How would you setup?

[Swamp_bucks]

So I scouted this swamp the other day and want some opinions.  It's not far off of 2 roads.  However there is a wall of brush and down trees to get into the middle of it.  

Theres about 40 rubs running along the bottom part where the transition is and they all come to a point where the large tree is fallen over at the bottom.  The down tree is under the buck symbol where I found 2 beds.  The root ball stand almost 15 tall and 20ft wide with beds and a massive rub on the other side.

The shaded orange is more open and easier to get into without making much noise.  The blue line going across the swamp is a heavy trail popping out into a mix hardwoods.   There is a slight rise on to a ridge on that side out of the swamp.  There was no oaks that I could find.  Bunch of cherry trees and briers.  Also very old rubs nothing from last year but heavy trails. The blue line actually goes into the bottom piece and a trail wraps back around to the large down tree.  

My thought was to get as close as I could into the shaded orange area so that I could shoot over top of the brush and down trees and into the main trails.  Problem is they are bedding very close to those spots.  

I will be scouting more of it next week looking again for oaks and a possible second setup spot.  Stand symbols are just spots I was thinking about.

How would you setup?

Edited March 31, 2021 by Swamp_bucks

[G-Man]

Cant say without Predominant Wind direction? You may need to cut access trail or walk thru swamp to enter? 

[crappyice]

Access is from the left?
May consider “punching a hole” through that thick brush line now if you are looking to push in during the fall when everything is grown in worse than it is now. If anything the deer will potentially appreciated the new access


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[Robhuntandfish]

where are you coming into it from?  I like the top point where you blue line trail is on a  W or SW wind.  That way you stay out of the bedding area and would be right on that trail and your wind isnt a factor.   If your gonna hunt that orange square area would have to be on an E or NE or SE  wind . 

[Swamp_bucks]

2 hours ago, G-Man said:

Cant say without Predominant Wind direction? You may need to cut access trail or walk thru swamp to enter? 

Last year it was blowing mainly nw which would be blowing from the bottom of the picture towards to the top.  

I cant cut anything because it is stateland.  I did forget to mention that there is crop fields just to the bottom side of the picture that is private.

For access I can loop in through the hardwoods down either road and or try to find a path in through where the shaded orange part is which is just off the one road.

That's why I was having a hard time figuring it out. My thinking with the shaded orange spot since it's not as thick I can use that area to sneak as close as possible to the bedding since I cant cut trails.

[Robhuntandfish]

43 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

Last year it was blowing mainly nw which would be blowing from the bottom of the picture towards to the top.  

I cant cut anything because it is stateland.  I did forget to mention that there is crop fields just to the bottom side of the picture that is private.

For access I can loop in through the hardwoods down either road and or try to find a path in through where the shaded orange part is which is just off the one road.

That's why I was having a hard time figuring it out. My thinking with the shaded orange spot since it's not as thick I can use that area to sneak as close as possible to the bedding since I cant cut trails.

if your coming in from the left (assuming thats west) i like your top stand pick in the orange but only on some sort of East prevailing wind. 

[phade]

56 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

Last year it was blowing mainly nw which would be blowing from the bottom of the picture towards to the top.  

I cant cut anything because it is stateland.  I did forget to mention that there is crop fields just to the bottom side of the picture that is private.

For access I can loop in through the hardwoods down either road and or try to find a path in through where the shaded orange part is which is just off the one road.

That's why I was having a hard time figuring it out. My thinking with the shaded orange spot since it's not as thick I can use that area to sneak as close as possible to the bedding since I cant cut trails.

Swamps tend to pull in scent streams based on heating/cooling (similar but not as profound as a body of water). They'll pull scent into that bedding and entrance/exit area under wind conditions you might not expect. I'd look at where the rub clusters are in relation to that bed - sometimes beds have them, sometimes not, but if you find them a short distance away on those routes, that is where I'd probably plan a set initially. Far away enough to get in w/o getting busted, and indicates the buck is probably spending a short amount of time there. Even better if you can ID if those are evening rubs going to a food source, etc.

The open area might be OK, but pay attention to visibility there. Usually on set-ups like that oftentimes deer can see into them or satellite beds can. I'm always leery of open areas near buck beds like that - too easy to get into and out of. Usually a recipe for something you don't plan on happening. Maybe this one works, though. Just be mindful.

[phade]

21 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

if your coming in from the left (assuming thats west) i like your top stand pick in the orange but only on some sort of East prevailing wind. 

I'd be concerned with wind based bedding in this bed...usually deer will give up scenting over a swamp and instead scent from woods/land. They can rely on sight and sound in swamps. Not always true, but it's noticeable in that type of landscape. If the wind or thermals are passing through the swamp, probably lower odds that buck is there all things considered. Coming from the woods or across that short cut (where the path is), probably more likely. 

This is not the easiest bed but he does have a ton of info on it. Really good scouting.

[grampy]

I hunt a lot of swamps, because that is where the mature bucks I'm hunting prefer to bed. The key here is, they bed there because they feel secure. If you are busted, or if they feel pressure, they will exit or avoid that area when they no longer feel secure. Now that doesn't meen you won't kill a deer there. Just likely not the mature buck making the sign you found.

I like to leave that core bedding alone, never going in there, and hunt only the edges of it. Trying to figure where he wants to go from bed in the afternoon, and where he will be coming from in the morning. And set up to get him in the transition. Again, just hunting the edges of his core bedding area. ALWAYS paying strict attention to wind direction. If the wind changes and blows to his bedding you HAVE to move to another set up or get out. Having multiple sets, for different wind directions will benefit you greatly here.

Of course hunting public land makes this all a bit more difficult, as you have no idea who else may be stomping through that bedding area. But the sign you found indicates that deer are bedding there. So perhaps because it is so thick and nasty, other hunters tend to avoid it. 

You did an outstanding job scouting, to get the information to form a solid plan. Use that to YOUR advantage! Don't give the deer any clues.

 

[Northcountryman]

What is the scale for the blue-line transect?  I like your potential setups posts , but agree w/ Rob that probably would only wok when prevailing winds are generally easterly.   Is it doable to slip in somewhere on the east end and setup somewhere near the end of that bottom orange line on the map?

 

[Northcountryman]

50 minutes ago, phade said:

usually deer will give up scenting over a swamp and instead scent from woods/land. They can rely on sight and sound in swamps.

I like that!! I've never heard that before --how do you know ?? Also, can you explain why (if possible). Thanks 

[phade]

22 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

I like that!! I've never heard that before --how do you know ?? Also, can you explain why (if possible). Thanks 

Deer try to bed in a way where they can scent what they cannot see/hear, and see/hear what they cannot scent. Swamps often represent difficult terrain to navigate quietly and efficiently for predators and deer learn this. It's part of the reason why small islands/knobs, and terrain edges represent bedding locations for deer in swamp and marsh country. It's never 100% but mature bucks tend to figure this out.

It represents a soft break - a hard break would be deer bedding against a body of water or cliff edge where the same phenomenon sometimes takes place on inside bends in creeks. It cuts down on the areas a predator can approach without knowledge.

Edited March 31, 2021 by phade

[Swamp_bucks]

Thanks for the info.  I didnt cover everything I wanted and will do one last scouting trip to pin point his most likely entrance and exit.  

I do believe he is going onto the private land to feed.  They have corn,hay fields and apple trees.  All within 200yards of this swamp.  

Phade the thermals is my biggest concern so my plan was to try and hunt it on a more steady wind to try and help eliminate the thermal pull.

Northcountryman I can slip in from that way off the road on the bottom.  I could almost see the tree I wanted to get to without making a bunch of noise.

This spot is just over looked.  No sign of other hunters so I think the competition for the spot will be minimal.

[phade]

12 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

Thanks for the info.  I didnt cover everything I wanted and will do one last scouting trip to pin point his most likely entrance and exit.  

I do believe he is going onto the private land to feed.  They have corn,hay fields and apple trees.  All within 200yards of this swamp.  

Phade the thermals is my biggest concern so my plan was to try and hunt it on a more steady wind to try and help eliminate the thermal pull.

Northcountryman I can slip in from that way off the road on the bottom.  I could almost see the tree I wanted to get to without making a bunch of noise.

This spot is just over looked.  No sign of other hunters so I think the competition for the spot will be minimal.

Then I'd only hunt it with a drop off pick up method. Keep it a secret. Nice work.

[Swamp_bucks]

44 minutes ago, phade said:

Then I'd only hunt it with a drop off pick up method. Keep it a secret. Nice work.

Yep.  Theres actually a pull  off 3/4 mile up the road in the main piece.  Park there and walk to the spot.  I've learned that trick before.  This buck bed hunting is new to me.  However I've seen more 2.5 plus bucks since starting.  Just learning how they approach and their actual bed is still tricky for me. 

I have learned that if you want to get within their bedrooms you need to scout 10x more then before.  

I'll post more info after I scout it again.  

[Swamp_bucks]

Better view of the area.  Flipped it so it was the correct way for north and south.  Also has the topo of the area.   Topo doesnt go that ridge on the right justice it's almost straight up to get to the top.

[BowmanMike]

Wow,that is a slick bed for the buck, especially if he is headed across the road to feed. You don't have much for options to catch him in the afternoon if his path to food is that short. 

Maybe you could get close to his bed by cutting through the swamp just west of the heavy blue trail after looping around the southwest side of it? And set up close to the edge of the swamp between the fallen tree  and the heavy trail? I wouldn't do that on my first sit though as that may be too close. Hard telling not knowing. I sometimes like staying on the perimeter,but everytime you are in there you risk him knowing that you were.

It is great you have this intel though and time to make a plan. That will give you purpose.