Marsh/Swamp or Hills

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Tim H
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Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby Tim H » Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:11 am

I'm going to be scouting some property where there are hills but then down hill is essentially creek bottom marsh/swamp. I have only driven by this property and not quite sure of the pressure it gets, but wanted to hear if anyone has experience of what to expect for bedding when the terrains are adjacent to one another. Would bucks choose the marsh/swamp bedding versus the hills or vice versa if they have the choice? Or is it seasonal? I'm sure acorns would make a difference some and whether it's a good mast. Perhaps they could rotate through the good bedding on each terrain depending on the availability. Perhaps deer density and buck density would come into play.

Thoughts?


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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby Ryan549 » Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:43 am

I would assume marsh bedding- only because most hunters are scared of water. That transition line should show you everything that you need to know
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby Tim H » Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:47 am

Ryan549 wrote:I would assume marsh bedding- only because most hunters are scared of water. That transition line should show you everything that you need to know


What I will probably end up doing is walking the marsh transition in and the hill country 1/3 elevation on the way back out. At least in my mind to scout I'd do that.
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby MichiganMike » Thu Mar 25, 2021 7:02 am

I would say the marsh-Its more secure for them. Youll see beds in there and sign, I can pretty much guarantee it. Majority of my kills and sightings are in the marsh. It seems to hold more primary bedding for bucks in my area because of the pressure. I'm not a hill expert, but I am sure there is a time and place for them to bed there though. Pic is from my scouting last week, it’s a buck bed watching ridge near where I shot him last year. Water at the bottom of ridge.
6252497E-D257-46DE-A6B0-B2500534439C.jpeg
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby MichiganMike » Thu Mar 25, 2021 7:29 am

Some more sign in that marsh
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby Ryan549 » Thu Mar 25, 2021 7:36 am

Tim H wrote:
Ryan549 wrote:I would assume marsh bedding- only because most hunters are scared of water. That transition line should show you everything that you need to know


What I will probably end up doing is walking the marsh transition in and the hill country 1/3 elevation on the way back out. At least in my mind to scout I'd do that.



Deer tend to follow certain “rules”
You will never waste your time following a transition line, this is a hard pill to swallow based on what TV hunting shows teach us.
Bottom line, find the sign and hunt it. But don’t get hung up on that one rub in open hardwoods
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby ODH » Thu Mar 25, 2021 7:58 am

I hunt some of that stuff. Where I have been, generally I've found that where there is little pressure I have found the older bucks will bed up the hill, and head down as their first move when they get up. Does will bed along the marsh transition.

But in pressured areas they all bedded in the marsh, and only hit the hills after dark.
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Tim H
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby Tim H » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:07 am

It'll certainly be interesting to scout this area and see how the deer use it to their advantage. One of my challenges I have is I have a hard time predicting pressure and how hunters think. Coming from up north where I'm not around a lot of heavy pressure, I lack the ability of predicting how hunters will use an area. I get caught up in thinking that everyone is like me and will get the extra effort.
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Re: Marsh/Swamp or Hills

Unread postby greenhorndave » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:16 am

Tim H wrote:It'll certainly be interesting to scout this area and see how the deer use it to their advantage. One of my challenges I have is I have a hard time predicting pressure and how hunters think. Coming from up north where I'm not around a lot of heavy pressure, I lack the ability of predicting how hunters will use an area. I get caught up in thinking that everyone is like me and will get the extra effort.

You’ll probably prove yourself correct, but then you can use that knowledge to your advantage. I went to an area I wrote off a little bit, then explored further recently. I found more human sign, but that made me alter my scouting plan. I followed the hot sign where there was less human sign and kicked a buck out of his bed.

The downside is it takes time to find that out, but the plus side is you know before the season starts.
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