flooded timber or swamp bedding with pallets

[Jon Teater]

In the area I hunt I want to increase the bedding opportunities. With that said, the area can sometimes be flooded timber (at its max water can rise to about a 1.5 ft but most times its around 5-12 inches, with some thick spots that include river burch and hemlocks with small mounds that possibly can hold a deer or two. I need better entry and exit into these spots for the deer and I just want to increase the chances of a doe group bedding in this area as the current (natural) spots are bit small for several doe. But a recent post on swamp bedding triggered some thinking and I want to gauge others success in creating flooded timber bedding.

my thinking on creating a rise for bedding is to take some logs as a base to get some elevation, on top of the logs place pallets. Id prefer to use plastic pallets (but also have access to compressed wood pallets and your typical wood pallet is an option as well), then on top of the pallets put on some dirt then on top of that apply hay (not sure hay makes sense), but I want something to create some content in combination of dirt. The plastic pallet may need to be drilled or and maybe rocks placed in the legged sections with holes drilled to ensure some drainage.

Anyhow this is my idea and Id like some input or suggestions. Id probably include some overhead branches and back/side cover and consider predominant wind with the setups. I will say I did record a few bucks using these somewhat flooded timber bedding areas around the hemlocks that had flat spots, but the use seem inconsistent and the deer were more on the edge of these areas on higher ground (which makes sense)... I am limited in what I can work with land wise and those edge areas are difficult to hunt near, so I am trying to work with land I can manipulate.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I know on my land, I have a swamp/bog, and it has natural high spots, and low spots. In my observation, during low pressure times, deer seldom go in there, sure they have a couple main trails to criss cross, but I have never found a bed in there other then during rifle season. During rifle season they go in there because it is thick, and most hunters stay out, so they are pretty much safe.

I assume your swamp is mostly low, and your intention is to raise it so deer have a dry spot to bed. I have never done this, but I know of someone that has laid pallets in his swamp to create a path for him to walk to and from his stand, and he did say that deer would bed on his home made trail. So while I think you are making a lot of work for yourself, I had heard that deer would bed on something similar, and all we can do is work with what we have, and try to improve it.

 

[Jon Teater]

correct, the low land does have high spots due to root balls and other small rises, and I did observe a buck bed with tree and rub as a backdrop in this area. the buck bed is located about 40 yards into the flooded timber on the edge of where it begins to thicken with short hemlocks. But I want the deer to be pushed a bit further into this area (if they will use it) so I don't bump them as I move into one my stands, and Id like does to bed in this area not just run through them. I think this revolves around my idea that I have little land to work with (this would be a total of 14 acres), and because of that, I want to maximize every inch.

I think what you said makes sense, they utilize these areas out of necessity when pressure is high (obviously not what I am trying to do hunting wise, so that's another consideration to why Id think this may not work)... that said that doesn't necessarily mean they wont use these areas without high pressure, but are less likely to because of preferred bedding on elevated (our rises are no more than 20-30 rolling hills) or dry ground. But deer do like swampy areas as Dan Infalt hunts cattail swamps (which this is not)... so maybe flooded timber isn't the same...

I guess to your point, will the effort be worth the time based on actual deer use...

 

[4wanderingeyes]

My outlook to improvements have scaled down to, make small changes and see if the deer like it. If they do, do it again. Small changes if they are a mistake can be masked. Large changes can be drastic, and take years, or decades to change back. I guess what I am saying is, the only way you will know whether it would work is to try it. But I would try it on a small scale, rather then going all in and making an acre size rise. Do a couple spots, maybe 15'x15' if it works, do a couple more next year. But I would keep them apart far enough so they can't see from one spot to the next.


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[Jon Teater]

good point. maybe Ill create the area and set up some cameras and see if interest is created before going all in. Maybe some redmond mineral on the site may help create preference (actually that's illegal in my state). What I struggle to understand is overhead cover really needed in a bedding situation like this... because in swamps with cattails, overhead cover isn't a requirement or preference (at least based on observation, could be wrong) its more about the ground the deer lay on and the isolation the area provides... so does flooded timber differ in that respect, thoughts?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I am not sure if you are in the north cold climate, or warm south, snow?

I wont claim to know anything other then what I have witnessed, and from my experience in the Northland, with snow, deer will bed under trees, in the spring, my deer tend to lay on south facing slopes with brush, or tall grass, so they can hide, but still enjoy the warm sun. Summers, and early fall the deer tend to hang out close to my food plots, then rifle season, they go in the bog, and rarely come out until dark.

 

[Jon Teater]

central NY....snow, lots of it. the area I am talking about is really funny actually, it sometimes can be dry (somewhat moist) and then water fills up the area when rain occurs or not.. seems like a shift happens around September, which happens to coincide with an increase in rains in our area and the flooded timber actually floods. The other consideration is that when these areas freeze I do see deer using the are more than I think they may during early season (summer/early fall)... there are other factors like apples and my mini food plot that do provide some attraction during the time that may just generally draw them into an area. I also think that when the flooded timber freezes predation may increase as I see more use from coyotes as well.

So this begs another thought that swamps or flooded timber may be a preference at times as they create some form of alarm of incoming animals (when not frozen). I think deer would rather have sight and sound together but because of water factor that could increase their preference (just a guess). I would argue, this is off topic, that the entire hinge cutting concept, at least those that go extreme, could help or hinder deer as it relates to predation. I think most of us think about only the pros of hinge cutting... there is a reason deer like open spaces for security at certain times and some say hinge cutting doesn't work (ive seen it work and not work, it certainly depends on location).