Marsh bedding/staging

[Jackson Marsh]

Question for Dan/Dewey.....any experienced marsh hunter: When a buck's bedding area is located off of an island versus off of the mainland (such as a point off the mainland) do you see the staging area expand? Meaning will the buck tend to stage a little farther when heading to the island (where presumably the buck rarely smells humans) as opposed to staging closer to his bed when bedding just off the mainland (where he always smells hunters)?

Saturday I saw two nice bucks that got to my island with very little shooting light left, maybe 10 to 15 minutes. They were bedding around 100 yards away. I'm wondering if this bed is best left to a good moon night?

[headgear]

Good questions JM, I don't have a solid answer but I am looking forward to those that do. I do seem to have better luck/more encounters on islands or bedding far off the mainland so I think there is something there, it might just be as simple as the bucks feeling saver the further they get from the highground.

[Dewey]

I am far from an expert on the subject as I am learning myself but my first thought was do you know for sure bedding is 100 yards away? If you know where the bucks are bedding set up closer to them so they will reach you earlier.

Bucks on remote islands do seem to move much earlier and will come up onto an island to feed at all times of the day. Many times I find their beds just off the edge of the island on a brushy point other times near a lone tree in the cattails out from the island.

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[Jackson Marsh]

I am far from an expert on the subject as I am learning myself but my first thought was do you know for sure bedding is 100 yards away? If you know where the bucks are bedding set up closer to them so they will reach you earlier.

Bucks on remote islands do seem to move much earlier and will come up onto an island to feed at all times of the day. Many times I find their beds just off the edge of the island on a brushy point other times near a lone tree in the cattails out from the island.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

It is the only spot they could have been unless they were bedding in the cattails, and I don't think I can get on the small patch of trees they are bedding on without blowing them out. Three bucks came off that island onto where I was hunting. Although I didn't actually see them come out of the bedding area. Post season scouting led me to believe this spot was buck bedding.

[Jackson Marsh]

I am far from an expert on the subject as I am learning myself but my first thought was do you know for sure bedding is 100 yards away? If you know where the bucks are bedding set up closer to them so they will reach you earlier.

Bucks on remote islands do seem to move much earlier and will come up onto an island to feed at all times of the day. Many times I find their beds just off the edge of the island on a brushy point other times near a lone tree in the cattails out from the island.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Maybe the young buck was bedding on the end of the point He was the first buck that came through. I was within 20 yards of the end of the point, seemed to be the only tree I could get in, but I may have to reevaluate this.

[Dewey]

Lot's of new bedding in the cattails now that they are so dry and makes things so much harder to figure out.

Those bucks could have come from almost anywhere.

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[Jackson Marsh]

Lot's of new bedding in the cattails now that they are so dry and makes things so much harder to figure out.

Those bucks could have come from almost anywhere.

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The figuring it out part is what makes this bowhunting stuff so much fun. Will make it sweet if I connect on a buck.

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[Dewey]

Lot's of new bedding in the cattails now that they are so dry and makes things so much harder to figure out.

Those bucks could have come from almost anywhere.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

The figuring it out part is what makes this bowhunting stuff so much fun. Will make it sweet if I connect on a buck.

[ Post made via Android ]

I agree

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[dan]

I don't think they move earlier cause its an island... They do move earlier where they don't run into people though, and in some cases that is on an island... If they are moving a longer distance to get to you, it may be better on a good weather front or moon day.

[Jackson Marsh]

I'll probably give it another shot in a month or so on the next good moon day.

[ Post made via Android ]