Scouting islands

[Ahepler2188]

If I were to hunt large islands in lakes which ones would be worth looking at? I know of some that are greater than a 300 yard difference and some 20-50 yards. All appear to have very nice cover although I have not been to them to walk on them yet. Some are all thickets with chest high brush and scraggly trees. Some look like main land.

[dan]

If I were to hunt large islands in lakes which ones would be worth looking at? I know of some that are greater than a 300 yard difference and some 20-50 yards. All appear to have very nice cover although I have not been to them to walk on them yet. Some are all thickets with chest high brush and scraggly trees. Some look like main land.

The 1st ones I would be interested in would be the thick ones nearest to shore... If they can get to the island by wading rather than swimming, even better.

[perchsoup]

Ahepler, I was just going to post a similar island question. So, sorry if I jack your thread but I think it's similar. Dan mentions islands close to shore to look at. I scouted an island located in a big boggy swamp last weekend. The island is a thick balsam and brushy island about 15 acres. It is kind of close to the "shore" where it meets the hardwoods. The boggy swamp has little to no cover. There were a few tracks on the edges of the hardwoods but nothing on the island or the swamp. Plenty of wolf tracks and some coyote as well on the island and all over the swamp. My question is, is this area worth another scout in the spring? Maybe the predators bumped the deer out of the island or maybe they're not using it because the swamp is frozen and easier to access even though it's a long walk from the road, not accessible by a logging road. There are a lot of buck and doe tracks on the hardwoods edge of the swamp. I also found some doe bedding in that area and a rub line on the edge of the hardwoods.

[dan]

Ahepler, I was just going to post a similar island question. So, sorry if I jack your thread but I think it's similar. Dan mentions islands close to shore to look at. I scouted an island located in a big boggy swamp last weekend. The island is a thick balsam and brushy island about 15 acres. It is kind of close to the "shore" where it meets the hardwoods. The boggy swamp has little to no cover. There were a few tracks on the edges of the hardwoods but nothing on the island or the swamp. Plenty of wolf tracks and some coyote as well on the island and all over the swamp. My question is, is this area worth another scout in the spring? Maybe the predators bumped the deer out of the island or maybe they're not using it because the swamp is frozen and easier to access even though it's a long walk from the road, not accessible by a logging road. There are a lot of buck and doe tracks on the hardwoods edge of the swamp. I also found some doe bedding in that area and a rub line on the edge of the hardwoods.

The O/P was asking about islands in lakes, your asking about islands in swamps. Huge differences... In swamps they like isolated small islands, in open water lakes its a little tougher for them to access since they have to swim, expose themselves, and lack geed escape. Swamp islands they generally have cover in or around the water... Most of the swamp islands I have success with are really small, some less than an acre. The big islands are like mainland. If its to close to land wolves will get out there. If its further back they will get out there after freeze. I would check up on it early season to see if deer are present, an d if wolves are out there then.