Swamp/Marsh Beds Timing

[AvidHunter88]

When do you guys notice deer start heading back into the swamps/marshes every year? And what do you think causes them to move back in…hunting pressure, food source changes, greenery loss, all the above?

Reason I’m asking is because I decided to start hanging trail cameras this year earlier than I normally do and I’ve noticed that none of the deer have mud/black muck on their legs or stomach area. In prior years when I’ve hung cameras during the season all the pictures I would get have deer with their legs covered in mud showing they’d been coming out of the swamp. I’m trying to determine some mid to late September sit locations and this is throwing me for a loop cause all my off season scouting was in the swamp or based around the beds in swamp and I’m not sure if those are the right locations anymore for early season because as of this weekend I don’t believe the deer are using those beds yet.

[MN_DeerHunter]

I have heard other guys talk abut "early season set ups" and "fall season set ups" based on bedding and how it shifts back into the swamp as the season progresses. I think both pressure and foliage change are big contributing factors.

I have noticed pictures of deer with swamp muck on their legs in summer months however, so I don't think you can base when bedding shifts solely on pictures, because obviously they are spending some time in the swamp in the summer too. Like all things I think it is location dependent as well, but I am hoping some more competent beasts can weigh in on this subject

[wolverinebuckman]

I was scouting late July in the marsh, knee deep waters, tall grasses, when i bumped my target deer out of bed. I bumped a deer out of the same bedding area back in March.

[dan]

They vacate a lot when ice up occurs on the swamp water... They tend to start coming back just before green up... Then they head out away from the stagnant water a lot when the skeeters start getting bad. and about hard horn go back. Of coarse not all deer relocate, and some areas more than others.

[AvidHunter88]

Thanks for the replies guys!

[Singing Bridge]

Many of the swamps I hunt are thousands of acres and can be measured in square miles. There isn’t a single month of the calendar year that they are devoid of bucks. There may be shifting in bedding due to weather and conditions as well the season. Populations increase and decrease based on the time of year. These swamp s have local as well as transient buck bedding. Some bucks spend the entire year bedding deep within or along the edge of the swamp. I always shake my head when I cut a big buck track deep within during high heat and bug season.

A few remain...

[flgahunter114]

On smaller swamps in mix timber public, I notice before season starts when most people start their scouting is when the begin to move toward the wet areas. Depends on the pressure if you are not seeing them close by right now.

[Rob loper]

This is a great thread. I know my first few weeks of the season are gonna be alot of observation sits but still close enough too maybe get a shot.
Ive been driving myself nutts figuring out where too set up saturday. Saturday is our opening day im going in the afternoon, I cant go in the morning.
I hunt mostly farms butted up against salt marshes And I have located good buck beds and bedding in most of my spots in the salt marsh or frag (mostly lone trees off points and in a few bowls ) during my many many rigorous post season scouting trips lol
A Few of my spots are corn fields butted up too woods butted up against salt marsh. Im just wondering if the corn being up rather than soybeans will give the bucks the confidence too not bed in the marsh but rather bed field side or transitions close to field edge.
Comparing soybean fields with less cover too corn fields (Because of course they are not as tall as corn ). I am curious if they will bed in the marsh areas because of soybeans give them less confidence bedding near field edges. Or will they just always bed in the areas in the salt marshes, salt marshes around here have tidal flooding and force deer onto the mainland too. Especially during full moon high tides.
I do have some good buck pics from mid July of bucks coming to and from salt marsh points. So im like stuck should i sit here or should i sit there? Lmao.