Points into cattails vs points into water question

[AvidHunter88]

So I've had good luck hunting points that are surrounded on 3 sides by cattails. Recently, while doing some cyber scouting, I've come across points that are surrounded on 3 sides by water instead of cattails. Anyone have any experience with something like this and are they as good points surround by cattails? Would bucks bed on something like this if their escape route is water or would they feel more trapped in this scenario and avoid it?

[Weaver.b]

I am interested in hearing others input on this too. In my area there really isnt alot of cattails and so there are alot of scenarios like what you are mentioning. I do know of an island by me that is surrounded by water but then has somewhat dry land on the mainland side. There are oaks on this island and I have kicked deer off of it from my boat before. I have yet to hunt it but the 2 years I have scouted it there have been rubs and scrapes on it. Also a few beds but nothing crazy to where it looked like primary bedding.

[dan]

They like good escape... They will use the water points if its the best they have, but cattail surrounded points would be preferred, or short distances across water, like a creek... Good escape is wanted when choosing bedding.

[Lockdown]

From my experiences they feel trapped by water. Especially if it’s deep enough they have to swim. Still worth scouting them because you never know.

Also I think a lake scenario and river scenario are not apples to apples. Especially if the river is narrow. They like a fast escape. Not a minutes long swim to safety.

Edit- Dan beat me to it

[Jackson Marsh]

DaveT recently posted a YouTube video on this exact scenario.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=49359

[tgreeno]

I think if the cover was thick enough. And they had the ability to bed far enough away from the water, to still allow an escape route. They would possibly use it.

[Dewey]

Don’t overlook a spot just because it’s bordered by water. Some of the best primary beds I know of are points and islands surrounded by cattails containing deeper water in between. There is no better escape cover than that. One jump and they disappear. All you hear is splashing as they escape. When I say deeper water I mean about belly deep on deer. They spend a lot of time in that stuff and it’s nothing for them to travel in. If they had to swim it’s a little different story but if it’s that deep cattails will not grow in it anyway and will likely be pretty wide open. If it’s a point on a lake where there is nothing but water obviously they won’t prefer that spot but if there is water then thick cover within a few bounds they will obviously bed there. That being said I have seen plenty of deer swim across very deep water to escape. They are actually very good swimmers and I was surprised how quick they covered a wide area of deep water.

[greenhorndave]

Thought I found a spot yesterday like what Dewey described. A little horseshoe with cats on one small part of it and just a sliver of open water around 2/3 of it and a creek on the other side.


I was just about to step into the sliver when I decided to check there depth with a 5 foot walking stick I picked up. It didn't come close to touching bottom. That kept me out, but a deer could have popped over it easy. So I went to the cats and onto the island. Well, the stream on the other side must have been too easy of an access for canoes. Found this. An oldie.



But no bedding. I don't think it gets much pressure, and there were old tracks in the mud on the island, but it wasn't as secure as it appeared on the aerial. I had hopes but they didn't pan out.

I suspect the opposite could be true as well with the lake features you mentioned at the beginning. Seems like it depends on surrounding cover.

[AvidHunter88]

Thanks guys, this is exactly the type of info I was hoping for. The points I found going into water are pretty narrow, maybe 10 - 20 yards across at the widest spots and jut out into small lakes/ponds or drainages with no cattails so probably not the type a buck is going to feel secure on. The escape route would take a pretty decent swim. I'll prob still check them if I have time this spring just in case but they'll be low priority compared to other spots I still need to check.