsh have me seriously wondering why I haven't spent more time in this habitat- I still can't believe how quicly I find good sign while scouting it. Anyone still scouting?

[JJWI]

I am still scouting. The snow just left here about a week ago. I double dipped and have been scouting Turkeys and Deer at the same time. I looked over a section of public land I have been hunting for a couple of years now. There is always a big buck in this area. It consists of young poplar trees, swamp grass and red brush. Most trees you can only get a few feet off the ground. It is pretty much one big bedding area. There is always a mature buck in there every year and I just couldn't pin point were he was bedding. The DNR bought the 60 acres to the North last year which is an old pasture with some mature oaks in it and a small section of marsh grass and tag alders to the most north end. I had a feeling that the north end would be a good place for a bedding area. I hunted it one night last year and seen a nice buck come out on that corner at dusk. I found the bed last night, when I knelt down to the bucks head height I seen he has a wide open view of the main drive way into the land and can see the whole back of the farm. Figured he was sweeping to the west, walking with the wind at his back (west wind) and watching the road, driveway and farm to the East.

[Swampbuck]

that's a great find!!! what kind of pressure do you expect in the area?

[Jackson Marsh]

Nice find SB!

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[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

[wiscbowhntr]

I am gonna be out one last time for a day and a half next week.

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[Singing Bridge]

that's a great find!!! what kind of pressure do you expect in the area?

There is very heavy pressure around and inside this marsh. The high ground bed out in the cattails does not show on a topo, and most would miss it on an aerial as well. In fact, there is no such thing as going to a typical "island" out in a swamp or marsh in my areas and not finding treestands and groundblinds on it, no matter how far back it is. This particular spot I scouted doesn't stand out at all. It is one of those "overlooked" spots out in the marsh- and that's why this big buck is bedding there.

[Singing Bridge]

I am still scouting. The snow just left here about a week ago. I double dipped and have been scouting Turkeys and Deer at the same time. I looked over a section of public land I have been hunting for a couple of years now. There is always a big buck in this area. It consists of young poplar trees, swamp grass and red brush. Most trees you can only get a few feet off the ground. It is pretty much one big bedding area. There is always a mature buck in there every year and I just couldn't pin point were he was bedding. The DNR bought the 60 acres to the North last year which is an old pasture with some mature oaks in it and a small section of marsh grass and tag alders to the most north end. I had a feeling that the north end would be a good place for a bedding area. I hunted it one night last year and seen a nice buck come out on that corner at dusk. I found the bed last night, when I knelt down to the bucks head height I seen he has a wide open view of the main drive way into the land and can see the whole back of the farm. Figured he was sweeping to the west, walking with the wind at his back (west wind) and watching the road, driveway and farm to the East.

Having a mature buck in there every year is a big deal- and they are certainly not easy to figure out. It sounds like you are learning more about these bucks all the time.

[hunter_mike]

Awesome scouting trip. I wont be able to get out again till after green-up

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[PK_]

<------Jealous.

[darenative]

I love finding spots that have have sign from numerous years of use, along with active sign.

Between the ticks, cottonmouths, and rattle snakes, and work, my journeys into the marsh are done until fall...

[Singing Bridge]

I love finding spots that have have sign from numerous years of use, along with active sign.

Between the ticks, cottonmouths, and rattle snakes, and work, my journeys into the marsh are done until fall...

Yeah, that doesn't sound like a good time!

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[whitetailassasin]

Another productive scouting trip. I believe the upcoming season is going to be a good one for you Bridge.

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[Devon441]

Thanks for posting pics and descriptions of your scouting trips. They really help a newbie like me better understand things when I am out in the field myself

[May-39]

I'm glad we went different directions cause I went and rescouted a piece a ways away..I killed myself in deep snow early last winter checking every tree, shrub high ground, island in the marsh area. some good rubs but I could not find "it" or "it minus obvious stand sites." Rechecked sunday and now water is ankle to waist deep,,after a couple hours I finally found it..

Doesn't it feel good? almost a relief like I'm not crazy, there is a mature buck in this county.