I have been scouting quite a bit, and focusing on marshes seeing how I'm in a pressured area in MI. So I have been locating bedding areas and trying to focus on what I believe to be the exit trails, but I keep noticing these very heavy beaten down trails that just go straight across the marshes from one patch of woods to the next. They don't seem to be in relation to the beds, but just literally one straight highway across.
Now of course other more faint trails from the bedding intersect and criss cross over and throughout these straight runs, but I'm just wondering what these runs are used for. Are they likely used by deer from other bedding areas just cutting straight through to get from point A to B during the night, or would the deer from that bedding area navigate to them and use them for an exit too?
Should I pay attention to these straight highway like trails cutting across from one land mass to the next, or just focus on following the exit trails from the actual beds?
Anyone else see this alot in the marshes? I'm talking cattails in this instance, and not huge marshes either, fairly small to mid size ones I'm noticing this.
Deer trails in the marsh...
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- Dewey
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
Deer trails in cattails connecting islands are very common and can be easily seen on aerials. They basically island hop to access feeding areas, secure bedding or even to avoid hunting pressure. Deer have been using the same trails for 30 years where I hunt and they really don’t change much except when there is very high water. The maze of trails in cattails goes on for miles and miles but every trail has a reason for why deer use them. One of my favorite things to do is follow them on ice in the winter and get a good feel for where they go and figure out why deer are using them.
I would focus more on the faint trails coming from bedding. Usually they real beaten down trails won’t be reached till well after dark not to mention also dealing with other hunters possibly using the heavy island connecting trails for access. I see that a lot where people use them just as much as deer just because they’re a direct shortest distance between islands.
I would focus more on the faint trails coming from bedding. Usually they real beaten down trails won’t be reached till well after dark not to mention also dealing with other hunters possibly using the heavy island connecting trails for access. I see that a lot where people use them just as much as deer just because they’re a direct shortest distance between islands.
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
Just speaking from my experience, it’s really tough to actually know unless you throw a few sits at it. That’s why one early season, one rut and one late season sit can be so beneficial. You can get a better idea of how they are using these trails as the season changes without burning the area out.
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
This must be exactly what you’re talking about? I found this highway connecting two points last weekend
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
Thanks for the replies guys, that helps out. I'll put my focus on what the exit trails do from the actual beds. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something here, and when I started seeing it over and over again I figured I would ask around. Not to say that some of the bedding exit trails aren't beat down looking, its just these other ones are realllly trampled down.
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
I’ve also seen where trails that showed on aerials actually turned out to be beaver trails. Infrequent perhaps, but a big ol rodent lays down a pretty well-defined trail
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
Most likely winter trails showing a bed to feed pattern. I see it all the time. By summer there’s not a track on them. You’re on the right track though....stay focused on the beds and work your way out from there.
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
I didn’t find much at all for buck sign around these heavy trails. All the buck sign was in the red brush.
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Re: Deer trails in the marsh...
I killed a buck in similar situation to what you describe. Set out to hunt the end of a oak point that extended into a mixed swamp/marsh from the east. Had found what I thought was a staging area spring scouting about 100 yards into the swamp. On the way in there was very little feeding sign on the point and a treestand situated at the tip. Followed the faint trail off the end of the point in a westerly direction. Very little fresh rubs in the staging area, likely from pressure. Pushed about 100 more yards in to the west and hit a heavy trail that ran basically N S and is evident from aerial. Just beyond it about 40-50 yrds was an island a couple feet higher than surrounding swamp that had evidence of beds when scouting. Fresh rubs in this area so I backed up a couple yards and set up. Just before dark, a buck came off the island headed east toward me and then angled to the north to hit that trail when I put an arrow in him. I think he was using the heavy trail to keep his same bedding but exit the swamp away from the pressure. He would not have made in to dry ground until 30min to an hour after dark. This was mid October. Dan has described this in one of his DVDs or vids. Also the trails on the interior seem to connect bedding areas so I believe they are also safe cruising for the pre-rut/rut. My situation is probably also good for rut bedding because a buck could bed there and hear or smell does moving down this trail. Time and a camera in there will tell for sure. I would definitely not discount them as a possible setup
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