Do deer like swamps?

Sometimes deer will spend a lot of time right in and near the water in a cool swamp. They like to bed in cattails. Water is at hand any time they need it, and they can move to a small island or hummock to lie in a dry area if they want to.

Are swamps good for deer hunting?

"Mature bucks barely ever left the swamps until the cover of darkness," the authors of the study said in a National Deer Association review. This is (as you might assume) because swamps are great for hiding from hunters. "Bucks that used wetlands and swamps survived, and those that didn't died.

Do deer like marsh areas?

Jarrod Erdody relied on post-season scouting to pattern this Midwestern marsh buck. "People don't realize that huge bucks live in public marshes because the deer are often so nocturnal you'll never see them unless you hunt in staging areas just off their bedding areas," Erdody said.

Will deer bed in swamps?

Sometimes deer will spend a lot of time right in and near the water in a cool swamp. They like to bed in cattails. Water is at hand any time they need it, and they can move to a small island or hummock to lie in a dry area if they want to. Trails will develop in these areas over time.

Do Whitetails like swamps?

Whitetails aren't amphibious, so in order for them to use a swamp there needs to be some high ground. Oak islands are a favorite hotspot of mine to locate big bucks because they will use these areas for both bedding and feeding, often staying put for days without leaving these sanctuaries during daylight hours.

Deer Hunting QOW: How Do I Deer Hunt In Swamps?

What do deer eat in a swamp?

Diet and Nutrition

Marsh deer are herbivores and a majority of their diet consists of aquatic plants. They also enjoy eating aquatic flowers and shrubs that grow in the swamps and the floating mats. Their diet also changes between the dry season and the flood season.

Do deer live in wetlands?

Deer are found in many different ecosystems. They live in wetlands, deciduous forests, grasslands, rain forests, arid scrublands and mountains.

Do deer like thick woods?

Usually dominated by large pine trees and a lot of brush, thickets are evergreen, giving you a lot of protection and coverage to blend in easily. Deer love the thickets of the woods due to the fact that it is abundant in the vegetation they generally eat (berries, pine needles, leaves, etc.)

Where do big whitetail bucks hide?

Look for thickets, steep hillsides, deep draws, little swamps—out-of-the way spots where old boys might hide. The key to hunting one of these places is hidden, quiet access with a favorable wind, so you won't blow out the bucks.

Will a deer bed in water?

Recent studies show that many deer — especially mature bucks — often bed close to water. Of the largest buck beds I've discovered in heavy cover, the vast majority of them have been located within 75 yards of a water source, even if it was a very small source.

Will deer walk through water?

Yes they will. I see them walk thru the frozen river and thin ice all the time on a property i hunt late season.

What do deer eat in Louisiana swamps?

There are food plots throughout this habitat, as well as winter wheat on the ag lands, but notice the low use of the winter grass and clover. The excellent crop of acorns and an abundance of rubus provided the deer with most of the food they were eating.

Can deer see black color?

Due to the lack of cones in the eyes of deer, they are unable to see colors on the red wavelengths of light. Deer also cannot see the color black, or any other dark color for the matter. Blaze orange also is not detected by a deer's eye. They instead see the color orange as shades of gray.

How do you attract bucks after rut?

Hunting Feeding Areas

A post rut buck will be focused on high calorie food (e.g., corn, turnips, etc.) to build their body weight back up, so you often see an uptick of daytime buck activity in food plots or any remaining crop fields, especially where the hunting pressure drops off again.

What is a deer's habitat?

White-tailed deer are highly adaptable species and thrive in a variety of habitats. The areas that provide the most suitable environment include a mixture of hardwoods, croplands, brushlands and pasturelands. They prefer an interspersed habitat including meadows, forested woodlots, brushy areas and croplands.

Do deers live near water?

Deer thrive in any environment with plentiful food, water, and shelter. They can feed on virtually any plant life, but they prefer grasses and soft leaves. Likewise, they'll live near any water source, but they prefer running water like streams and rivers.

What do deer love to eat the most?

Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass. Although these are the main foods deer like to eat, the quantity of these different foods differ throughout the year and the region you are hunting.

What is a deer's biggest predator?

Predators. Humans are the white-tailed deer's only major predator. Bobcats, wolves and coyotes used to be major predators but populations of these carnivores have fallen significantly.

What kind of trees do deer like?

Deer love acorns, especially from white oaks, beech, chestnut and hickory. Soft mast from persimmon, crabapple, honey locusts, sumacs as well as domestic apple and pear trees will also attract deer. Learn more about managing mast to attract deer and other wildlife from this article in Tree Farmer magazine.

Where do big bucks go during the day?

However, it is much more common to see a big deer on its feet in daylight feeding in a staging area. These can be small food plots, pockets of dropped acorns, etc. Find these locations between bedding areas and major food sources. That's the best way to kill a mature buck while it's eating.

How do you attract big bucks?

Where do bucks bed down?

A southwest-facing slope provides two key elements a buck will look for in a bedding area: headwind and sunshine. This allows them to smell danger long before they see it and seek out a little warmth in the colder months. Mature bucks will typically lay down with a thick stand of trees at their backs.