Germ

Sometimes you have to make a funnel. I hunt river bottom and it is pretty open also. Sometimes a down tree can help. I use them to guide the deer in my direction. Spot where I have shot some bucks the deer have to walk around the downtree. With the river behind me I have created a nice funnelwhere I did not have one before.

Rick James

Yes, you can't really see it well but there are actually 2x areas of the swamp. The "upper swamp" is what you see on that topo, and then just south of the stream that you see coming out of it on the topo is another stream that appears, that flat section north of the second stream, east of the roadis the "lower swamp". The lower swamp is used as bedding cover all year by does and small bucks that hammer those food plots and the upper swamp is typically used by bigger bucks as cover when the pressure is on. That mature hemlock stand north and northeast of the "upper swamp" is actually public property and when it is hit hard LOTS of big bucks go into that swamp. Dan's dad went 3 for 3 on mature bucks there about 10 years ago during rifle season including a 138" 11 point.

The big buck I sent you pics of dead was found in the stream coming south out of the "upper swamp" about 100 yards in from the road. They have certain crossings on that stream they use to cruise by the lower swamp, but the big boys don't hang out in the lower swamp.........just cruise by it seems.

Rick James

We can do that. Dan's (APAJaws) dad is planning on new siding and porch for the camp and wehave been dropping hemlocks this summer to mill the siding from. Maybe we can drop some of those hemlocks and use the tops and limbs to make a funnel. This is what we have been doing in the foodplots, lining the sides of the foodplots with tree tops to make them come in where we want them to.......

Rick James

Would you guys hunt the food sources during early season? What would be the game plan early season?

Germ

One more thing RJ in MI our swamps will have some high ground in the middle of them. It really hard to get to, but if there is some high ground with some white oak trees it can be lights out(as long as there acorns) Those mature deer will feed there until dark then head out to the edges at night fall(your food plots). The trick is getting there undected, because he is within 150 yds of it

Rick James

Good call, I have only been around the edges of the swamp in there because it is soooooooo wet in there. I have hit spots that went over the top of my alpha burlys. Looks like I am gonna get wet next trip down there to see whats in the middle. Great advice.......keep it coming.

I am going to share this with APAJaws, I have been trying to get him on here more because he really is a heck of a hunter......I think he would love to see what you guys are commenting on.

buckeye

I choose to not hunt over any fields myself as I feel I am missing all the action back in the timber...... For a food source I would want to find some oaks within one or two hundred yards of bedding cover. This produces morning and evening.

Although if you do like to hunt over the plots, I would say yes, but only in the evenings.

Rick James

Gotcha. Also as an FYI, these plots with the exception of the one that is furthest southeast are all 1/4-1/2 acre plots landlocked in woods. We don't hunt the plots in the mornings either but do hunt them early season in the evenings. My favorite early season morning stand is the one furthest south just off that corner of the planted pines. They pop in and out of those pines all day long feeding on the oaks that are between the pines and the field.

Germ

RJ this is what I would call an Inside Edge where two different enity of the woods meets. The pines and the Oaks another good early season spot IMO.

I love hunting those "inside edges" in the woods. Like Buckeye I do not hunt field edges anymore.

jsasker

If i were hunting there i think the third red dot from the left is where i would hunt,assuming your winds are mainly moving from north to south.