Ideas on how to hunt this southern swamp

[Baxter357]

Ok guys let’s hear your strategy for hunting this river swamp. I scouted it twice and put markers on what I thought was significant. The rubs that are marked are waist high rubs on large diameter trees. I saw very little fresh sign as far as tracks and scat. This swamp is dog hunted a few times a year and some 120” class bucks have been taken. But I believe the big guys bed in swamp between river and islands on stumps and clumps of soil from blown over trees and avoid the dogs but not sure. The orange line was my last path in. There is only one island that I haven’t explored yet. The upper right. The red line is a property line. I only found 4 scrapes. Other than dog hunters that kill the deer that run to fields or swim the river very few people wade into swamp to hunt islands.

[Baxter357]

Sorry the island that I haven’t been to is lower right. Next to the island with the scrape markers. I think the does bed on that island but don’t know. And now the cottonmouths are very active so no more scouting until fall.

[Eddiegomes83]

I also hunt swamps down south. I personally would be out there now scouting cottonmouths or not. I would typically walk around those swamp ponds looking for sign and big tracks. Even old trails that lead into those swamp ponds.

Once i find sign going in, I would follow and locate as many beds as you can and mark them. They are usually on high spots in the swamp or in the thickest stuff around the edge of it. I usually find most of the beds on the edge on a little high spot. More times then not, there is a decent tree he is bedded against but not always.

The reason I say find as many beds as you can is because if your part of the south is like mine, we never get a consistent wind and never know what wind we will have until we get there. This way you can adjust your hunt with the wind of that day. You will also may be able to to identify entry and exits while looking for those beds. Pay attention to track size around the beds. Helps id what may be there.

The sooner you get there the less pressure you put there during the season. Plus most people dont dog hunt during archery and black power so that may be your chance.

With that said....sometimes those dogs stack the deer in predictable bed locations making them easier to hunt. It just gets tougher catching then during shooting hrs.

Hope that helps

[Bonecrusher101]

I’ve scouted Areas like this and they seem more seasonal than anything else. The deer in my area follow the food and don’t live in swamps year round. Those swamp beds are used more frequently when they seek better security because hunting pressure is high. Or if the oaks are dropping nearby. The deer in my area like the fields and field edges spring and summer and use the swamps and oaks in greater numbers during fall and winter.

I’d scout them for old deer sign, I’d scout the trees and mark the clusters of oaks and I’d scout them to figure out how to get in and get out with scaring the deer in the dark and I’d scout for old deer stands. Good luck!

[Baxter357]

I’ve scouted Areas like this and they seem more seasonal than anything else. The deer in my area follow the food and don’t live in swamps year round. Those swamp beds are used more frequently when they seek better security because hunting pressure is high. Or if the oaks are dropping nearby. The deer in my area like the fields and field edges spring and summer and use the swamps and oaks in greater numbers during fall and winter.

I’d scout them for old deer sign, I’d scout the trees and mark the clusters of oaks and I’d scout them to figure out how to get in and get out with scaring the deer in the dark and I’d scout for old deer stands. Good luck!

I agree that this is a seasonal area. The rubs were definitely from this past season and prior seasons as well. Sign post rubs. I walked all over most of the islands and if you look at my picture you’ll notice that all the big rubs were next to the big swamp and the furthest away from the ag fields. Scrapes were also farther into the swamp. This swamp is hard to walk through. It has no hard bottom and waist deep unless you find a stump hole I didn’t see any beds on the islands. I really believe that they are bedding in swamp. Timing when they are using this area is going to be critical. I think that does stay here year around but closer to Ag fields. That makes me think that pre rut to rut will be best. Thanks for your response.