# hunting bucks who bed in swamps



## Blanchje (Jan 12, 2007)

Wear waders and pack a lunch.


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## Usingmyrights (Aug 19, 2008)

Thats my plan for this fall. Hike into where its absolutely nasty and setup there


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## MOBIGBUCKS (Aug 12, 2006)

Hunt higher dry spots. A lot of times in the marshes I hunt, I will see a cedar growing and 9/10 times a buck bed will be there. Since the land is flat in most cases you will need visual cues to help you locate good deer sign.


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## neil pink (Apr 26, 2010)

i have hunted in areas like the one u showed . i have found it best to find were they inter the swamps at and were the main beding cover in the swamp is and jest set a stand on the main travel areas


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

Blood Brothers Outdoors...Hunting Marsh Bucks. It's an awesome DVD. Highly recommend it.

Walk the edge of the hardwoods and marsh...you will find the transition areas. Most times you will track those back to a high spot and the buck's bed. Marsh bucks rely mostly on their nose, then their ears. They will be on a certain bed with the wind blowing from the hardwoods across the swamp. You have to be very quiet and some into the crosswind that is blowing to the bucks bed. It's a very finesse tactic.


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

guys... excellent. those are all GREAT tips and I promise to try them all. Ill be looking for that big cedar in the marsh when scouting for sure! :darkbeer:

keep em coming if you can, i have a simple questiojn about the wind. if your hunting on his doorstep how would you hunt the wind for evening vs. morning. catching him coming or going? only mornings or only evenings? any different wind tatics to hunting bedroom?

any guys hunt swamps or on the edges regulary? thanks and feel free to keep adding! :thumbs_up


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

any more tips on hunting mature bucks early in swamps, cattails, marshes and thick stuff? :darkbeer:


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## MOBIGBUCKS (Aug 12, 2006)

I prefer hip boots over waders. Much easier to layer and much more comfortable. However, it does depend on how much water you have to cross to get to your targeted area. My places seldom get over leg deep... 

As far as the cedar is concerned, they always grow on dry humps and they are easy to spot from distances. Check 'em out...There will be deer beds around them if you have cedars in the area.


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## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

I've been hunting areas like that all my life.

My 2cents.....bucks will bed in that stuff as long as its not to wet. Often times I find them in the thickest areas close to but not in too wet an area.

the deer around me cut straight across the really wet areas to the nearest high ground and then travel the high ground along the edges. The deer have been using these same trails for so long I can see them on Google earth.

If you set up on the high ground especially during the rut, the bucks will be following the does onto the higher ground.

In the google earth pict, if you look you'll see faint lines going across the picture. They connected high ground across a swamp and the narrowest points.


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## shrell22 (Dec 9, 2009)

i am from louisiana and what we do is hunt where they cross the water. deer are creaters of habit and will almost always cross in the same spot. the spot will be different then the rest of the swamp, shallower, or more narrow. find that spot and you will find the deer.


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## bishjr (Aug 1, 2008)

Swamp bucks are hard to hunt, and I have been hunting them almost every year. The only hints I can give you are to find the high ridges in the swamps with cover on top of them. Dont hunt on top of the ridges, but hunt the trails leading to and from the ridges, or along the sides with the thick crap at your back. The bucks will be staying on these typically at night or even in the middle of the day.


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## 22jdub (Feb 22, 2006)

I hunt almost elusively swamp edges. The swamps that I hunt are either transition areas or doe bedding areas for the most part. There are bucks that will bed in certain areas, but I generally hunt the downwind edges close to the rut when I know the bucks will be scent checking for does. I have limited spots to hunt, so going into the swamp is not an option as thats pretty much a "one and done" strategy. 

If wind direction and cover allow, I'll set a stand just off the edge of the swamp. I don't like to be right on the edge as its too easy to get busted climbing into your stand. I like to be 6-15' from the edge with good cover and 2-3 shooting lanes to the edge of the swamp. I try to set up these stands where trails come from high spots in the swamps to the edges. Get a good pair of binos and keep your eyes peeled, the big boys get real sneaky in those swamps. This isn't anything new or ingenious by any means but I've had pretty good success with it. Good luck!


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## moondoondude (Dec 17, 2009)

Most of the areas I hunt are swampy too, both on the eastern and western shore. A little water won't scare a deer. They will bed in it even though it's wet, I have seen it time and time again. I have found that the big boys bed both in the middle of the swamp and right on the edges of it. Most of the does bed on the edge. So, during the rut the big boys will bed right up on the edge with the does. Any other time of the year, that's up to you. The problem with swamps are that you never really see all of them. You sometimes only see the edges. There can be much more to a swamp than you know, and if it's a big buck's bedroom he's always gonna have a place to go and have the upper hand on you. Try to catch them coming off their beds early in the year, around October. I hunt one public spot and we get some real big ones during October coming out of the marsh, sometimes they are still dripping wet or covered up to their briskets in mud.


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

MOBIGBUCKS said:


> I prefer hip boots over waders. Much easier to layer and much more comfortable. However, it does depend on how much water you have to cross to get to your targeted area. My places seldom get over leg deep...


Lightweight stockingfoot waders that are big enough to fit over your boots.

You need to excercise care when walking to not cut the neopreme booties.

But they go on and off fairly easily.

marty


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## lotalota (Apr 28, 2007)

I hunt an urban nature preserve a lot and the deer definitely use the cattail swamps. The does and fawns come out later in the season to eat the green grass growing up against the cattails. There are big bucks in there, and they seem to come magically out of relatively small stands of cattail swamp.

I ordered that DVD to see what Blood Brothers has to say. Of course, there are no bits of high ground hidden in my swampy areas and it is a question of hunting the edges at certain times of the year to catch them.

By "catch them", I mean "see them" as I've never had the chance to shoot one.


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## greenboy (Sep 21, 2005)

i love swamps love to hunt them, i look for humps,dry places between to wet areas they are like highways when the rut is on the big boys are runing does u will here them grunting befor u see the them trick is to get them to stop for the shot.i like waders,we have beavers in swamps i have seen them cross at the dams. i like to hunt neck down areas.good luck


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

I'm from northern Minnesota, the whole place is one big swamp!

Been hunting swamp bucks over 20 years.

Find the busiest trails and hang a stand nearby. The bucks I hunt typically bed within sight of beaver ponds/dams and the thickest nastiest windfall areas they can find. They will use the water as a "safe wall" and if the wind is right they may bed with their backs to the ponds, swamps and face the higher/dryer ground in front of them. Tough for a pack of wolves to sneak up on them through a pond. Getting in and out undetected is the biggest challenge. Its easy to leave scent behind when you're rubbing on a million different things getting into these thick areas. I cut trails and maintain them in the spring and summer so come fall I'm touching as little vegetation as possible on my trips to and from the stands.

The deer will normally use the tail ends of the beaver dams to cross (when they feel safe) but not always. One of their favorite escape tricks is to go straight through the water.

I hang my stands, literally, in their bedding areas. *So a stealthy scent free, quiet entry and exit is KEY*

And these bucks will find the thickest place in the forest to bed.

99% of the time I will hear them coming long before I can see them. They make a lot of noise coming on a slow walk.

Pics of one of the trails I cut into a beaver pond area. Chainsaw and a lot of work but it can pay off...

I try to keep them well hidden, this is where the trail starts.











I open it up a bit more after that. I made this one along time ago. There was no possible way, without being able to fly, to sneak in here without alerting every deer in the county before I cut this trail. Now they use it more than I do.











































Your window of opportunity is usually small too, being as it's so thick. So I'm often at full draw before the deer comes into sight, because you never know what's making all the noise heading your direction. I was at full draw waaay before this guy came running past at 12 yards. I try to cut small openings, not really shooting lanes on their trails and pray they stick to the trails.

A Swamper I killed, using this trail to get to my stand. He was chasing four does across a beaver pond last October. I had roadblocks on the deer trails set up to try to divert the deer towards my stand. I heard him blow straight though everyone of them. This guy was taking everything down in his path, one of those does must have been a hottie:wink:


I created a new trail this spring leading to an old favorite spot of mine I haven't hunted in close to 20 years. I'm hoping all the hard work this spring will pay off come this fall.

These are just a few of the things that have been working for me over the years back in the swamps of Minnesota.


This dude sounded like a skidder taking a load of timber out when he came running by...


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

thats what im talking about steve! how much that hoss weigh?  nice old smart mature big bodied buck it what im after... not even worried about the rack if I can get a horse. thanks for all the pics! :darkbeer:


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## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

*Brandon, I've hunted those ame Virginia swamps*

Beat them back to the high ground ( in the swamp ) in the morning or intercept them coming out in the evening to feed on crops or greenfields. Use a canoe if the water is deep or a pair of brushbuster hip waders if it's shallow. Be careful, in my area the water would raise rapidly with the tide " tidewater".


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## Skewerer (Nov 8, 2006)

Holy smokes mn5503  That's a giant deer! 

Based on my experience, the bucks live in the swamps...period.

I've killed 4 bow bucks in Louisiana, and every single one of them fell within range of a Bald Cypress tree. Early season, late season, it really doesn't matter. I hunt the edges of the swamps because I don't want to blow them out. Catch them coming and going. My favorite set ups are when you can find an agricultural field adjacent to a large swamp. Here's a pic of an area I hunt:










Look for swamps where a variety of food sources are available nearby. This spot produces numerous shooter bucks every year. :thumbs_up


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

brandon1008 said:


> thats what im talking about steve! how much that hoss weigh?  nice old smart mature big bodied buck it what im after... not even worried about the rack if I can get a horse. thanks for all the pics! :darkbeer:


He was 220lbs, dressed out on that scale he's hanging from. I thought he looked bigger. Biggest one I've killed in the same spot was 240lbs and this buck looked bigger than that one. Same scale though, so I don't know. I guess the scale doesn't lie.










I hit him way to far back because I was stupid and took my shot when he was on a full run after those does. I waited til morning (no sleep of course) to track him after finding blood where I shot him. He went about 400-500 yards and bedded down on a high piece of ground and died. He was pretty stiff so I don't think he lived too long after the shot. But I learned my lesson about himming and hawing on a shot. I changed my mind a thousand times in a few seconds on whether or not I was going to shot. Last second I decided I was going to and even at 12 yards, 270fps isn't fast enough to be making stupid running shots. At least it was a happy ending. I was wet up to my ass though after tromping around in that swamp for a couple hours.

I never had him aged but I'm pretty sure he was an old bugger and by the looks of his rack and coat he may have been past his prime. I was still very pleased to be lucky enough to get him. Iowa was good to me last year too (buck in my avatar) so I still get to pay the taxi something. The swamper is getting his skull and antlers hung on the garage wall next to his other relatives from the swamp:wink:

The swamps have been good to me but man do I love to sit on the edge of a field in one of the oaks overlooking some clover. A guy can get a little loopy spending too much time swamp hunting, it's a different gig for sure.

I try to mix it up with my other spots where I can see more than 15 yards in one direction. I live in an area of the State that allows me to hunt the deep woods or the agg land. There isn't even a hayfield near the swamps I hunt. They live, breed and feed their whole lives in the woods. The wolves usually decide where I'll be hunting.

A clover/alfalfa field I like to hunt.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

mn5503 - I remember those photos from last year, what a great body on that buck! Love the roman nose. I'll bet the rack is bigger than it looks compared to that horse of a body. Great Minnesota buck...:darkbeer:

I hunt swamp edges too. Getting out in them, at least the ones I encounter, is usually too loud and disruptive. A little on the risky/dangerous side too, especially loaded down with gear. Like others have said if you can find a pattern of where they enter or exit, that's a good way to go. My favorite spots are a little ridge or dry ground between two swampy areas. I have a couple of spots where there is a pinch point where the edge of each slough is within bow range of my stand. Anything that creates a pinch point with the swamp edge is a likely spot later in the fall. Like others have said bucks are not afraid of water, I jumped one off a muskrat house one time while I was duck hunting.


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

This is what your trailcam pictures from the swamps will look like:wink:




































































































The stand I shot the buck from last year overlooks this pond. I've watched deer feed in these ponds just like moose, dunking their heads under and coming up with a mouthful.


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## Skewerer (Nov 8, 2006)

Great pics Steve! You got me looking through my hunting pic album from last season. Remember it's not just the big boys that live in the swamps.

There's the young guns...

Early season





Late season





The little ones...






Here's mama...











And these guys can give you a bit of a scare! 




















Here are some pics of swamp scenery taken while on stand last season...


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## BoneDriven (Jul 5, 2009)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> *Blood Brothers Outdoors...Hunting Marsh Bucks. It's an awesome DVD. Highly recommend it.*
> 
> Walk the edge of the hardwoods and marsh...you will find the transition areas. Most times you will track those back to a high spot and the buck's bed. Marsh bucks rely mostly on their nose, then their ears. They will be on a certain bed with the wind blowing from the hardwoods across the swamp. You have to be very quiet and some into the crosswind that is blowing to the bucks bed. It's a very finesse tactic.


Agreed :thumbs_up Good vid.. check it out.. talks about this exact thing! Very cool and informative


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

*thanks!*

just a quick "thank you" to the few guys who recommended the Blood Brothers Marsh Bucks DVD. WOW! is all I can say, Ive never seen a hunting vid like this and I beleive any whiettail hunter that doesnt use guides should watch this video. These are real good ole boys talking about scouting huge bucks and exactly how they take them. There formula isnt that complicated but it requires a lot of work, patience, and effort. I dont consider myself a beginner by any standards but this video made me realize how much Im missing. Wont find me huinting scrapes or funnels anymore... maybe a week or 2 during early and prime rut but Im going to there house! Ive always been taught to stay out of big buck bedding areas, but the truth is... if your hunting a nocturnal deer... its the only way besides rut when they run around everywhere. Thanks again and BBO you are the REAL hunters making videos! :thumbs_up


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## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

*That's right Brandon.*

For hunting swamp bucks, you've got to beat them back to bed in the mornings and coming out of the bedroom at night. That's your only hope unless the rut is on.


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## motoXcowboy (Feb 2, 2008)

These panoramics are my views from my treestands. I took these pictures yesterday at the tree/locations I picked out for the year. Just finished cutting in some trails and clearing some leaves for stealth. Still got to trim some shooting lanes. Both treestand locations are very close to some heavily used trails. This swamp is like a highway, there is also 35acres of winter wheat 100yards south of this swamp about 60ft elevation change. I am hunting down in the swamp most of the time. I am very lucky my inlaws have prime hunting land. This is just 1/10 of what they have. There is another 300 acres to play with/ which includes several large corn fields, more swamps, rivers, and food plots which I have set up. 

This swamp is my favorite, these pictures don't give it justice..


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## d3coy_duck (Apr 24, 2010)

I've not seen a one of you guys mention beaver dams. In my part of the country deer will walk on beaver dams to access deeper back into the swamps. If you find a beaver dam leading back into a bedding area then your usually good to go.


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## JakeInMa (Oct 10, 2009)

Great pics! When hunting swamps, look at topo maps and look for donut shaped circles in the swamp. That is usually indicative of high ground or a knoll in the swamp. Also, as shown in the above pics, the deer WILL cross beaver damns. Beaver damns rock for hunting!


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## kenmack (Dec 6, 2008)

Use a staff while wading.


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## JakeInMa (Oct 10, 2009)

I shot this nice 8pt. walking along the edge of a beaver swamp in 08' in Southern, NH. He dressed out at 180lbs. which I know is small for some of the areas some of you have access to, but is great size for this area.


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## SEWIBuckHunter (Jun 6, 2008)

My experience has been that some of the best hunting on public ground is in the swamps. They are overlooked by a lot of hunters. Some spots I hunt I can access by a canoe and that works really well for a more stealthy approach. Some other spots that are really far back in there I will take my duck boat w/ godevil to get back to. Plus, if you get one its a lot better to put him in a canoe and paddle out rather than walking and drag him out. My dad killed one years ago 2+ miles back into a swamp, the drag out was pretty rough.


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

my thread rocks. 

in the time since i started this ive come up with 4 swamps on prime lands and have stand locations picked at each based on wind and other factors 

I think there will be some 2010-2011 swamp buck pictures to add to this thread in the coming months. 

how many days till sept 15th?


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## JakeInMa (Oct 10, 2009)

brandon1008 said:


> how many days till sept 15th?


Not soon enough...I've already got 6 stands out and 4 more to go. As a matter of fact, I'm hanging 2 this weekend and I know a nice, big swamp....


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## Xmaster (Jan 9, 2005)

we have 3 beaver ponds on our lease on what we call the swamp side. it is on the west side of the road and is flat. when the Mississippi rises this side starts going under water. last year almost the whole 2000 acres was under water. it is just about all receding off of it now. there are also a couple of more lakes and some places that get water on them as soon as the Mighty Mississippi comes out of her banks. 

i hope to catch some bass this weekend with the last bit of water running out of the beaver ponds. and i will be checking the banks out to see where the deer are coming up!

So guys. you are saying just hang a stand on the edge where i am seeing some tracks. sounds too easy but i will start investigating the possibilities.

Mark


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## Budworth402 (Jan 20, 2009)

Subscribed! Very informative thread!


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

d3coy_duck said:


> I've not seen a one of you guys mention beaver dams. In my part of the country deer will walk on beaver dams to access deeper back into the swamps. If you find a beaver dam leading back into a bedding area then your usually good to go.




You must have missed my rather larger post above that pretty much dealt with beaver pond swamps.


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## ACooper1983 (Jun 10, 2005)

MOBIGBUCKS said:


> Hunt higher dry spots. A lot of times in the marshes I hunt, I will see a cedar growing and 9/10 times a buck bed will be there. Since the land is flat in most cases you will need visual cues to help you locate good deer sign.


THIS!!!!. have killed some of my better bucks in this fashion.


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## ACooper1983 (Jun 10, 2005)

mn5503 said:


> I'm from northern Minnesota, the whole place is one big swamp!
> 
> Been hunting swamp bucks over 20 years.
> 
> ...



see posts like yours is why i think archerytalk should have a "rep" rating much like bodybuilding.com site, i would have rep'd this post, informative, great pictures, and the poster seems like an all around bad ass, it is HARD to hunt northern minnesota, i hunted by orr one time, and i left wimpering like a little girl back to western wisconsin.


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

i agree...

id like to see this thread expand as the seaso goes to see some real world success from this thread.

i have high hopes :darkbeer:


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## Xmaster (Jan 9, 2005)

*where are all the pictures of those swamp deer y'all killed*

I hunted the swamp a good bit this year. I saw 7 bucks on the swamp side of our lease. two were trophy size, one was a shooter and the others were small racked bucks. one of the big ones was scouting before the season and two were with my bow and the closest shot was 97 yards. Didn't get a shot on any of them.  The Mississippi never came up so the it was pretty dry on the swamp side. 

I did kill this nice buck in the hills. :teeth::teeth:


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

Killed another one in the same swamp this past season. I was in a tree about 150 yards from the one I used in '09 to kill the buck I posted pictures of. 

The stand site from '09 was now under about 6-8" of water. The beavers had been busy and flooded about another 20 acres. It was a mess. 

But the bucks were still in there, as they have been since I started hunting there as a kid 25 years ago. 

Wolves made it tough hunting but a zillion hours on stand can pay off. Without trailcams and the fact I knew there were several nice bucks in the area I would have not spent as much time as I did in that particular area. Even so, I was about to throw in the towel the November morning I killed this buck. About a half hour after I came to the conclusion I was wasting my time, he came cruising by, straight from the swamp that my previous pics are from. 

Swamp hunting has been very good to me. I have my eye on a few bucks for 2011 that are total swampbodies. I learn something new every year even after 25+ years of sludging around in that nasty crap.


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## retrieverfishin (Oct 18, 2010)

Steve, I don't envy the drag job you have on those big boys out of that nasty stuff! A buddy and I pulled one 200lb'er out about a half mile of swamp and another half woods and it was quite the task! Totally worth it though!


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## Xmaster (Jan 9, 2005)

that is a real bruiser there Steve. nice job


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## wyetterp (Feb 28, 2008)

You really have to go out & do some hiking. What's on google earth & what you see in person 
can be 2 totally different things. I only use sat images as a starting point. 

I like continually hiking all the areas where the swamp transitions from 1 ecosystem to the next. 
I depend on finding the most heavily used trails that come in & out. From there, I will hike in along 
the trails & see what's going on inside. I've found a lot of pockets that open up, when just outside 
& on sat image looked really thick. Those pockets can really tend to be some good intersections. 

Once in the season & I have a basic pattern I always take my time I study the tracks to see how 
& what they are doing daily. I've found ton's of places where I can only get the bucks coming out 
right at dark w/no shot. In those cases I refer pack to the scouting I've done & then, the next day 
try & be where they may be a hour ahead of dark. 

I love hunting swamps. Deer also have a tendency to remain in packs & can be patterned fairly easily. 

Good luck & make sure to bring the thermacell's.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2011)

great thread keep it up I am learning a lot.


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## wyetterp (Feb 28, 2008)

This good be helpful.....free printable topo's

http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/

Also, here's a few trail's I see I'd hike & scout.


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

top


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## cwoods (Dec 22, 2008)

Steve- thanks for sharring your insights. Really enjoy what you have to say. Hats off to you for your success.


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## Bruce County (Jun 5, 2009)

Great post. Gonna have to look into this dvd. Lots of swamps around me


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## Xmaster (Jan 9, 2005)

here is a tale of a swamp buck. In november i was scouting for ducks in Dead Lake. it was of the cypress slough/beaver pond lakes we have on the lease. the lake on the north end is surrounded by Buttonwoods. they are very dense in some areas. the water was down a foot or so allowing you to walk on the inside of the Buttonwood edge. the area where i was walking had lots of deer tracks. After i had walked about 50 yards, I heard a deer crashing out of the Buttonwoods heading away from the lake. I said to myself, that was probably a nice buck. 

A week later, a couple of buddies went to look at their duck blind on Dead lake and went in the same way i had. they drove their side by side as close as they could get to the lake and walked in. they were walking...probably exactly where i had walked the week before, and a buck crashes out of the Buttonwoods, but this time he runs across the lake. Matt, who is a good hunter and ex-military, takes his time and shoots him when he is about 3/4 of the way across at a full run, drops him in his tracks. He has to wade out to get him. I don't have a picture, but he was a 115 class 10 point. 

we surmised that the buck ran across the lake is because they had parked the side by side so close and were talking before they walked in. the buck probably heard that and thought that way was not safe to head in that direction so he busted out across the lake.


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## ember (Jul 23, 2004)

Thanks to everybody who posted their swamp tips. I rarely read every post but this thread was excellent.


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## Bigeasy08 (Oct 14, 2009)

Bringing this thread back to life. I'd just like to see any other input or really just see pictures of some deer killed in the swamps


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## Kb83 (Dec 17, 2011)

I hunt some swamp around here that is full of cattails. If you can find a tree in the cattails it can be gold. Just like in a corn field deer will use the tree's as reference points and will usually have a well used trail going right by them. Our swamps here are not like the cedar swamps they have further north. Its mostly tall grasses and reeds that transition into hardwoods. Just make sure you have hip waders on when working through the cattails. Other killer spots here are where the thick cattails open up into a oak flat. 

sent from my LG Escape.


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## mccoppinb (Aug 14, 2012)

mark


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## BOWCHIEF (Oct 6, 2006)

Good info. Thanks for bring this back up.


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## STILLxSTALKINGx (May 23, 2012)

awesome read!!!1


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

Another one from the same stand in the same swamp, 2011...


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## Kevin2 (Apr 1, 2009)

Our swamps were bone dry last year, really messed up my scouting & plans to hunt. This year, they are looking pretty close to back to normal. Hope I can get me a swamp Monster!

I have used hip waders WITH them inside my hunting boots. Never tried the above mentioned OUTSIDE the boot approach. If the swamp is in need of full waders, it is to deep for me anyways!


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## mccoppinb (Aug 14, 2012)

mn5503 said:


> Another one from the same stand in the same swamp, 2011...


Steve I read in another thread you killed these on pubLic land and I'm just curious to if you are using a climber or hang on and sticks for the stealthy approach


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

If there is one time to be _extraordinarily_ patient after shooting a big deer it is when you are hunting in or near big swamps!! :doh:


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

mccoppinb said:


> Steve I read in another thread you killed these on pubLic land and I'm just curious to if you are using a climber or hang on and sticks for the stealthy approach


I use both. This buck was shot from a hang on. It's paper company land so stands can be left overnight, you can even build permanent stands. I've never had one stolen and have only had one guy/one time in my stand when I got there. We became very good friends and ended up co workers a few years later. When I use climbers I leave them in the woods. I don't get many human visitors where I set up so I'd actually be very surprised to see one dissapear.


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## Michael Myers (Nov 13, 2008)

we kill all our big bucks on the outskirts of our swamps...Grizz


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## BOWBUTT1 (Jan 25, 2006)

Chech out www.thehuntingbeast.com. It has everything you're looking for. Great site and great guys.


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## SD_Bowhunter (Apr 12, 2011)

I would suggest hunting the two circled spots. Look for trees growing in the swamp as this will indicate areas that have higher ground. These locations will often be the place where bucks bed.


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## Reelrydor (Jan 5, 2010)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> Blood Brothers Outdoors...Hunting Marsh Bucks. It's an awesome DVD. Highly recommend it.
> 
> Walk the edge of the hardwoods and marsh...you will find the transition areas. Most times you will track those back to a high spot and the buck's bed. Marsh bucks rely mostly on their nose, then their ears. They will be on a certain bed with the wind blowing from the hardwoods across the swamp. You have to be very quiet and some into the crosswind that is blowing to the bucks bed. It's a very finesse tactic.


I have that one too--AWESOME Dvd!!!


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## MarshBuck89 (Jul 5, 2011)

This thread is all about how i hunt. Most of all the key tips have already been noted. The Blood Brothers guys def know how to do it right. they hunt the same areas I do, good guys too


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## mccoppinb (Aug 14, 2012)

Just ordered the blood brother marsh bucks vid.

Hope it's worth the $$


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## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

mccoppinb said:


> Just ordered the blood brother marsh bucks vid.
> 
> Hope it's worth the $$


I have it, its good, lots of tips I would not have thought of.


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## mccoppinb (Aug 14, 2012)

redruff said:


> I have it, its good, lots of tips I would not have thought of.


Good to hear anyone else find the video helpful?


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## MRW (Nov 7, 2010)

Great thread! I have my eye on a few swamp ghosts that have wandered past my cameras. Lots of swamps around here (SE New England) and most of the biggest deer are taken from them.


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## MI Hoytforlife (Aug 7, 2006)

Love hunting swamps,cattail Marsh's and low ditch's with thick cover. Like others said you will hear em before you see em. Love the sound of deer moving thru water and cattails bobbing with just the tips of those tunes skirting thru the thick cover. Most of my encounters were close range in your face.


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## Florida50 (Aug 12, 2012)

Stuck an arrow in a south Florida buck the other day cruising between 2 cypress heads..... What about tracking the deer post-shot??? I had one run into the swamp after I shot him. Once in the swamp & cypress heads I could not track him.


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## Scorpo90 (Sep 19, 2012)

No cloudy water trail? I missed the chance on a 2-4 pointer in Corbett last weekend since I was entering the archery still hunt area from the south and with an upwind. Buck smelled us and bolted from bed. :thumbdown: Lesson relearned. I might head out to Upper st johns river WMA on Nov 2 , its very wet there from what I can see...


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