Swamp Vs Timber

[Shoot2Kill]

I was new to MN 3 years ago and am still getting used to seeing all the tripod stands 50 yards from road on the edges of all swamp with not much timber around. What's the deal? With as many of those stands as I see I'm guessing a lot of deer get killed from them. How many of you hunt from a tripod or big permanent stand during gun season out in the middle of a swamp or right on the edge of a swamp? I'm traditionally used to timber and have never hunted these swamps - can anyone talk about thier experiences hunting these types of places? Do you see a lot of deer?

[hhguide]

We have both we have 46 acres that is woods where i grew up hunting for deer. we have a swamp that is 102 acres and thats where the big boys are. you might not see as many deer but the bucks ive seen are of much better quality. I sit in the middle of a swamp with cattails and low lying grass. I think that woods and other parts around our swamp get hunting so hard that they head to the swamps and the hunting gets better the later the season goes. I hunt a permant stand jsut above the willows and try and break my outling as much as possible. You have to really keep your eyes moving around its more sight than sound of the woods. I enjoy it people keep pushing deer in the thick stuff and I'll sit allday and wait for that big one to pop out. Its a pain to get them out though!

[fishinmajishin]

All I can say is red willows and grass. Better eat your wheaties cause that's where you'll find big old heavy deer and it can be a real drag.

[Coach1310]

I think swamps are great places to hunt for a few reasons:

1. It is a lot tougher to walk in a swamp while getting your ankles broken than it is to a walk a 4 wheeler trail in the woods.

2. Your feet get wet a lot less in the woods than the swamp.

3. Not as easy to find a place for a stand(lack of trees make a lot of options impossible)

4. To a lot of people they look to wide open from the ridge above so they dismiss them as places that hold deer, when actually when you get down in them it is often times impossible to see anywhere.

5. Lastly, there aren't any deer in the swamps, especially big bucks

[brassman]

I know what you mean. Where I phesant hunt its like that, The sloughs are thick and hard to get through, sometimes that is the best cover around for deer. I have even seen deer beds in low spots, its jus tenough to conceal them. Now where I hunt it is 100% trees and they go anywhere they want because there is enough cover to. However there is one common spot they do go. The peat bog. never fails.

[mrklean]

Ill be hunting over a few swamps, im in between 2 and there is deer sign like crazy, i hope its works out

[BigWadeS]

I hunt both, I have a swamp down a slight hill in front of one of my stands and you can't walk through the middle of it, however; one of these years I will get the buck('s) that live in there...every year I can hear them grunt and stomp at me as I am rattling and grunting but haven't got them out yet....

[CNCMike]

My permanent stand is right on the edge of a great system... It is at the bottom, NW corner of an oak ridge with a creek bed coming through exactly north to south that leads into the tamarack swamp immediately north of me. To the east is small, 13-15 foot tall poplars leading to an old logging landing that is filled with clover and the like. Due north of my stand is the tag alders into the tamaracks and the entire east side is about a 50' wide oak run that borders both a hay field and a corn field. I am set up right in a low swamp clearing and can see right into the main heavy parts of the swamp. This is the first year I get to hunt this spot. My old stand was up on the oak ridge and I could always see and hear deer down in the swamp but couldn't get a clear shot. This year I am right on top of them.

My step father has always hunted the northern edge of the swamp and has never taken a deer less than 8 point from there so I figure this is my year!

[Shoot2Kill]

Good input, I have the chance to hunt 2 different ones this coming weekend, it's tough to decide which one to head to. I grew up deer hunting in Iowa and am not used to acres and acres of swamp - if I were a big ol buck that's where I'd head...right to the middle of one and hang out and wait out the gun season!

[Meat-Run]

CNCMike,

don't you have some little kids to attend too!? Do as Forsberg does and through a video in and chat online, right!?

he,he

mr

[CNCMike]

Meat,

I do have kids to attend to. Only one is little though. Not sure I follow the rest of your statement...

CNC

[Meat-Run]

cncmike,

I thought you were a mike that I know that teaches up at Crosby. If you're not that person than I apologize, my bad.

mr

[CNCMike]

Not me. No worries though . I prolly know who you are referring too... Gindorf? I grew up here so I'm pretty familiar with the locals...

[Meat-Run]

Not me. No worries though . I prolly know who you are referring too... Gindorf? I grew up here so I'm pretty familiar with the locals...

Yup! He's a pretty funny guy.

Good luck this weekend and be safe.

mr

[CNCMike]

My oldest daughters favorite teacher. She just loves him. Nice guy, for sure. A year or 2 older than I, but i remember him pretty well from school growing up.

[slabchaser]

swamps are great but hard to hunt.