Ladys man
Well-Known Member
Thinking about giving it ago within next couple weeks but have never done anything like it. Anyone have any pointers or suggestions on what to look for or scenarios I might run in to.
Swamp hunting
- Thread starter Ladys man
- Start date
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
I sat on the mainland adjacent to a swamp and noticed deer movement on the other side of the water from me. I bought a pair of waders so I could cross over and hunt where no one else did. The sign was amazing and I did see a big shooter. However, they may not all be the same but the area I hunted was head high swamp grass. Under it and unseen were dead trees and tree limbs and beaver runs galore. Your making your way through there and step into one of those and sink into 4 foot of water. The 2 things I can guarantee you is that I can see why no one ventures in there and getting a deer out of there would give 3 healthy men heart attacks. Now if you can access by water that may be a different story.
The slightest of elevations above the swamp can be fantastic. Use a topo of the area if you can.............if not use google earth and capitulate from the topo to the tree view version and you will learn a massive amount of useful hunting info!
Ladys man
Well-Known Member
Boone 58":108g3n9w said:
Been on google earth lots lately and believe I've found were a big patch of hardwoods meet the swamp believe that's where I will start my scouting.
With that being said can you still see sign as if you were on a hardwood ridge trails, rubs, etc
My favorite place I ever hunted was a swamp bordering an industrial park (where the name urban_hunter came from). There were little trails throughout where the water didn't reach or was very shallow. It was easy to see where the deer had been and the paths they were using. The only downfall I had was a shot deer would run in any direction sometime crossing deep water all while leaving no blood trail to be followed. I did not bow hunt it after learning my lesson. Oh, and to the comment about the grass: I am sure the deer I lost ran less than 100 yards, but the grass made it impossible to find short of stepping on it.
TN Whitetail Freak
Well-Known Member
All I know is wetlands and swamp ground pm the property with any questions. Several members will vouch for my cyber scouting skill.
Ladys man
Well-Known Member
TN Whitetail Freak":2mnuld1d said:
PM ur way
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
A tip.... Carry you a rope. When I hunted in a swamp there places I could maneuver across narrow sections of water but not with a deer. Tie one end to the deer and throw the other end across the water. Walk around to where crossing is easier for you, walk back to the rope, and drag the deer across.
Hawk
Well-Known Member
Do not gut the deer if you have to cross water.
Two wheeled deer carts don't work very well in swamps especially when cypress knees are there.
Two wheeled deer carts don't work very well in swamps especially when cypress knees are there.
I can vouch for him. He has cyber scouting skillsTN Whitetail Freak":2pkllmnm said:
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Some good tips on this thread . . . . . .
as there may be a sudden drop-off, may be just 4 feet deeper water, or may be softer silted mud,
but you don't want to take that step.
"Natural" sloughs will typically have a firmer bottom,
but center-dredged sloughs will be softer mud/silt,
and you may not realize it until you take one step too many!
Normally used for duck decoys, these decoy "sleds" also work great for dragging out deer across muddy ground and slash water.
But like Hawk pointed out, beware of those cypress knees. They can really trip you up.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/hunting/ ... s?slotId=1
Mike Belt":b2gdbq2i said:
Beware trying to walk across a center-dredged slough,Hawk":b2gdbq2i said:
as there may be a sudden drop-off, may be just 4 feet deeper water, or may be softer silted mud,
but you don't want to take that step.
"Natural" sloughs will typically have a firmer bottom,
but center-dredged sloughs will be softer mud/silt,
and you may not realize it until you take one step too many!
Normally used for duck decoys, these decoy "sleds" also work great for dragging out deer across muddy ground and slash water.
But like Hawk pointed out, beware of those cypress knees. They can really trip you up.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/hunting/ ... s?slotId=1
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
The problem I had with avoiding anything while walking is that you couldn't see for the swamp grass. The deer had runs through it that looked like beaver runs. Sign out the ying yang. My first trip in was a scouting foray. Remember never go to the woods without carrying your rifle? I didn't know what I'd be facing wading through there so I didn't. I walked up on a 150 class buck with 8 does and they never knew I was in the world. I stood there watching them from 75 feet away and could have killed him 100 times.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
I've hunted in swamps quite a bit, but I've always drawn the line on going into the stuff that's so flooded that you can't cross without risking swimming. I've crossed logs and beaver dams a few times, and I've gotten closer than I'd like to getting hypothermia a couple of times...
All that said, I'd say that (especially on public land), swamps are probably the best opportunity for a person of limited means to get themselves into superior deer hunting situations, since they keep lots of folks out. The last 2 clubs I was on both had swamp areas, and they were the only places I could be 99% sure of not seeing another person.
The hunting sled suggestion is a good one, although most of them may not hold an entire large buck inside without potentially swamping (but 100lbs is do-able, for sure). The problem USUALLY is getting the hunter out, not the deer
I have a sled for duck hunting, and it's fantastic when dealing with everything except cypress knees (or other uneven surfaces that you can't slide over).
If you have a reliable water channel to access, an inflatable raft might be an option for a creative hunter, but I've personally never been brave enough to stake my ability to get out of the woods on something that requires inflation (and no punctures) to get out. Another option, if you have an easier walk to water access points, is getting a lightweight kayak or canoe with one of those wheel attachments to roll it to the water. I've had an opportunity to use one of those in a couple spots, but most of the time getting TO the water is half of the problem.
My best spot ever was about 300 yards of woods and blowdowns to get to a big deep slough, with great hunting on the other side (food trees, travel funnel, and the only clearings on the property where you could see more than 30-40 yards. In that spot, I basically just hunted it until the heavier rains came, which could be early or late in the season. Once I couldn't get into the spot by walking in, I quit going. The deer were still on the other side, I just didn't have a good/safe way of getting to them.
Be creative, but be safe. Please try to avoid getting tunnel vision and doing something crazy just to get across a body of water. If you try something more "aggressive", then have a fail-safe plan, such as a rope and some emergency flotation on a rope so you can get back across.
All that said, I'd say that (especially on public land), swamps are probably the best opportunity for a person of limited means to get themselves into superior deer hunting situations, since they keep lots of folks out. The last 2 clubs I was on both had swamp areas, and they were the only places I could be 99% sure of not seeing another person.
The hunting sled suggestion is a good one, although most of them may not hold an entire large buck inside without potentially swamping (but 100lbs is do-able, for sure). The problem USUALLY is getting the hunter out, not the deer
I have a sled for duck hunting, and it's fantastic when dealing with everything except cypress knees (or other uneven surfaces that you can't slide over).If you have a reliable water channel to access, an inflatable raft might be an option for a creative hunter, but I've personally never been brave enough to stake my ability to get out of the woods on something that requires inflation (and no punctures) to get out. Another option, if you have an easier walk to water access points, is getting a lightweight kayak or canoe with one of those wheel attachments to roll it to the water. I've had an opportunity to use one of those in a couple spots, but most of the time getting TO the water is half of the problem.
My best spot ever was about 300 yards of woods and blowdowns to get to a big deep slough, with great hunting on the other side (food trees, travel funnel, and the only clearings on the property where you could see more than 30-40 yards. In that spot, I basically just hunted it until the heavier rains came, which could be early or late in the season. Once I couldn't get into the spot by walking in, I quit going. The deer were still on the other side, I just didn't have a good/safe way of getting to them.
Be creative, but be safe. Please try to avoid getting tunnel vision and doing something crazy just to get across a body of water. If you try something more "aggressive", then have a fail-safe plan, such as a rope and some emergency flotation on a rope so you can get back across.
