i just use rubber boots or waders....generally a good pair of rubber boots is all you need unless you're in Joyce or some hip boots. Most the swampy stuff i end up in isnt deeper than high shin...its the mud that gets you and im not sure snow shoes would help with that...
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Deep South early season
- Thread starter mschultz373
- Start date
i just use rubber boots or waders....generally a good pair of rubber boots is all you need unless you're in Joyce or some hip boots. Most the swampy stuff i end up in isnt deeper than high shin...its the mud that gets you and im not sure snow shoes would help with that...
I think DIY sportsman used a set of those. I'm not sure if he still does. I usually walk on clumps of that thick marsh grass that grows along the side of a trail. Don't walk in the trail you will sink up. Walk against the side of the trail and try to have a tree or bush within reach. Some spots are a no go.
I watched a video of a cat out in New Iberia that boated in deep into the marsh and had a big-ass free standing stand on a small dry spot. I thought, that’s the way you do it!
Theres guys that hunt Joyce like that...crazy...thats some tough terrain to deer hunt in and hats off to those guys!
I envy my cousin in Indiana who walks off his back deck and can shoot booners and does all day.
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theres a running joke about Joyce that a bunch of bucks are back there dying of old age because its so tough to hunt so if you dont mind being in chest - neck deep swamp 98% of the time, alligators, cotton mouths, and skeeters....you'll shoot a booner
You actually are allowed to shoot deer from a boat as long as the outboard is not in the motorized position - and the deer aren’t swimming. Per the regs.
A pirogue would be a nice addition to the hunting gear arsenal but I’m still such a greenhorn, it’s like having a bunch of nice road bikes when you’re still on a tricycle.
I have the nucanoe frontier 12 which is basically a pirogue on steroids....I have yet to use it hunting and im dying to find a spot with good water access (may have actually found one)
Helllll nah....unfortunately some have...they arent around to tell you how bad it sucked
I would think Joyce and Maurepas open up considerably with a small water craft like that.
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yeah but you still need a boat for the most part to get back where you can then swap over to your pirogue or kayak....ive paddled around parts of Joyce that are in Ruddock trying to find a spot i could make something happen in but its super tricky
Hunting the ACC is the only reason I had a kayak it was boat access only and had very good deer and hogs in it. Was a little weird being in a tree watching vehicles pass on i49.
I hunt the first week of bow season, and then wait till it gets closer to the rut. However, I may hunt a few spots throughout the season just to see what happens. The first week, I hunt in the evenings and if I feel a need to come back and hunt in the morning Ill just leave everything up in the tree. Personally, I find food destinations tough, unless it is a really unique spot. In my experience, you have to let a lot of animals go before that one shows up, not to mention, most of the deer are on high alert when they approach. I also seem to see deer through out the day at remote food locations, and the does etc......... that come in to feed seem to come from a broader area, meaning that I have a greater chance of them crossing my walk-in path. I seem to do better getting between the bedding area the food source. As far as access, I just get wet. I dont worry about waders etc....Early season, I know I will have to deal with alligators, snakes etc...... but it is what it is. If I worried about it down here, I wouldn't ever hunt. Last year I had a rattler coiled up in the month of January at night rattling at me in the dark. Not much I can do. I use a skiff to access property from time to time ( I think I have a photo on here from an outing). Its nice to jet back to the dock when you are done, instead of wading a swamp. Just do whatever it takes to give yourself the best chance.
Did 7 miles around the NWR today. Found several oak stands dropping - red oaks mostly, with some willow wand water oaks mixed in- with no discernible deer sign around them. I know they aren’t the preferred acorn, but they are definitely aplenty. I wondered if it’s still so hot and dry that the tracks and movement aren’t preserved well, but I wasn’t finding much feeding sign around those oak stands. Yet.
Since we’re in such an extreme drought, I walked the creeks and sloughs to find any standing water I could. Most of them are dry - still no deer sign.
I kicked up a spotted fawn along a dry creek. That was the only deer I bumped and only sign I found.
There is a river that borders the western part of this area, and I didn’t get over along it, but I’m wondering if the deer may be staying close to it. My thinking is that water is scarce right now so it’s valuable? But I don’t know how much deer really drink.
Hogs are everywhere. I ran into ten or twelve on three separate occasions. A boar came within 8 yards and presented broadside to me. Would’ve been exciting if season was open.
Since we’re in such an extreme drought, I walked the creeks and sloughs to find any standing water I could. Most of them are dry - still no deer sign.
I kicked up a spotted fawn along a dry creek. That was the only deer I bumped and only sign I found.
There is a river that borders the western part of this area, and I didn’t get over along it, but I’m wondering if the deer may be staying close to it. My thinking is that water is scarce right now so it’s valuable? But I don’t know how much deer really drink.
Hogs are everywhere. I ran into ten or twelve on three separate occasions. A boar came within 8 yards and presented broadside to me. Would’ve been exciting if season was open.