For the last two weeks I have been scouting a public marsh near my home. I've made alot of trips out there in the last two weeks, and have learned much. I realize that this is not the best time of year to be doing this, but it is in an area I do not normally hunt, so I figure I have nothing to loose.
To get even more aggressive, I have purposly been jumping deer out of suspected bedding areas in order to confirm use. Again, not the best time of year for it...but....you know. Anyway, after jumping several bucks from different bedding areas, I have found some beds that appear they are being used annually by bucks. Lots of old rubs in some of them.
Here is my question. I have noticed that in nearly every case, the buck is occupying the bed in a way that the wind is coming over his back, which protects his rear, and he is using his eyes to look out of the thick cover. Pretty simple stuff there.
But when you go to setup on these beds, are you setting up down wind of them? or are you setting up to where the wind is almost perfect for the deer and almost wrong for you?
More Marsh Scouting...with some questions.
- jonsimoneau
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Re: More Marsh Scouting...with some questions.
But when you go to setup on these beds, are you setting up down wind of them? or are you setting up to where the wind is almost perfect for the deer and almost wrong for you?
When you find one of these beds, take a real close look at the trails coming from and to the bed and try to determine where the buck is heading when he leaves the bed. Then once you have a direction, sit in the bucks bed and see what he sees and think about what he smells and look how close you can set up without being within sight, smell, or sound... Each bed is different, it takes detective work.
- jonsimoneau
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Re: More Marsh Scouting...with some questions.
Thanks Dan. That is what I have been doing...or at least trying to do. I have killed all of my best bucks while they were quartering into the wind...meaning the wind was almost right for them...but almost wrong for me.
The main thing I am concerned with...is the ever changing food sources that seem to occur when our season starts in October. Many of the buck beds I have found have multiple trails leaving them and entering them.
Also, most of them do not have any trees within daylight movement, so I will be hunting them on the ground...and none of them have any type of restriction to funnel them within bow range.
One thing I have learned about marshes during the last two weeks is that it is very easy to figure out where they bed...but not so easy to figure out where they will go when they leave the bed.
But I can tell you this...I'm having alot of fun trying to figure it out!
The main thing I am concerned with...is the ever changing food sources that seem to occur when our season starts in October. Many of the buck beds I have found have multiple trails leaving them and entering them.
Also, most of them do not have any trees within daylight movement, so I will be hunting them on the ground...and none of them have any type of restriction to funnel them within bow range.
One thing I have learned about marshes during the last two weeks is that it is very easy to figure out where they bed...but not so easy to figure out where they will go when they leave the bed.
But I can tell you this...I'm having alot of fun trying to figure it out!
- publiclandhunter
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Re: More Marsh Scouting...with some questions.
The best buck I ever killed was in a set-up where it was almost 95% right for him and only 5% right for me. I was able to kill him due to his confidence in the 95% and I was in the only location on his route where he had to be almost on top of me to smell me. It was too late by the time he got to that spot and I had an arrow in him.
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Go farther, stay longer.........hunt harder.
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