Hunting big bucks on marsh islands

Join the Big buck serial killer as he scouts a marsh island for his next victim. Get inside Dan's head as he explains island bedding, wind, thermals, and exactly where to set up.

[@deepsouthaddictions1204]

Shocked you don't have more followers... The most informative deer hunting content on the internet with no BS. Keep up the good work Dan, always enjoy the videos

[@jalton9416]

Dan, you are a very good teacher. The Hunting Beast is my favorite channel.

[@johnnycardenas3508]

The 1st oak tree, a cool tip I took from the workshop I went to. Cool to hear it again in a video that was posted 5 years ago

[@robgrubb420]

DAN INFAULT IS THE BEST WOOOO HOO keep them coming. I love this episode big buck serial killer!

[@nickwilliams7173]

Your info and videos has put me on more bucks and just better deer ..cant thank you enough

[@rustyorgeron1639]

Best information I’ve seen yet!! Great videos 👍🏻👍🏻

[@earlyretirement1]

love your channel. Thanks for all the advice you have given. I have watched most of your vids. Trying to learn how to hunt the "big woods", going to try your advice next year. It sounds like you have a ton of spots, but just to warn you with onx maps it was pretty easy to find the exact spot you are talking about. Maybe not easy.. but I did a ton of cyber scouting in those -60 degree wind chill days. No I am never hunting your spots... 2 hours is 2 far to drive. good luck

[@mahirabdul-hakim5904]

great info, definitely needed for the north east ,new to bow hunting and info like this is BIG!

[@jonathantrekallover9369]

Thanks for this useful and practical information

[@kevinflaherty7592]

If I had you as a teacher in highschool I'd be a valedictorian of my class

[@joelkrystof5877]

Amen brother swim , fly , jump or float whatever it takes to get in a kill position for the big boys

[@mossyhornhunter7022]

I heard your name come up on a episode of Midwest whitetail. the episode was called the buck nest.

[@stefanosoderi4152]

I have that same setup but there’s pressure from both sides of the swamp from other hunters, the deer run is right down from the tip of the peninsula into the cattails , im wondering if a big buck would walk through the middle of those cattails in daylight ! That’s my concern

[@bowhuntingfiend7098]

Good information as always Dan. I've slowly started closing the distance and now most of my marsh set ups are within 60-70yd max as anything further and it's dark when they come through.

[@Toneytwotimes]

I know this is 6yrs old but do you just set up in the afternoon or do you sit all day long?

[@mknight6556]

​@@Toneytwotimes big bucks tend to j-hook the downwind side of their bedding area to smell any danger before returning so it can be tougher to put a morning hunt on them. So the nearest downwind transition from his bedding area would be good place to set up. Nothing is a given though , thats why you just gotta get out there and send it. I think most the experienced whitetail gurus kinda wait on the mornings until later october and during the rut. They return to their bedding areas before sunrise a lot of times in the early season. You kinda have one crack at these mature bucks until the game gets a whole lot harder. Thats why its best to keep moving and not get fixated on one area

[@Toneytwotimes]

@@mknight6556 I hear ya. Went out a few times and seen a couple spikes, 6 doe, and 2 nice 8s. What’s weird is they came to the rattling and the wind was blowing towards me so they couldn’t smell me. Didn’t get a shot opportunity but cool to see. I took a shot at a spike and misjudged the yardage, shot for 20yds and it was like 30… went right underneath it

[@mknight6556]

@@Toneytwotimes bowhunting is tough. Easy to misjudge yardage. Sounds like a fun hunt though, it's always cool when something comes into your calling. Stay after it and you'll put down a biggen!

[@Toneytwotimes]

@ it’ll happen eventually man. Went this morning had a big doe sniffin around. Meanwhile a FLOCK of turkeys stroll through, if only it was like 2 weeks ago I’d have a Turkey down lol. I only use my bow regardless of season, it’s just more fun to me

[@markheidema3699]

"We don't like free rides". Love it!

[@garrettpope9693]

liked the video very informational doing more of this kind of hunting

[@FRDMANN27]

You have changed the way I hunt and play the wind and it has put more meat in the freezer thank you! where can I buy hunting beast merch like the shirt you're wearing I can't seem to find it.

[@kevinflaherty7592]

You mentioned setting up a tree and hunting it the following season.do you leave a tree stand and steps on the tree and leave them there waiting for next season?

[@thehuntingbeast]

No, stand goes in mobile on my back usually

[@kevinflaherty7592]

Ok so you do you leave the tree steps on the tree that you're going to hunt,this cutting down on making any noise climbing up the tree to hunt?

[@tonycaine5930]

Normally how far away are the bucks bedded from their rubs ? And does the direction of the rubs tell which directions they are coming from and going from?

[@jeffreyhunholz1259]

Dan! Love your videos. GREAT how your explaining and teaching literally the whole time! Have ur marsh bucks vid and love it. So heres my question, can or should i treat crp field islands the same as marsh islands?

[@thehuntingbeast]

Yes. The major difference being without water crp is not as protective as cattails. So expect bedding to be more on the island than out from it, and expect more consistent bedding to the down wind side of the island. If the downwind side has great bedding cover and low pressure there is a good bet its getting used regularly. Watch your approach and set up. A lot of the time in CRP and unlike marsh, they can see you from there beds.

[@dustinhoffman9843]

Thanks for explaining the CRP bedding Dan cuz I've been trying to pin down a lot of those particular beds where I hunt in Arkansas. There's a ton of really diverse CRP around wood lots here, and that's where I'm finding my older bucks

[@B_r_u_c_e]

Thanks for the lesson. How'd the hunt turn out?

[@thehuntingbeast]

no shooters

[@Shiloh3498]

Thank you!

[@turnstyles7485]

I love it!

[@Im.hurtnLinda]

this is a killer setup

[@tfrost33elkhunter]

What about this scenario late season after gun season? They still gonna bed out there?

[@thehuntingbeast]

Sometimes... But once the cold and snow hit this area we see the deer group up and bed near food sources. So depends on food, snow and ice... I have taken big late season bucks off similar islands though...

[@tfrost33elkhunter]

@@thehuntingbeast Thank you! I’m gonna give it a go this weekend in MN. This has been a tough season for me, I’m ziggin and they’re zaggin! Headed to a new spot I’m familiar with but never hunted. Looks almost just like this video! Staying positive!!! If anything at least I’ll learn something.

[@mikesutherland7958]

I found all the shed antlers on that island already

[@toddcour2087]

I'm just watching this video as early season has started. What would you recommend with regards to scouting and choosing some spots like in your video for hunting now? Would this scare off monsters with the activity and smell (assuming no one else has been in the area)? Thank you!

[@thehuntingbeast]

Go in quiet the day you intend to scout, and don't scout past where you hunt. In other words don't get scent on the ground beyond where you can shoot to. I go into a lot of these types of spots blind. I just study the wind and a map and then sneak in quiet and set up. Its a pretty lethal way to catch them totally off guard.

[@SSMan-jo6tf]

I wonder,do islands in rivers hold the same possibility. I found a 5acre island that you need a boat to access. River is calm and the riverbed is soot. I’m gonna check it out

[@thehuntingbeast]

Yes, nut b oat traffic can hamper it.

[@SSMan-jo6tf]

@@thehuntingbeast no boat traffic in this area,water is too shallow for anything other than a kayak. Wadeable if not for the soft bottom

[@boundlessobsession6266]

Dan,how long does it usually take to cover lets say 100 yards on a stealth mode entrance to a set up like this so you can get on stand with time for settling down of the area? How do you cut the sucking and sloshing noises made while walking through a swampy area like this? How long in advance do you try to set stands in areas like this considering state and county rules regarding how long your stands may stay up? also how do you protect your stands from the inevitable low life stand thief? Thanks for sharing all this valuable info I for one greatly appreciate your time and energy.

[@thehuntingbeast]

About 20 or 30 minutes for the last 100... In the cats I try to step on top of cattail roots to the sides of the trail by pushing the plant over with my foot stepping on top of the base. If you step in the middle of the trail you will sink do to deer hooves cutting thru. Where I have to go thru sucking mud I try to angle my step to slide in and out rather than strait out with the flat boot bottom making the sucking. If I do make a loud noise, I stop for a bit and let it settle. The good thing is even though it sounds loud to you, the noise don't penetrate cattails as much as you would think. I try to be super stealthy panning every step, but I have gotten away with a lot.

[@Killemquietly]

great tip about the first oak tree. I assume he will only when the acorns are there will he or will he be there year round?

[@thehuntingbeast]

Last year there were no acorns back there and there were a lot of rubs in the bedding... Yes, they bed there without acorns, but when the acorns are there its real reliable.

[@thepubliclandnomad3365]

So when would you hunt this setup? Evening or morning? This seems like the ultimate aggressive tactic your 50 yards or less from the bedded buck... How could you sneak back there when hes bedded? Seems like maybe your gonna sneak in when hes not there around 345-4am and hopefully beat him back to bed. But a buck bedded back there is probably making his way back there around the same time I would guess. Maybe not. Would love to see you hunt that spot! But I have a spot that is %95 percent the same except it dosent talor down to that point is just round. Its about 60 yards x 70 yards and the satilite picture is only showing one way in one way out. Gonna scout it but im pretty sure its a one way island.

[@thehuntingbeast]

I hunted that spot in the evenings... Most of these areas I like to attack in the evening, and I have killed a lot of big bucks doing so. Its easier to get close than you would think.

[@ZombieOnaStick21]

So the satellite beds will be other places he'll bed? So how do you guess when he'll be using one over the main point bed or other satellite beds? Will he bed in a different location when the wind is different?

[@mitch9221]

He'll probably only bed there when the wind is coming that direction through the island.

[@thehuntingbeast]

Satellite bedding is where lesser bucks bed when the main bed is occupied. They might bed there on a different wind, but the wind blowing down the island is the preferred wind. On this island there is a worn down south wind bed on the opposite side.

[@crustyhunts7556]

very similar set up where I am. What if suspected bedding was on the right side of the marsh, how close should I be without getting to close? Or howd you set up for that one?

[@thehuntingbeast]

I would look at it close and determine an off wind to hunt it on and an access wrought to get there. Sometimes you have circle way around not to get winded, or we have even kayaked in to hunt.

[@mossyhornhunter7022]

your going to help my hunting this year i can see . how about some more bear videos or podcasts? thanks .

[@thehuntingbeast]

I will try... Real busy on my end.

[@mossyhornhunter7022]

The Hunting Beast - Extreme Whitetail Tactics we all appreciate real hunting tips that's why we subscribe . i hunt some heavy pressured lands in michigan and can really use the help . thanks again for taking time to post this stuff.

[@RobKingRC]

I'm nuts like you.. 😂🎯

[@derekblack1252]

What if primary big buck bedding is on private?

[@thehuntingbeast]

Not sure what your asking...

[@derekblack1252]

@@thehuntingbeast i hunt public in MO and I've found a good spot far from parking but can't access buck bedding because it's on a quarry private land. I'm now seeing booner size bucks on the north public line that bed in the tall grass and cedar thickets north of the public line. Most guys won't walk that far to hunt or drag out deer but this area down the ridge from this quarry is really producing quality racks. I just can't get as close to their beds as you recommend. Thx for your vids and Joe's too.

[@ithinkimbackjw]

How do you get across the swamp without spooking every deer with'n 3 miles?

[@thehuntingbeast]

slowly

[@badbrad936]

Dan love your videos, new subscriber here.. I notice on a lot of your hunts/scouting trips you actually get IN the bucks bed. Just curious if that has any effect on the deers daily pattern. I would think when he returned to bed and smelled human scent he would abandon that bed? Have you noticed any negative effects after doing this?

[@thehuntingbeast]

Sure it has an effect. But you need to consider that Im looking at these beds in spring. In a lot of cases deer are not even in the area that time frame, like in this marsh, they winter in a different area, and won't be back till summer. Also. There is no place where hunters don't occasionally get, or coyotes. I certainly wouldn't recommend hanging out in the beds. But a peek in spring to see whats going on and get some intell, helps more than it hurts.

[@badbrad936]

Gotcha, makes perfect sense.. I really like this style of hunting. We hunt mainly public land here in Texas and plan to apply these tactics in the coming years. Thanks for sharing your insight and knowledge, looking forward to seeing more.

[@chrisdolan9515]

Why not ground hunt this spot? Poor cover for an elevated stand.

[@thehuntingbeast]

I do so much better elevated. My success per encounter drops significantly when I ground hunt, so I hunt trees whenever I can.

[@ML-ks2lj]

Because being at eye level to a mature buck is almost a garunteed bust. Theyre eyes are always focused on a parallel panoramic view essentially to the ground and theyre oerephrial vision is blurred so if yiu can get anove that plane its harder for them to see you unless your moving

[@TLane]

Do you find that deer bed off of points like that even when a swamp is not in play? Thanks!

[@thehuntingbeast]

Yes

[@jeremiahjohnson6971]

Sounds like a horrible idea with north northwest wind

[@jonathantrekallover9369]

Thanks for this useful and practical information