looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

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swampnovice31
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looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby swampnovice31 » Sat Nov 24, 2018 5:24 pm

hey guys im pretty frustrated with this big public land swamp hunting.. more so in rifle season. I live in central wisconsin and it seems through the years after opening day the deer just go into lockdown. I dont care for driving deer an love going very deep into the most remote areas possible away from people. I guess im just looking for some tips or pointers on how you guys approach rifle season in similar situations as mine. Of course I do my homework an know theres some big bucks around where im hunting thats why im there. Sometimes I just wonder if I should be changing it up during rifle. An like i said im just curious what you other big swamp public land hunters do.. for rifle season.? thanks


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MilesFromNoWhere
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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby MilesFromNoWhere » Sun Nov 25, 2018 2:16 am

I look for escape routes and the thickest nastiest bedding areas I can find. If you can set up an observation stand deep in the public somewhere opening weekend and watch where the deer run when the pumpkins start shooting it can help a lot. It might not help you this season but next year they will probably use the same escape route. I also know for a fact that all the deer won't leave the public pressure if they have a super thick bedding area. I look for places that are almost impossible to penetrate without making a ton of racket. Set up on the edge of this bedding just off wind if you can. I've tried to hunt in the thick bedding and it can be done but it is really hard not to bump deer. You have to move so slow like slow slow slow! Hahaha I feel better about sitting the edge just because it's easier. I bet the real giants don't even leave the thickest stuff though so if you want a monster you might have to try to get closer.
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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sun Nov 25, 2018 2:18 am

swampnovice31 wrote:hey guys im pretty frustrated with this big public land swamp hunting.. more so in rifle season. I live in central wisconsin and it seems through the years after opening day the deer just go into lockdown. I dont care for driving deer an love going very deep into the most remote areas possible away from people. I guess im just looking for some tips or pointers on how you guys approach rifle season in similar situations as mine. Of course I do my homework an know theres some big bucks around where im hunting thats why im there. Sometimes I just wonder if I should be changing it up during rifle. An like i said im just curious what you other big swamp public land hunters do.. for rifle season.? thanks


Security will override does and food with older bucks, especially after gun seasons open. Do not misunderstand me, does and food will still be a buck priority, but almost certainly after dark once the woods are shattered for a couple of days by guns. Hunting immediately adjacent to buck beds is more important than ever at that time of the season. Whether it is 1.8 miles of heavy swamp to get there, or right next to the road in a completely overlooked spot, buck beds are key.

The buck I shot this year on the 3rd day of gun season was with less than 10 minutes of daylight remaining... and I was less than 200 yards from his bedding area. I have killed many bucks this way after gun seasons open.

Remember the simple formula of food / does / bucks... identify your major food source(s), including bait piles if you have those in your swamp... does will bed nearby... and the bucks that want to chase the does or go to food will be adjacent to or behind the does. Your job is to wedge yourself in between the doe bedding and the buck beds, without being detected and as close to the buck beds as you can get in order to see buck movement during daylight.

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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby MilesFromNoWhere » Sun Nov 25, 2018 2:22 am

Also if you have the right wind and it's blowing pretty good still hunting the thick bedding areas can work. It's usually crazy thick and your shots will not be far so make sure you have a wide scope or just use open sites.
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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sun Nov 25, 2018 4:50 am

What about the times when the swamps partially freeze? There might be a little open standing water, a lot is frozen, but not solid enough to keep from the ice making cracking noises or having the occasional breakthrough when you step on it.

Are the deer still using it then? It’s impossible to make an approach in those conditions.

There’s a swamp I want to get back into and I don’t mind going through water, but this in-between stuff seems flat-out impossible.
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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby MilesFromNoWhere » Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:14 am

greenhorndave wrote:What about the times when the swamps partially freeze? There might be a little open standing water, a lot is frozen, but not solid enough to keep from the ice making cracking noises or having the occasional breakthrough when you step on it.

Are the deer still using it then? It’s impossible to make an approach in those conditions.

There’s a swamp I want to get back into and I don’t mind going through water, but this in-between stuff seems flat-out impossible.


Partially frozen is damn near impossible if you are breaking threw. If you know of some higher ground islands that are decent size you could try going as slow as possible threw the ice till you get to the high ground then move slowly and silently away from your entrance trail as far way as you can get. From my experience the deer don't like walking threw the thin ice either so they might use trails that are higher or just on the edge of the swamp. You can always try to stay on grass or cattial roots if there are any to stay out of the ice but this is super difficult IMO. Last thing is to still hunt the swamp even if it's frozen. Make sure you have a strong wind it will help hide the sound of the Ice breaking. I like to still hunt toward the end of gun season because I am basically scouting for the next year and hunting at the same time.
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swampnovice31
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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby swampnovice31 » Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:23 am

Thanks for the input guys!
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greenhorndave
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Re: looking for advice on wisconsin rifle season big public swamp

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sun Nov 25, 2018 12:57 pm

MilesFromNoWhere wrote:I like to still hunt toward the end of gun season because I am basically scouting for the next year and hunting at the same time.


Thanks Miles. Pretty much had your reason above in mind, but there was just no way. The small hardwood had none of the sign it had earlier and there was snow on the ground, so I think the deer have vacated it in this in-between stage.

Gun season, with the exception of antlerless, is over as of tomorrow. I’ll have to wait until after it freezes better to check it out,
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