Local Marsh Findings

[vermonthunter16]

Well, my season didn't go as planned, moved to a new location well after the spring scouting season so I did a lot of in season scouting and it was disappointing to say the least. One area in particular I was only able to hunt a couple of times and saw not a single deer, but the sign is there, it has been difficult pin pointing where the deer are hanging out during the season. I am going to post some pictures and descriptions as I go along.

The point of this post is going to be a sort of a journal for myself on my findings as the winter goes along. We have had a very warm winter thus far and the ice fishing has been weak so I am getting out for small game instead. Last weekend I went out and ended up doing more scouting than anything, put some boot leather in and covered all of the upland areas that I hunted during season and found the deer just aren't using it during daylight in season. The area gets a ton of bird hunting pressure but almost 0 pressure during bow season other than bird hunters.

So, here goes!







The first picture is the overall lay of the land, it is some upland with flooded marsh, there is no cattails, more of what I would describe as swamp and marsh grass, no taller than my head in most areas. The red stars represent where everywhere parks and hunts from, seems they target anywhere that isn't wet and the large open areas.

Second picture is zoomed in a bit on where I think the majority of the deer will be hanging out, but I found nothing but what I think is night sign there. Scrapes, Rubs, and plenty of hunter sign.

Third picture is of a "peninsula" with a long finger, I walked all the way out to the end of it expecting to see a bed, there was nothing there. The peninsula itself has oaks and a ton of big beach, but again, very little day sign, all night sign.

The last picture is of the island in the NW, I have yet to get out there but I don't believe anyone else does either. I think that will be the key! Would you guys think on the SE side of that island it is trails that I am seeing? Hard to tell.

I will post more in depth on each area as I go along here, this is going to be a good sized post for me as this is an area that I would really like to figure out! I am sure I will learn plenty, I went out last weekend and discovered a few things and will be out again tomorrow putting more boot leather to the wet stuff.

If anyone has any suggestions of where to focus in on you are more than welcome to mark up the images. I am all for picking brains!

[strutnrut716]

I think you are on the right track. Funny...that island that you zoomed in on for your last picture was the first thing that caught my attention when I saw the first picture. It does look like trails on the south end of that island and it looks like a trail along the transition of the island on the south side. I would love to hear what you find in there !! Also, you said you don't think other hunters go there....I would go there definitely...at least check it out...

Thanks for the photos..

[headgear]

Beautiful looking area, tons of potential bedding. The small island might be the ticket but I really like that group of little micro islands to the right of the large peninsula. Even those two larger islands to the north and south can be good, I hunt a couple of larger islands like that and often there isn't great bedding but there is consistent bedding, meaning the bucks will move around depending on the wind and have a lot of different bedding spots on one island.

[vermonthunter16]

We had quite a bit of snow during the season and I noticed that a few guys got onto the peninsula with the long point, but they just did a loop around the interior of it, didn't set anywhere just still hunted it. Its a bit of a walk in, but I think it is worth it. I think the people who deer hunt it probably see the deer water to the NW and don't bother, on the other hand, that may be a spot that duck hunters get out onto during the season. My goal for this weekend is to work my way out there and really dive into that island. Things are starting to come together, I just need to put the scout time in.

My goal for this year is to change how I hunt and really find the primary beds. Been a part of this board for a while and my scouting has been sub par at best. I may not be in this area this coming season, but its OK because I will learn a ton just by scouting this property.

[vermonthunter16]

Those micro islands will be a goal for the second day of the weekend, I haven't checked out the points to the right of the finger yet, working my way that way though slowly. When I do hit those points I will get out to the micro island as well. No snow on the ground here so I have quite a bit of time to see current conditions right after season.

[mag1]

I'm curious about the thick stuff out in the no mans land. Basically down the center. I've got a area that has some similarities, and find a lot of beds out in that kind of stuff.

[vermonthunter16]

What area are you talking about Mag?

[vermonthunter16]

This picture illustrates how my season went pretty well. The yellow lines represent approximately where I accessed. The red oval is what I would call a funnel that I keyed in on very quickly, nice deer trail right down the middle and rubs from last year/this year. I got in there with the stand a couple times but saw nothing promising. I did continue onto the peninsula but didn't see anything there during season either, never hung a stand, but walked the edge and through the center.

On the left is another hunt I did. I got into that bowl and found where deer were entering the swamp after eating at night in the field, I followed that trail (green) in and found a bunch of doe beds circled in black, there wasn't any rhyme or reason as to their bedding, under no trees, I guess just on small (6") raises in the swamp. There was no trees safe enough to get my hang on in there. NW is the predominant wind in this area.



I should have dove in deeper after looking closer at the aerials. I have already said that I am checking out the island and the micro islands this weekend, and I am sure I will kick myself for not getting in there this past season. One big reason I didn't get back in further is due to a lack of time and correct wind. There was a lot of east and south winds this year for some reason.

[mag1]

The brushy area just to the east of the black circle in the previous post. Basically the entire center strip of what looks like scattered brush. Through the middle from the island south. I'm not sure, but do most, or a lot of the trails leading up to the s. Side of the island come from this area? One area I have is similar in that out in the marsh swamp, on the areal photos, it looks similar, but when you r out there, it is more of a low tree line that the deer use as a travel route from bedding to private. There are beds literally all over in the swampy area as well.

[vermonthunter16]

I see where you mean now. That is a lot of low swamp trees no higher than say 7' tall. I haven't really gotten in there, that is another wet area that I would like to key in on though. I'm gonna make my way to the island tomorrow and then backtrack trails from there.

[vermonthunter16]

Well, got out and was able to make it to the island over the weekend. I learned a few things;

1: The marsh is one tough mother, you will get wet.
1.5: You learn real quick where not to step!
2: Your muck boots are only waterproof up until the point where there is no longer a muck boot.
3: The water this time of year is cold.
4: There is about a 90% chance of puncturing your nice boots in the marsh.
5: That little dug out beaver stream that is only 3' wide and looks a foot deep... It's not, its 3.5' deep!
6: Your manhood doesn't like water that is just above freezing...

All jokes aside, I felt it was a productive scout, not in the way that I found where bedding was, but more in the way that I know where I don't have to bother go now. Mainly, the island that looked so good in aerial images. What looks like trails are not actually there, I checked all over. I checked underneath every tree in the marsh, no beds, not much land under those trees at all, really just enough to fit a rabbit or two. So I can eliminate that, which is absolutely fine, the travel out there was impossible to stay quiet. There is a really cool breeding pair of bald eagles not far from the island though, it was a nice quiet lunch watching them.

This first Image is on the Island, it is extremely thick with one man made trail going through it on one side. Leads right to the water where it looks like people takes Kayaks onto it and then walk the trail. Those twisted looking woody clumps are everywhere, I checked around the outside of the entire Island as well as the interior and while there are plenty of oaks, there is 0 bedding. The oaks don't look like they produced this year however, I couldn't find a cap to save my life. Needless to say, I can eliminate that Island I think until it has a good oak drop and will give a reason for the deer to hit it.



The rest of these pictures is from out in the marsh itself, it really doesn't do it justice. There are no cattails and there was no deer trail to follow, I will post an updated map of where I went and the way I took to get to the island. The grass is actually about head height and don't have very stable root structures, more than once I stepped on the roots and my foot went straight through.

[vermonthunter16]

On the big island I didn't find a single rub or scrape by the way. It was very dismal sign. Same with the marsh surrounding it, just no deer sign to be had.

Below is an update map, red x's are clearly spots that I have ruled out for bedding, yellow and orange lines are my access and walking areas. The small blue line is what I thought was a one foot depth, but turned out to be 3.5', that smaller island is a little bit more promising, again no bed, but a bit more deer sign, that is the island just after the small blue line that I swam through .




The micro islands I am working on getting out to, I need a kayak to get out to them, or a good observation stand. The water surrounding those micro islands is quite deep and I wasn't about to swim any further than I already did. The little squared off peninsula looks to be where deer have been moving through, most guys didn't touch these outside areas and there is alot more sign there. The area that I am referring to is where I walked and it looks like a square just to the left of where I went swimming at the blue line.

[matt1336]

Wow- no deer sign on the island? It look like it should be getting used. There's probably a reason for it....duck hunters, kayakers like you said. could it be different during season, when they feel more hunting pressure?

[vermonthunter16]

Matt, The area is still showing a lot of deer sign from this past season as the conditions haven't changed at all, what snow we have had has melted so everything still looks pretty fresh. There was absolutely nothing on the island unfortunately, no rubs, scrapes or even old poo. I think it gets hammed during the summer by people in kayaks and canoes and in the season by duck hunters. I was very disappointed.

[Jackson Marsh]

I agree with mag1. I think you might have walked by the best bedding, circled in black below. If that thick stuff is a royal pain in the but to get through (wet and over knee boots in areas) that is where I would expect to find a good number of beds. I would get in there and follow deer trails around looking for some dry spots. I'll bet you find some beds.