Hey guys,
I made it out for an in-season scout yesterday on a new area I have never been too. As I am coming up to the tag alder/red brush swamp, I noticed one thing, a clump of a half dozen oaks about 150 yards into the swamp. From the pre-scout aerial image, I saw the island, but couldn't tell what type of an island it was. That was the first place I started. Sure glad I did! Below is an aerial of what it looks like and the following paragraphs explain what I saw.
I found 7 rubs within 100 yards of his bed. None of the rubs were actually in his bed, but on the way in and out. I got to the oak island and right away I saw a rub (red dot). Walked over to it and its rubbed completely around. I looked to my left and I see a pretty heavily used trail going north out of the oak island and I see 2 more rubs next to each other (area of the blue dot), just after the rubs it gets to more of an open area of marsh grass with sporadic tag alders. I look to my right, from the red dot, and I see another rub right on the edge of the oak island (purple dot) and looks as though this one was made as he entered into the swamp. On the south edge of this oak island is tall marsh grass with aspens sporadically littered about and then goes into a tag alders again. I walked on what looked to be a lightly used trail into the marsh grass/aspen, but wasn't sure. Sure enough I came right up on his bed (Google Earth blue dot). At the base of a good size aspen. The bed was shaped with him facing SW and the marsh grass around him was about up to my midsection and I am 5'10. He can see out nicely to his left into the swamp, in front of him which his a tag alder transition with marsh grass and to the right, which is also tag alder transition and marsh grass. I saw a trail heading out of his bed to the SE, so I followed it for a bit, and wow did it open up and that is where the water begins and actually comes to a fork a few ft in. At that fork there were 3 other saplings rubbed. Within a few yards of leaving his bed, you're in swamp water.
RED DOT
BLUE DOT
PURPLE DOT
BED (Note, the red leaf vegetation is not in the bed, its just on the outside of it)
I went back towards the trail that exits the oak swamp to the north and right at those double rubs, there is another fork, although this fork is not heavily used. I thought nothing of it at the time, dumb of me. This main trail walking out and eventually getting to the mainland is likely a doe or younger buck trail (pink trail). As I followed it out a little ways, not to the mainland, it started to dissipate and just disappear as it looked like it fingered off in several directions that deer choose to go. From the mainland, you would never guess there is a heavily used trail coming out of the oak island. I walked the transition of the tag alders around as I was going to go into another swamp point. I got to a part where I was just about to go into the point and stood to just examine it all. I look to my right and 5 steps away is a nice rub (light purple dot, but the rubs are actually a little further north of there) and I could see a trail going into the tag alders so I followed it. I then came to another rub on the other side of the tag alders, on this same trail. Guess where this trail leads back to?! Right back to that fork in the road coming off the oak island that I had dismissed earlier. This buck veers off and sticks to the thick tag alders, while other deer keep going straight and get on the more open side of the transition line. He sticks to the cover with no trees in the vicinity to sit in close enough.
LIGHT PURPLE DOT
TRAIL WALKING SOUTH OUT OF BED
Based on how he is bedded, the closest tree to this is 150 yards off the mainland, but that doesn't do me any good since he doesn't go that route, he cuts off and sticks to the tag alders. The only trees in that area is right on that 10 x 15 yd island, which if I got to, would put me about 30-40 yards at the farthest from his bed if I am on the far north end of the island. His bed to the oak island is 20 yards. Odds in his favor .
I am looking for insight from you guys as to how I could attack this buck, he is set up pretty good. With bed facing SE if I come from the north, crawling, likely on that pink trail, his back is to me, yet I still have just an enough off wind. I suspect he is in there on a NE wind. Which isn't a common wind for MN. I would likely have to sit on the ground as I wouldn't be able to get into a tree. He would pick me off up in the tree. I think I could get to the western side of the island and then as he passes by to leave for the evening/night, he would walk by me and hope for the best from there. At least that's how I envision it .
All of this just screams what Dan says in his DVD and what others have preached on the forum. So finding this, I was jacked to say the least. Thank you all for give tips and insight.
Let me know your thoughts, questions, comments, tips guys. Just a fun fact, his bed measured 55.5 inches. Based on a bit of research, that size bed shows that this is a large bodied buck.
Textbook swamp scout
- willsk85
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- willsk85
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Re: Textbook swamp scout
Sorry, in my last larger paragraph, I said bed was facing SE, the bed indeed faces SW, like I mentioned earlier in the post.
Thanks!
Thanks!
- headgear
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Re: Textbook swamp scout
For sure give it a shot from the ground, if you can find a nice windy day you might be able to setup super close to him but for any other day the ground is your best chance. I do a few ground hunts every year, just make sure you have good cover and you can draw undetected.
- willsk85
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Re: Textbook swamp scout
This is a question for all, but hoping Dan can chime in too. With the trail I found going out of his bed, further into the swamp. In your experience, is that likely leading to another bed he has further in the swamp? Do you generally follow that trail to see where it leads?
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Re: Textbook swamp scout
willsk85 wrote: I think I could get to the western side of the island and then as he passes by to leave for the evening/night, he would walk by me and hope for the best from there.
I would try the hunt from the ground as soon as you can safely.
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Re: Textbook swamp scout
I don't think the bed you found is the only one... I would bet there are some better used beds straight east of the one you found around that grass opening. The best bucks will bed out in the water in marshes most of the time on dry humps, but surrounded by water. At this point in the game I would wait till after season to scout farther, but I would certainly throw a stand at that oak island, and personally I would have no problem with setting up that close to the beds in a tree. Slow, and precise movements, use the tree to hide you. Climb looking towards the buck hiding behind the tree as you climb so you can see if your getting to high.
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