So I've been hunting a huge cattail marsh near me for the last couple of years... and when I say huge I mean 2000 unbroken acres of cattails. I really want too dive in this year and hunt several obvious bedding locations, including the one attached. One of my problems is that these beds are literally a mile straight line from the closest access and I really want to make sure I think through my setups if I'm going to hike out there.
My questions are -
#1 - how do I determine what trails to setup on when there are several leaving the bedding area?
#2 how close should I get to the bedding areas ?
#3 should I dive right in opening day ? Or wait until surrounding pressure push more deer into the marsh?
#4 does anyone else get sketched out by the idea of having to walk a mile back through thick cattails in the pitch black ?
#5 is hiking a mile through knee deep water in cattails to a spot pictured below worth the time and effort?
"Blue arrows are just general wind directions "
Worth the effort ?
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Worth the effort ?
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Re: Worth the effort ?
How big is the island? You can about guarantee they’ll be bedded on the downwind side. My first thought is if it’s small enough that it’s difficult to get in undetected, give it a morning sit. Plus that way if you get one you don’t have to bring him out in the dark. Make sure you get in plenty early, and set up in the furthest most downwind part of the bedding. That way the only way you get busted is if they scent check it before they enter. Access the island from strait downwind too.
I’m sure your best bet is when pressure ramps up. I’d give it a early November a.m. sit when the bucks are late coming back to bed. That or opening day of gun season should have deer flocking to it.
If you try and evening sit you’ll need to push the just off wind scenario.
I’m sure your best bet is when pressure ramps up. I’d give it a early November a.m. sit when the bucks are late coming back to bed. That or opening day of gun season should have deer flocking to it.
If you try and evening sit you’ll need to push the just off wind scenario.
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Re: Worth the effort ?
It's tiny not even really an island, no trees just some grass and dogwood maybe a quarter acre. That's part of the problem, I feel like my only play is too sit in the cattails and cut a shooting lane to the side of one of the trails and try to catch them in the opening.
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Re: Worth the effort ?
Assuming this island has dry ground out there, it’s worth the effort. It’s been overlooked by every hunter cause in their mind it’s too much effort/not worth the effort. A buck would be able to hear an approaching threat from any direction by the sound of something approaching by water and likely have a thermal/wind advantage. I would pick the trail based on the best wind to set up. It may take more than one set and even a few years to nail this spot down. Amd if it’s no good, it’s still good info to have and it can be eliminated rather than always wondering what could have been.
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Re: Worth the effort ?
Well….. is something worth it is in the eye of each individual.
Believe some talk a good game about effort but in reality it’s bare minimum effort. Kinda like the celebrity hunters that hunted “hard” for a day and a half b4 the buck came to the corn. Or the ever so popular “we had to make something happen” so we hunted the same shooting house again on day 2. A mile is not that far, it’s 4 laps around a dang track. Good chance you will fail and a small chance you will succeed. That’s all u can ask for and you will find that to be true in any scenario you discover.
Believe some talk a good game about effort but in reality it’s bare minimum effort. Kinda like the celebrity hunters that hunted “hard” for a day and a half b4 the buck came to the corn. Or the ever so popular “we had to make something happen” so we hunted the same shooting house again on day 2. A mile is not that far, it’s 4 laps around a dang track. Good chance you will fail and a small chance you will succeed. That’s all u can ask for and you will find that to be true in any scenario you discover.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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