Flooded timber/ bottom land

[BHC]

Does any one hunt this type of terrain? How do u locate bedding w in it. I scouted some public land the other day. It is bottom land and a lot is flooded. It's mostly mature timber that is covered in little creeks. I saw tons of tracks. Saw 4 deer, but found no beds worth talking about.. Trails were just everywhere.. I'm used to hunting hilly terrain, where movement is terrain based. This all seemed really random.. Any experience with the type of landscape..? There is miles of this type of land here...

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[Stanley]

I have hunted a lot of bottom ground over the years. What kind of mature timber? The bottoms have spots that are a little higher than some others. There will be patches of grass and brush that are a little higher. Finding these sweet spots is the first thing to look for. The creeks can produce some nice bottle necks and oxbows. So can standing water.

It takes some time to see what is not obvious at first glance. This is the big key to hunting the bottoms. Bottoms can be feast or famine. You get a few drought years and it can get very good. you get a few flood years and it can get very bad. Sound like I'm being wishy-washy but the bottoms are wishy-washy.

[Ryan]

I have hunted a lot of bottom ground over the years. What kind of mature timber? The bottoms have spots that are a little higher than some others. There will be patches of grass and brush that are a little higher. Finding these sweet spots is the first thing to look for. The creeks can produce some nice bottle necks and oxbows. So can standing water.

Stanley, have you found that deer still like to bed in oxbows of the creeks/rivers in this kind of situation or would they rather bed on a high spot out in the middle of the bottom land?

[Stanley]

I have hunted a lot of bottom ground over the years. What kind of mature timber? The bottoms have spots that are a little higher than some others. There will be patches of grass and brush that are a little higher. Finding these sweet spots is the first thing to look for. The creeks can produce some nice bottle necks and oxbows. So can standing water.

Stanley, have you found that deer still like to bed in oxbows of the creeks/rivers in this kind of situation or would they rather bed on a high spot out in the middle of the bottom land?

On dry years they will bed on the oxbows. On wet years the high spots are better.

[Ryan]

Thanks Stan...when your hunting those bottle necks is that a rut tactic or do you like those early season too?

[wmihunter]

I thought oxbows were ponds.

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[Ruger]

I'll add that it's a good idea to go and scout as the water is rising if you can. The deer will travel in the water along the higher spots (small ridges) even though all of the land is flooded. These areas may be only a foot or two higher and not readily apparent but you can spot them when the water is rising.

[Stanley]

Thanks Stan...when your hunting those bottle necks is that a rut tactic or do you like those early season too?

I've actually had the most success post rut. I think because the high ground cover is much reduced by then. Early season there is ton of cover and food sources on the high ground. I have killed bucks early, rut, and late though.

[Stanley]

I thought oxbows were ponds.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I think most of us refer to oxbows as the bends in rivers and creeks that form a peninsula.

[Ryan]

Thanks Stan...when your hunting those bottle necks is that a rut tactic or do you like those early season too?

I've actually had the most success post rut. I think because the high ground cover is much reduced by then. Early season there is ton of cover and food sources on the high ground. I have killed bucks early, rut, and late though.

That makes sense thanks for the info!

[justdirtyfun]

I went to some flooded timber last season. The understory was very bare and a smart buck will be using that to his advantage. This season I will look at downfall much closer for bedding sign. With flooding keeping them away during summer all the sign should be new. Challenging areas for sure.

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[TN Whitetail Freak]

I thought oxbows were ponds.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Oxbow are creeks and streams that branch off main rivers that weave their way deep into bottom land

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[TN Whitetail Freak]

BHC pm me I hunt nearly 90+% bottom/Cypress swamp here in west TN and 100 % public land in west TN

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