Southern Swamps and sloughs

[Lukepalmer2010]

Well after all year of searching southern AR I finally found a deer that got me excited. I had placed a camera in this little funnel between doe bedding on October 14 and just pulled it February 1 and it proved to be worth scouting I’ve never really hunted swamps much and this one is two hours away from the house. I’ll work out of town but will likely try to get back down there to do some shed hunting and scouting. So I’m kinda lost as to where to begin. I’ve heard multiple times dan talking about points and high points. These sloughs are fairly thick and most any scouting through them would be done from crawling around, I had multiple pictures of does walking in and out of the brush but not any of the bucks, Do y’all believe it can be to thick for a mature buck to bed comfortably, given his escape could be hindered? I’d think if they were in there they wouldn’t be very deep. I’ve attached a few pictures of the location, you can see a straight line where I walk in that is the property. Everything south of it is public, I seen one stand in there last trip and because the 3/4 bucks traveling thru were in daylight I feel like it isn’t to pressured. This was the buck that got me excited. Swamp bedding DVD on its way.im more interested in learning this swamp than killing a buck because I know for a fact that there are multiple bucks of this caliber running around. Any help would be much appreciated. And I didn’t cover the coordinates any case someone else wants a larger picture.

[headgear]

You would be surprised at what a buck can and will walk through and what they can bed in, thickness doesn't matter because if they want to bed there they will find a way. That slough in the center certainly looks like the bedding area, just spend some serious time in there tearing it all apart, walk every transition and find every bed you can, then start to work the puzzle pieces and hunt it.

[austin1990]

There is nothing to thick for a buck to bed in. It amazes me sometimes on how a big buck can move through stuff without getting hung up. You're definitely in the right area, I'd scout it out some more for sure. I've never been there but I have aerial scouted that place before and I do know a few people that hunt it, just to far for me to drive lol. Good luck! Hope you can track him down next fall

[PK_]

If you penetrate into that thick stuff, you will generally find small openings where the bucks bed inside there.

If there is hunting pressure, there is no such thing as too thick.

Edit: just looked at the map, I would check those little clumps just sw of where the cross is in the first pic. For sure....

[Lukepalmer2010]

Thanks for the advice cause I was debating on how much to dive into that slough. So follow up question, where I had my camera was in that funnel I had multiple pictures of does and young bucks working out of the beds but none of the mature bucks did they only worked thru the funnel. This probably supports what your saying PK about them being in those clumps which would probably require them to use different entry and exit strategies. So tell me if I’m wrong, working on limited time I’m probably going to head straight for those little islands, if I don’t find any bedding I’m moving on to the next islands and forgoing the remainder of that slough. My thinking that in an where everything being same a mature buck will be in what’s different. Like a topo change in a corn field, I know it’s not the same but perhaps the same principle. I was also hoping for a little consistency and buck working thru there thinking they would J-hook into that bedding. Like y’all said just trying to figure out the puzzle. If you don’t mind me asking where you from Austin?

[austin1990]

Thanks for the advice cause I was debating on how much to dive into that slough. So follow up question, where I had my camera was in that funnel I had multiple pictures of does and young bucks working out of the beds but none of the mature bucks did they only worked thru the funnel. This probably supports what your saying PK about them being in those clumps which would probably require them to use different entry and exit strategies. So tell me if I’m wrong, working on limited time I’m probably going to head straight for those little islands, if I don’t find any bedding I’m moving on to the next islands and forgoing the remainder of that slough. My thinking that in an where everything being same a mature buck will be in what’s different. Like a topo change in a corn field, I know it’s not the same but perhaps the same principle. I was also hoping for a little consistency and buck working thru there thinking they would J-hook into that bedding. Like y’all said just trying to figure out the puzzle. If you don’t mind me asking where you from Austin?

I live just outside of Sheridan, work in little rock. I think you're on the right track with checking those little islands, find the one that gives him some kind of advantage ober the surrounding area, whether that's hard access, wind or sight advantage. Along that slough and islands there will be high spots, probably only a foot or so but enough to stay dry and be sought out by deer.

[headgear]

Just walk everything you can, get to know that swamp inside and out and soak in all the sign, then formulate a plan. If you have to spend anywhere from 4 hours to all day just do it and get the intel you need. Then onto the next spot until you have dozens of them.

[PK_]

Thanks for the advice cause I was debating on how much to dive into that slough. So follow up question, where I had my camera was in that funnel I had multiple pictures of does and young bucks working out of the beds but none of the mature bucks did they only worked thru the funnel. This probably supports what your saying PK about them being in those clumps which would probably require them to use different entry and exit strategies. So tell me if I’m wrong, working on limited time I’m probably going to head straight for those little islands, if I don’t find any bedding I’m moving on to the next islands and forgoing the remainder of that slough. My thinking that in an where everything being same a mature buck will be in what’s different. Like a topo change in a corn field, I know it’s not the same but perhaps the same principle. I was also hoping for a little consistency and buck working thru there thinking they would J-hook into that bedding. Like y’all said just trying to figure out the puzzle. If you don’t mind me asking where you from Austin?

I would walk the edges of the sloughs and check the islands/points. If the area doesn’t get tons of pressure they may not even be on those clumps, especially if there is good cover on the larger chunks of ground... the deer density matters too... but they could very well be bedded just on the edges of the sloughs but the bucks won’t bed ina funnel like that except during rut. They will Be in some dead end spot where deer and other animals traveling won’t disrupt them...

[Lukepalmer2010]

Yea, I wouldn’t think they would bed in the funnels but maybe just use them to scent check their beds before they entered. For instance red being wind and blue being travel. As far as the points and edges go that’s why I like screen shot that smaller slough that has a few points coming into it. I like it because it looks like a wheel and something I haven’t heard much of but bucks actually preferring bedding within ear shot of a gravel road. I know of three mature bucks I’ve followed in the past that done this. Not sure if that was their reason but I know the only real time the roads are traveled it’s by hunters, and the same holds true for this particular road.

These sloughs are generally have some sort of knee high brush running the border, and then have real open bottoms to where an animal could see underneath the thick brush for quite aways. So if y’all are a mature buck that deals with relatively low pressure, likely constant disruption from pigs rooting around. Would y’all prefer to bed on an island in the slough or a point that leads into the slough. Y’all can probably see from my tracks I was going to go check out that one point running into that slough but ended doubling back and just retrieving my camera because of time restraints. But in my head I’d like the point with the wind coming from the slough and watch my trail in. And being surrounded by the slough using it as an emergency exit.

[Aaron Jones]

Hey brother. I haven’t read the whole thread yet but it might be best if you take the photos down and repost with with the Coordinates removed.

The area that you are in seemed familiar. And I know the area. You are not far from me and I have buddies that hunt that public land. There are definitely some giants out there. I don’t want your spot to get taken by someone searching the internet and finding this thread.

[Twenty Up]

Hey brother. I haven’t read the whole thread yet but it might be best if you take the photos down and repost with with the Coordinates removed.

The area that you are in seemed familiar. And I know the area. You are not far from me and I have buddies that hunt that public land. There are definitely some giants out there. I don’t want your spot to get taken by someone searching the internet and finding this thread.

Second this. Block out the pins brotha, you’re giving away crucial information

[thwack16]

Hey brother. I haven’t read the whole thread yet but it might be best if you take the photos down and repost with with the Coordinates removed.

The area that you are in seemed familiar. And I know the area. You are not far from me and I have buddies that hunt that public land. There are definitely some giants out there. I don’t want your spot to get taken by someone searching the internet and finding this thread.

Second this. Block out the pins brotha, you’re giving away crucial information

Third. It's a small, small world. I guarantee it's been seen by multiple people that are close enough to hunt it.

[Twenty Up]

On a real note, if that November picture at 1AM is the only trail camera picture of this buck, I’d tread lightly.

I’m not saying he isn’t bedding nearby, I’ve killed bucks and only had 9PM-4AM pictures, within 1/2 mile of those cameras... But it’s very possible that buck vacated a core area to search for his next hot doe. He can leave some impressive sign during this time as well.

Don’t fixate on this area, find out why he was there and try finding where else he resides. He’s going to progressively shift from July to August, September, etc... A 1AM picture in November, in my opinion gives very little information on how to kill an animal.

You’re in luck, he’s got extremely long tines which will leave unique marks on trees and the surrounding foliage that he rubs. I’d imagine that he’s got a decently wide and deep track as well. This should allow you to backtrack where he was in 2019 and give you ideas where to scout, hunt and hang cameras for 2020. This is assuming that he’s alive and will utilize the same areas come 2020.