Hunting Swamp Islands; Strategy

Swamp Island deer hunting strategy video. I discuss the two main swamp island applications; 1) food source-related application and 2) big woods/lower quality food application. I discuss strategy and detail of what to look for when scouting these swamp islands. And the big bucks love them!

[@northernforestwhitetail]

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[@tommcmann8292]

Guys, please be careful. I went into a marshy area by myself a couple years ago. I took a step and went down to my thigh. The cold, wet muck swamped my knee high boots. I couldn’t pull my leg out. I was stuck. Late in the day, I managed to get a single text out as my phone died (always carry a portable cell charger). It took over an hour for someone to find me. Hypothermia could have set it. Tell others where you are. Go with others. Be careful out there.

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Yikes- glad you made it ok

[@robgrubb420]

yep the farmer said the cows used to go out there and get stuck and die...glad you didn't.

[@Bonaventure_Amplo]

I sank to my waist in the swamp. Reality check for sure.

[@marissafortunato7557]

Done this also... scary...I never want it to happen again😂

[@mikehoont9025]

Sounds just like Dan Infalt, nearly word for word

[@mikehoont9025]

Sounds like Dan Infalt, almost word for word

[@mainenorthwoodshunter3265]

Sounds like great minds think alike. My brother and I have been searching for swamp islands this year as well. We have found a few and are trying to key in on stand setups for them. I am a disabled hunter with my own youtube channel here in Maine. I will not be able to get as close to these swamps as my brother can due to my disability, but I will watch some of the back trails leading into these swamps. I wish you the best of luck this season. Can't wait to see how it goes for you. Maine North Woods Hunter (Shane)

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Thanks Shane. I am going to go check out your channel here.

[@mainenorthwoodshunter3265]

@@northernforestwhitetail thank you so much for checking out my channel.

[@northernforestwhitetail]

@@mainenorthwoodshunter3265 just subscribed 👍

[@mainenorthwoodshunter3265]

@@northernforestwhitetail Thank you. Good luck this season.

[@robgrubb420]

farmer said the cows used to get stuck in that mud and die out there, makes it tough if you need waders and you are trying to get out there in the dark. you should show a video how its done.

[@Araes10]

Very well done. I can definitely relate to where I hunt northern Wisconsin

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Hey I appreciate it. Swamp islands can be absolute gold if you find the right one. Thanks for sharing!

[@soundsnags2001]

Thinking about getting some land with swampyness in Northern WI. Is it dead acreage or does it actually bring in the good wild game?

[@rynoviking]

This is really helpful. I'm a relatively new hunter and I've been trying to find deer on Carlos Avery with very little luck. Now I just need to find some hip boots haha

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Good luck!

[@din75cschmoo]

Great ya score on a big buck ! Now ya gotta get it out 😬😬

[@northernforestwhitetail]

No kidding

[@normankaster917]

Yep if your state allows it....I pack them out... It's not bad to break down a buck in 20 mins and put it into game bags to keep the swamp water out of the meat/ chest cavity vs. dragging him out and your not killing yourself even with buddy's helping 3 miles back I can get a big deer out by my self in 2 trips.

[@majohnson73]

New sub here. great videos! I've been hunting 30 miles NE of Duluth since the late 1970's. It may not be the easiest place but i wouldnt change it for the world. We're REAL hunters. No food plots, ag land or bait piles. without divulging too much info, what general area are you guys hunting?

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Hey thanks for the sub- I don’t want to give too much away so I just tell folks I’m on the western side of the arrowhead region. Itasca County area

[@Cmtb125]

I’m hunting the Mobile Tensaw River wildlife management areas, this year. Lots of islands! Went and journeyed through one last weekend… there are so many signs. Even saw a dead deer…. Not sure what happened to it. But anyway, these islands are holding a TON of wildlife. Also, not alot of people have access to them! That’s the best part (:

[@northernforestwhitetail]

I love your strategy! Good luck this fall

[@ukjw2]

Do you think the bugs/mosquitos bother the deer ? Especially in early season when hunting pressure is light and it’s 85-95 degrees?. I’m in the south and I’m finding some hot spots in swamps. Seems like they are ignored by the hunters, even when right next to the road.

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Yeah we have bad deer flies and mosquitoes up here. I do think deer seek out areas where they can get away from them when it’s hot. Our bugs all disappear after a couple frosts (late September or early October). But I do think hunting pressure would still drive deer into those secluded swamp islands, even if there are bugs.

[@robgrubb420]

they 100% bother deer they shake their heads, bite their backs, and run around bucking, pretty sure they hate them.

[@hondas2ooo]

U talked about how its good to get clean access and exit but you didnt show an example with a map drawing. I was hoping you would so I can learn how to do that. Can you add that?

[@northernforestwhitetail]

I’ll try to make a video on this in the offseason here

[@kidneystones3406]

It sounds like you are taking a page out Dan infalt play book

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Yeah those guys have similar styles. The difference I’m trying to illustrate in my videos though is to incorporate the food source/doe zone into the equation. To me, there are some fantastic swamp islands, then there are some that are just ok.

[@rainsong7327]

Very cool channel. I hunt a very big swamp Upstate NY. The swamp is like maybe on average a foot deep with thousands of islands. It freezes up every winter. Will the deer walk on ice to get to there bedding areas and food source or just leave the swamp during the ice? Thank you

[@northernforestwhitetail]

In my area our winters get tough for the deer- deep snow drives them out of these open stick swamps or even tamarack swamps. They get driven into cedar swamps or dense closed canopy conifer stands. When they have white cedar swamps available, that’s what they prefer- even in frozen conditions. I think for your sake, even during the deer season, if the swamps are too wet, meaning they are struggling to break ice and struggling to even get thru them, they will avoid it. However if they are able to get thru the swamp without too much trouble, they don’t mind a little water

[@rainsong7327]

@@northernforestwhitetail makes sence thanks , I hunt Savannah by the way. Hunting the last week November hopefully no ice

[@lorenlubach2263]

Do you set up a tree stand and leave it for the hunting season or set up and take down every time you hunt?

[@northernforestwhitetail]

On most of my public land areas, it’s legal to leave the stand out for the season so that’s what I do.

[@lorenlubach2263]

@@northernforestwhitetail Thanks

[@northernforestwhitetail]

@@lorenlubach2263 yeah that’s a big deal to me. Makes it so much easier when you access a difficult area to have the stand already setup

[@lorenlubach2263]

@@northernforestwhitetail Right, way easier and quiet. The reason I asked, I’ve heard other guy’s mention if a buck sees a stand that close to his bedding area he’ll leave. I don’t have enough experience hunting matures bucks to know if that is the case

[@northernforestwhitetail]

@@lorenlubach2263 interesting topic there. Where I hunt in Northern MN I haven’t seen that be a problem. I’ve shot several mature bucks (4 yrs or older) out of a stand that sat there all fall. Different parts of the country might be different depending on amount of pressure. I wouldn’t be surprised if in some hard hunted areas like Pennsylvania or Michigan deer are learning to see danger at deer-stand level though. A buddy of mine this year was bow hunting near me and he had a big mature bruiser buck come into a mock scrape. It was about 50 yards away. He grunted soft once and the deer started walking right towards his tree. As it got closer it picked him out of the tree as my buddy tried drawing his bow then bolted. That just shows the difference between a 4+ yr old buck and a 2 yr old or 3 yr old for example. I do believe even in my area those real mature bucks are far more likely to pick you out of a tree. They have had encounters earlier in life of a bow or gun hunter and it shows with how they are able to pick a human out of an elevated tree stand.

[@bobmeyer1854]

Great video. I have some questions if you’d be willing to help

[@northernforestwhitetail]

Of course- shoot them to me on here or email.

[@bobmeyer1854]

@@northernforestwhitetail what’s your email address?