Help understanding this setup/terrain?

[Thomasj1107]

So I went in and hunted this spot for the first time tonight. It’s public along a creek/swamp and north of it has those two 3-4 year old cutovers. Where I was sitting at the red X was an oak bottom, and the yellow stuff is all cattails/marsh. I came in from the East because that is the only place I could come in, and the wind was coming out of the north because I was expecting that they would come down out of these cutovers to feed down by the oaks, but I didn’t see a thing and I don’t understand how to best go about hunting it

[Mossberg90MN]

Here’s what I do in a situation like this.

1) I find we’re most of the runways from the cut overs intersect in 1 or 2 spots.

2) I also. More importantly try to find fresh dropping along the trail. If I can find some fresh droppings in one of the runways then that gives you a good starting point.

Sometimes there not there, or they decided to hold up until night. If I don’t find fresh sign then I wouldn’t really spend time on it.

[Mossberg90MN]

Try your plan in reverse. They may be in the cat tails and the head over to the cut overs for food.

[Thomasj1107]

Here’s what I do in a situation like this.

1) I find we’re most of the runways from the cut overs intersect in 1 or 2 spots.

2) I also. More importantly try to find fresh dropping along the trail. If I can find some fresh droppings in one of the runways then that gives you a good starting point.

Sometimes there not there, or they decided to hold up until night. If I don’t find fresh sign then I wouldn’t really spend time on it.

Runways from the cutovers?

[Mossberg90MN]

Yea, I would look for deer trails leaving the cut over and see where they all kinda come together in 1 spot.

It looks like where you were at was probably somewhat close to where those trail converge. I would try to find that spot.

[Coalcracker]

Hard to see the terrain in that picture but one thing I do see is a body of water. I'd use that water to my advantage. I know its not in that classic looking funnel of timber your hunting but mature bucks could be using that waters edge for safety to cruise with the wind in their face or quartering. Crossing the main travel trails and downwind of doe bedding. Set up so your scent is blowing in to the water.

Biggest challenge looks like access. Getting in there with the right wind direction without blowing things out. With the East entry, I would wait for a solid West wind but all of that is relative to knowing where the deer prefer to bed or where they would be feeding when you make entry.

Don't think you could go wrong hunting edges either. You have multiple habitat edges in that area and several locations where (3) come together.

[Thomasj1107]

That is essentially what I did, hunt a north/northwest wind. Problem is I don’t know if they are coming out of these cattails or out of the cutovers. Do does bed in the cattails as well?

[CattailCommander]

Do does bed in the cattails as well?

Yes they do.

[MichiganMike]

Did you scout for fresh sign or more importantly, hunter sign before setting up? Hunter pressure could of made them abandon the area, or go nocturnal and hold up in there until after dark. I've noticed that in my area with similar terrain.

I would try it in the morning though and see what happens. Stay close to the marsh when you access and when you set up. but if there isn't fresh sign or a well defined runway with fresh tracks, its a crap shoot. good thing with hunting the morning is you can always scout afterwards. if there is no fresh sign- I would move to another area.

[Thomasj1107]

Did you scout for fresh sign or more importantly, hunter sign before setting up? Hunter pressure could of made them abandon the area, or go nocturnal and hold up in there until after dark. I've noticed that in my area with similar terrain.

I would try it in the morning though and see what happens. Stay close to the marsh when you access and when you set up. but if there isn't fresh sign or a well defined runway with fresh tracks, its a crap shoot. good thing with hunting the morning is you can always scout afterwards. if there is no fresh sign- I would move to another area.

So I sat the morning with wind coming straight from the north. Saw one spike at sunrise going from one cutover to the other, then the wind picked up something fierce and I didn’t see anything else. Scouted after and saw tons of tracks coming from every which way, some assorted scrapes and rubs, but they are all along the trail/transition BETWEEN the cattails and cutover, so idk if this is all night activity, idk how to hunt this when I can only access from the one way

[Rich M]

You spend some time figuring it out and you'll have a spot for next year. You get one or two or three hunts with one access. Pick your times wisely and won;t need another hunt.

That's why these guys have so many spots for diff winds, diff times of the year, etc.