Rivers Bottoms and Hardwood Hills

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wolverinebuckman
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Rivers Bottoms and Hardwood Hills

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Sun Apr 29, 2018 2:04 am

I did some river bottom scouting the other day. The way this land lays out is the river, them some ankle to shin deep water filled with marsh grass type stuff, bordered by several yards of scrub/red brush and marsh grass, then ascending up hardwood hills whose ridges are maybe 50' higher than the river. The land then is all hardwood hills and valleys of this size.

I found a few beds, all in the marsh areas. Where all would you look for more beds? With the wet stuff will they bother bedding on the hill slopes, ridges, or will they stay low?

Also, one bed I found was the perfect location, nestled in to a marsh that lays between two hills. I guess this is a saddle? Anyway, there was a deer spine laying in the bed, which I moved for the next guy who wants to lay there. The bed is about 30 yards in a couple directions from the hardwood hills.
How would you go about setting up on this bed, playing thermals and such?
Any other helpful info on this terrain is welcomed.
Thanks!
Chris


Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
Josh_S
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Re: Rivers Bottoms and Hardwood Hills

Unread postby Josh_S » Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:25 am

wolverinebuckman wrote:I did some river bottom scouting the other day. The way this land lays out is the river, them some ankle to shin deep water filled with marsh grass type stuff, bordered by several yards of scrub/red brush and marsh grass, then ascending up hardwood hills whose ridges are maybe 50' higher than the river. The land then is all hardwood hills and valleys of this size.

I found a few beds, all in the marsh areas. Where all would you look for more beds? With the wet stuff will they bother bedding on the hill slopes, ridges, or will they stay low?
Also, one bed I found was the perfect location, nestled in to a marsh that lays between two hills. I guess this is a saddle? Anyway, there was a deer spine laying in the bed, which I moved for the next guy who wants to lay there. The bed is about 30 yards in a couple directions from the hardwood hills.
How would you go about setting up on this bed, playing thermals and such?
Any other helpful info on this terrain is welcomed.
Thanks!
Chris


I'm not as successful as most on here but I'll chime in with my two cents. Dan mentions in Hill Country Bedding DVD that they will bed in both....but with any hunting pressure they will bed in the marsh.

What you describe sounds like a little pot hole swamp formed where the creek bottom meets low flat elevation. I hunt areas similar to this in Pennsylvania. My home turf has very few large cattail marshes but I find the general bedding rules still apply. If it were me and I didn't have a specific exit trail to set up on, the red brush to hardwoods or red brush to marsh grass transition would be my choice. Being only 50' in elevation above the bedding, this sounds like a good area for a summer observation sit on the adjacent ridge without stinking it up too bad. You would be close and have a birds eye view. As for air currents just play around with milkweed to get a true feel...this sounds like an area that could have a lot of thermal activity....you have the terrain features of the creek channel itself, elevation thermals, and water thermals...all the more reason for a buck to bed here.

I've always thought of a saddle as a hill country terrain feature connecting 2 ridges. In order to travel from one ridge to the other a deer would most likely use the saddle. Saddles usually funnel deer movement and work in set ups if there is a reason for a buck to travel from one ridge to the other (bed to food source, doe bedding in rut, etc.)
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wolverinebuckman
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Re: Rivers Bottoms and Hardwood Hills

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:21 am

Josh_S wrote:
wolverinebuckman wrote:I did some river bottom scouting the other day. The way this land lays out is the river, them some ankle to shin deep water filled with marsh grass type stuff, bordered by several yards of scrub/red brush and marsh grass, then ascending up hardwood hills whose ridges are maybe 50' higher than the river. The land then is all hardwood hills and valleys of this size.

I found a few beds, all in the marsh areas. Where all would you look for more beds? With the wet stuff will they bother bedding on the hill slopes, ridges, or will they stay low?
Also, one bed I found was the perfect location, nestled in to a marsh that lays between two hills. I guess this is a saddle? Anyway, there was a deer spine laying in the bed, which I moved for the next guy who wants to lay there. The bed is about 30 yards in a couple directions from the hardwood hills.
How would you go about setting up on this bed, playing thermals and such?
Any other helpful info on this terrain is welcomed.
Thanks!
Chris


I'm not as successful as most on here but I'll chime in with my two cents. Dan mentions in Hill Country Bedding DVD that they will bed in both....but with any hunting pressure they will bed in the marsh.

What you describe sounds like a little pot hole swamp formed where the creek bottom meets low flat elevation. I hunt areas similar to this in Pennsylvania. My home turf has very few large cattail marshes but I find the general bedding rules still apply. If it were me and I didn't have a specific exit trail to set up on, the red brush to hardwoods or red brush to marsh grass transition would be my choice. Being only 50' in elevation above the bedding, this sounds like a good area for a summer observation sit on the adjacent ridge without stinking it up too bad. You would be close and have a birds eye view. As for air currents just play around with milkweed to get a true feel...this sounds like an area that could have a lot of thermal activity....you have the terrain features of the creek channel itself, elevation thermals, and water thermals...all the more reason for a buck to bed here.

I've always thought of a saddle as a hill country terrain feature connecting 2 ridges. In order to travel from one ridge to the other a deer would most likely use the saddle. Saddles usually funnel deer movement and work in set ups if there is a reason for a buck to travel from one ridge to the other (bed to food source, doe bedding in rut, etc.)


Thanks for the info. An observation sit would work well here. There are three distinct trails going in/out...one dead center of the marsh, two running along or into the woods. Thought was to set up on the first acorn dropping oak going uphill, but didn't know how to play the hill and water thermals. I'll take some milkweed on my next trip.
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
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wolverinebuckman
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Re: Rivers Bottoms and Hardwood Hills

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:13 am

First picture ever, finally figured it out!! :dance:
Image
Image

Ok, so the lines are entry/exit. The wooded area to the top and bottom both rise 50' or so. It is more of a valley heading right.
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.


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