Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

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ruttnhrd
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Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby ruttnhrd » Tue May 30, 2017 4:30 am

I was out scouting the other day in a large marsh. The marsh was mainly tall grass with very few cattails. In the marsh it had a few different types of larger trees along with some small type of brush in good size patches. I am not an expert on the specific type of plants that were out there but what I noticed was pretty obvious. The 3 different types of trees out there were a "pine tree" a "leafed tree" (by this I mean a birch a maple or other leafed tree) and a type of brush that grew about 10 ft tall had a bunch of 1to 2 inch diameter main trunks stemming out of a single area at the bass. I walked to just about every tree in this marsh and there are more pine trees out there than leafed trees. And the only ones I found beds under were the leafed trees and in some of the brush. The pine trees had about a 4 foot tall area clear from limbs at the bass that a deer could fit under with a large enough area for a deer to bed. But had no sign of a bed. I am curious if maybe they prefer a more open area above there heads or what the deal is? Or if this just a coincidence that the beds that I did find were under other types of trees. Has anyone else noticed anything similar or anything along the lines of deer preferring a type of tree over the other?


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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Killemquietly » Tue May 30, 2017 4:50 am

Probably looking for shade. Our pines are tall with no branches under 30 feet up. They only bed under them if there's a bunch of other leafy stuff in the cluster.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue May 30, 2017 5:04 am

We're the pines tamarack trees? Regular pines grow on higher ground. Tamaracks are in the larch family. They can grow in water. Out in the marsh I find lots of beds under tamaracks, maples, black willows, and swamp oaks. Basically any large tree that has a hump high and big enough over the water for a deer to bed under.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby ruttnhrd » Tue May 30, 2017 5:29 am

I'm not positive on the type of pine tree but I would guess they are tamaracks. There is plenty of ground under the trees to fit a deer comfortably, but I just didn't see the beds like I did under the leafed trees. And I checked a ton of those pine trees. A lot of them had trails leading to them but no sign of a bed.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue May 30, 2017 7:39 am

I see tons of beds in clumps of shrubs.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby tgreeno » Tue May 30, 2017 8:21 am

I've found more than a few beds under cedar trees also. I'm not sure if cedar & tamarack trees are the same? Clumps of shrubs also.

A clump of solid ground for them to stay dry is the key. I think it has to do with the security of the area alot too.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue May 30, 2017 8:51 am

Lockdown wrote:I see tons of beds in clumps of shrubs.

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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Bubbles » Tue May 30, 2017 4:04 pm

Cedar and Tamarac are indeed different. Tamarack lose their needles in the winter. Cedar have flattish scaley leaves and are evergreen.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby ruttnhrd » Tue May 30, 2017 11:54 pm

Lockdown wrote:
Lockdown wrote:I see tons of beds in clumps of shrubs.

Image


I have found a bunch of beds in the same stuff. I was just wondering if anyone had noticed them avoiding bedding under the "pine" trees. In this marsh I walked to a ton of the pines without finding a single bed under any of them. There still are some that I haven't hit yet. I was just trying to see if maybe I was wasting my time going to the middle of the swamp to all these pines.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby stash59 » Wed May 31, 2017 5:12 am

It may just be too open. When Dan came and scouted with me we found grassy spots with "big" trees and plenty of dry ground. But no beds. Dan said it was because it was too open.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Lastcast#1 » Wed May 31, 2017 5:46 am

Far from being an expert, very far. I dont mind being corrected if I am wrong ..Givin my disclaimer :), I would say deer wouldnt avoid bedding in any particular location because of the " type" of tree present..It all relates back to the type of cover and security provided..Have enough of both and a buck will use it..

The species of tree growing in any particular area can certainly give one clues about whether or not it is a likely bedding spot .For example in a marsh, certain types of trees indicate potential isolated high ground in an otherwise wet environment..Same thing with isolated clumps of brush etc..

Habitat, cover, and security will be the most important factors, the type of tree is a product of said environment, and although a great indicator, only part of the equation..

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Chad
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Dewey » Wed May 31, 2017 6:02 am

Lastcast#1 wrote:Far from being an expert, very far. I dont mind being corrected if I am wrong ..Givin my disclaimer :), I would say deer wouldnt avoid bedding in any particular location because of the " type" of tree present..It all relates back to the type of cover and security provided..Have enough of both and a buck will use it..

The species of tree growing in any particular area can certainly give one clues about whether or not it is a likely bedding spot .For example in a marsh, certain types of trees indicate potential isolated high ground in an otherwise wet environment..Same thing with isolated clumps of brush etc..

Habitat, cover, and security will be the most important factors, the type of tree is a product of said environment, and although a great indicator, only part of the equation..

Regards,
Chad

I agree with this. Marsh to me is wet and if you have larger trees within more than likely there is high ground that provides bedding especially if there is security cover around it.

Pine trees are very rare in the marshes I hunt so can't really say much about bedding around them.

Some of the largest buck I have ever seen were in areas with no trees but only clumps of shrubs or bushes I call them like Lockdown posted. Don't ever avoid ground hunting in these areas. It's a huge challenge but can definitely be done.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed May 31, 2017 8:42 am

Dewey wrote:
Lastcast#1 wrote:Far from being an expert, very far. I dont mind being corrected if I am wrong ..Givin my disclaimer :), I would say deer wouldnt avoid bedding in any particular location because of the " type" of tree present..It all relates back to the type of cover and security provided..Have enough of both and a buck will use it..

The species of tree growing in any particular area can certainly give one clues about whether or not it is a likely bedding spot .For example in a marsh, certain types of trees indicate potential isolated high ground in an otherwise wet environment..Same thing with isolated clumps of brush etc..

Habitat, cover, and security will be the most important factors, the type of tree is a product of said environment, and although a great indicator, only part of the equation..

Regards,
Chad

I agree with this. Marsh to me is wet and if you have larger trees within more than likely there is high ground that provides bedding especially if there is security cover around it.

Pine trees are very rare in the marshes I hunt so can't really say much about bedding around them.

Some of the largest buck I have ever seen were in areas with no trees but only clumps of shrubs or bushes I call them like Lockdown posted. Don't ever avoid ground hunting in these areas. It's a huge challenge but can definitely be done.


THIS

I have lots of spots where my only option is a ground set. Plus you don't have the added noise and movement of hanging a stand.
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby swampyak » Wed May 31, 2017 11:41 pm

Large willow clumps have been good for me
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Re: Preferred types of trees to bed under in a Marsh

Unread postby ruttnhrd » Thu Jun 01, 2017 2:06 am

I haven't been doing this style of hunting long but dove in head first and have done nothing but find and mark beds. I am by no means an expert or even have enough knowledge to speak intelligently on the subject. But I would have bet the farm that under some of these"pines" there would have been beds. I was so confident that I was actually planning on finding sheds laying under them. :lol: boy was I wrong. To me they had everything. Good cover all around them, good ground to bed on. The only thing I can think of is they were in the middle of the marsh. And to get from the trees that should have held beds to the actual woods they would have to cross a big area of open marsh grass that might leave them exposed. So maybe they didn't have the escape route they would want? Typing this out I think I may have answered my own question. Lol. What do deer look for in an escape route? Other than a safe exit. Has anyone found a few key things deer need for the exit?


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