Posted: 10/6/2011 7:48:57 PM EDT
 Several years ago before I got away from deer hunting, I hunted corn piles(legal) over 200yds away in large fields. Now I am getting back into hunting and am in the opposite end of the spectrum, super thick swamp bog, still hunting game trails. Yesterday evening I am set down next to a tree, a few yards off a trail and twenty feet from a trail camera I had set up on a creek bed, when I hear something(s) slipping through the woods, headed my way. Three does and two fawns walk to within twelve feet of me before the first one looks my way and realizes something just ain't right. They never winded me and never spooked, but were on high alet! while they walked around me and watched me but I never moved. They ended up walking right in front of the camera on their way around and out of sight. It was the most exciting hunting event since I got my first buck so long ago. I was hoping there would have been a buck slipping along behind them but nothing else came through before dark. It also opened my eyes to some of the problems I will face that I didn't have when I hunted fields.
 Me = 9.5 acres |
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I hunt a lot of areas like that. When it's gun season I do a lot of still hunting during the day after they have bedded down. When you still hunt an area like that most of your shots are going to be on running deer but you'd be surprised how close some deer will let you get before they decide to bolt. If you plan on doing any still hunting work your way through a known bedding area as quietly as you can. If you are ok with taking running shots at deer that is. Stop frequently and look around. Not only can you spot them in their beds sometimes, when you stop and look around they get nervous. If you just stroll on through they will often times just let you walk by and stay put or book it once you walk by. If they think they are in danger when you stop they might decide to run for it.
What I like to do if I plan on sitting it out anywhere is to come before the hunt and rig up a few natural blinds. A dig out blind works good too. Not sure the technical term for it but you basically dig a hole and leave a "shelf" of earth at the back of the hole so when you're sitting down you're eye level with the ground. Then just throw some loose fitting shit on your head to break up your outline a bit. The advantage of this setup is even if a deer see's you it won't always interpret you as a threat as you basically look like an animal the size of a human head unless they are close enough to notice the hole. The wind can be tricky in thick areas as it doesn't always flow through the forest the same as it does in an open field. You're going to get it swirling around a bunch making it very inconsistent. Often time's it's so light in the thick areas it's hard to tell what it's doing. I didn't read on when you plan on going up hunting but are there any food plots/farms in your area? If their only natural food source is the acorns just hunting the acorns isn't a bad idea, especially as you get into post-rut and the deer start focusing more on fattening up. I'm no expert hunter so I don't have much information to give. The only thing I make sure to do is pick my best shooting lane and position in a way with my body and my weapon that minimal movement is required to get a shot down that lane. It's not always the most comfortable but it certainly feels better knowing all you have to do is raise your bow a foot or so and draw to be ready to shoot than reaching for the bow leaning off to yo side, getting it centered, raising it up, drawing, then shooting. edit: and obviously NEVER move when the deer is looking in your direction! If they are looking your way intently they are already wary. Any movement and they are going to bolt. If they stare right at you don't panic and try to get a shot ready and off before they have time to react. I made that mistake when I was on my first hunt many years ago. 
edit: Just saw your map. I would bet they are hitting that bean field hard. Try and scout for paths and sign early and figure out how they are getting to and from the field. If you can figure out where they are bedding down and how they are getting from the beds to the beans that's probably your best bet. I doubt they are spending a whole lot of time eating acorns with beans in the area. I don't know how effective a feeder would be with all that food source readily available. I would try and see what kind of movement you are through your land before I'd bother with a feeder but if it doesn't look like you are getting much travel through your area you could try baiting them to change up their natural paths of travel. When I gun hunt I use a 30-30 with a red dot. I have no experience with anything else but i'd be hesitant to use slugs in all that brush(again, not because I have any factual knowledge of how slugs work in brush). What does the creek bed look like? |
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For hunting that close, I would opt to use a shotgun with buckshot. However, be sure to pattern your shotgun to see which size of shot and which brand performs the best out of your particular shotgun and try to pattern your gun out to around 35 to 40 yards of distance. Based upon my own experiences, my shotguns tend to prefer larger 000 and 00 sizes of shot and they also tend to do better when using more open style chokes (like improved cylinder, for example). |
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1. When you hear something moving your way, get ready.
2. Buckshot, it's a myth that one caliber goes through brush better than the next. Any brush can deflect any projectile. 3. If you like still hunting a blind or tree stand is out. I'd have a treestand to use when conditions weren't right for still hunting. I still hunt wearing blaze orange during the gun season, as long as you don't move you'll be fine 4. Depends on conditions, during the rut when bucks are running hard it may be better to stay still and let them come to you. 5. Whether you bait or not is up to you, I would bet you have better luck hunting natural food sources. 6. It's easy to burn out a small property, always hunt so the wind carries your scent away from bedding areas, and wear rubber boots. Early in the season I hunt the edges of habitat, the edge of a food source or a trail close to the truck, away from the beds. Later when the rut is kicking in I'll go closer to doe bedding areas. 7. If they don't smell you, movement will give you away. It doesn't matter if you are wearing a gillie suit or dressed like Santa Claus, stay still if a deer is looking your way. Hope this helps. |
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I'm no expert but I've hunted in the swamps of Florida were it get pretty thick too.
Here is my $0.02 based on my experience: 1. They were on top of me before I had a chance to even get my gun up into position. Not that unusual. They could be just few yards behind you beofre you realize they are there. 2.See how thick it is in the pic? Rifle? Shotgun? Buckshot? Slugs? I usually used handgun (357Mag, 44Mag or 45ACP) as it is faster to put into action. Second choice is slug shotgun. 3.Ground Blind? 3D Leaf Suit? Ghillie Suit? Jeans? Does it really matter? I would get off the ground. Doesn't have to be very high... maybe 10-12 feet. You'll have better (further) view of your area and less likely for the animal to pickup your scent. As for camo, it doesn't matter as long as you wear nutural color with some pattern. 4.Constantly pick different spots on trails to watch or stick with one spot if I am seeing movement? I would stock with one spot if I see movements reguarly. 5.Should I clean out a specific area and just put up a feeder or hunt the few white oaks dropping acorns? I wouldn't "clean out" an area as you may change their route. 6.I am just spraying down with scent shield, any tips on keeping my scent down and reading wind? I never used any scent shield. Just keep the wind in your face. 7.What am I missing on close quarters hunting? Noththing. You just need patience. Good luck. |
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I love to hunt these places, learned it from one of my uncles who always killed the biggest buck. These places are where the big boys live and stay out of sight of 99% of hunters.
One place I hunt up in Kansas has a thicket of cedar trees in a small area that's too rocky to bushhog, so it's been a thicket for a long time. I go into there an find a likely spot, then hack out a place to hide, and a slot to see/shoot through that faces the game trail. In 2009 I did exactly this and on the first evening I had several does come by, they never knew I was within 20 yards of them. The next morning I had a coyote come in behind me to within 8 or 10 feet before I moved and he saw me and took off. A few minutes later this big buck made an appearance in the only place I had a long shot, about 75 yards away. 
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Hunting up close is awesome. One of my favorite things to do is to stalk up on hogs and see just how close I can get. Last year I took a first time hunter out and we had to actually walk through the middle of a bunch of hogs to get to an opening where we could shoot when one came out. We had hogs about 10 feet on either side of us.
When you're that close you have to get prepared earlier. Your gun needs to be going up as soon as you start hearing something. Your movements need to be super slow and without making ANY noise. Animals will hear sounds that you'd never think they'd be able to hear so you need to be silent, the click of a safety is enough to send them running. Think of how quiet you would want to be if those animals were hunting you. Have some patience and you'll get one, just remember, silent, invisible and scent free with very slow movements and you'll get there. |
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thick is all I know. This will be my third season.
Patterning is tough because they can bed anywhere. Food sources are good. But I haven't gotten one yet. I'm using a bow. Last year had a doe and fawn 20 feet away, then move to 20 yards away and I just watched them eat for 15 minutes before they moved on. Had a very nice buck 30 yards away, but too much brush to thread an arrow through. He never entered one of my shooting lanes. Maybe this year will be the year. |
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If woods are EXTREMELY thick like that one, i'll walk through it a couple times from bedding area's to food areas and make a nice easy route for them to follow...they will always take the easiest route
Setup some shooting lanes on that route and a couple different area's to sit, and have at it. |
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Per your numbered list
1. First things I do when I hear a deer: safety off, red dot turned on and slowly work gun into firing position. 2. The firearm at that range makes no difference, line up the shot, double check the background beyond the deer and fire. 3. Dont buy a ground blind, could build up with natural materials nearby. You should sit to the left side of the tree you were by, as it would block you from view until they move into your kill zone. 4. Pick out four spots and set them up - you've got 9 acres. It gets boring sitting in the same spot all the time, and you can pick a spot that plays the wind, or even plays the sun in the am or pm. 5. Hunt the acorns. Go natural, save the feeder as a last resort. As far as clearing it's up to you on how much to do. In the below pic I would at least cut a bowling alley from your chair thru spot "D". Clearing shooting lanes to A B or C provide backup lanes, should they come in faster, in groups, or catch you asleep. 
6. I don't buy scent covers, just mind the wind and the noise/movement you make. 7. You haven't missed so far (you did not relate any shots fired with misses). You have a good spot there and it will pay off with a little more trimming. Keep us posted. |
Wow, Lots of great info and tips. I didn't take a shot at the does, really just hunting a nice rack.  Warhawk, that is a sweet swamp buck! Not sure about getting elevated, it's so thick that it looks like height would just compound the sight problems unless I just put up one section of ladder on my stand. By "clean out an area", I meant go in with a small chain saw and open up a space about 30' in diameter for a feeder, probably toward the middle/back portion of my land. I have so far only found a few white oaks producing acorns on one side of the property, none in toward the creek bed. Speaking of the creek bed, Towely, that is it in the pic. In some places, you can clearly see it, in others it is barely discernible. When I got a chance to walk it a month or so back, I actually lost it once or twice and had to back track and find it. It is a seasonal creek and normally starts back running in the fall. we have had enough rain at times, that it has overcome the 36" tile and flowed over the road.There are no good shooting lanes either, unless I make them. I know now isn't the time to be doing a bunch of cutting/cleaning so the lanes and feeder deal will probably have to wait for next year. Also, to those that asked about the beans, my property line is the middle of the creek bed so I don't have access from the creek bed to the bean field. The only reason they would have to be on my property, really, is due to hunting pressure from both sides of me. Hence the thoughts on putting up a feeder. When the beans are cut and the acorns have dropped, the sound of a feeder slinging corn out is like a dinner bell. Yesterday, I took my loppers and cut a way into the treeline toward the back of my house. I was wanting see what it looked like back there and it is actually even worse than the picture above. I made it in about 50yds and did not see any sign or trails. Trying to pull off a shot through there with out a lot of work probably won't work well, even buckshot. |
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I've got a friend in Kansas who uses a gas weedeater to cut trails leading to his stands. Viola, instant deer trails. It works, he bowhunts only and takes a lot of nice bucks.
Years ago I was a late season doe hunt and we got about a foot of snow overnight. I learned a lot about deer habits that day. You could see tracks in the snow where the deer had walked, and without fail when a deer came to another set of tracks (another trail) it would turn and follow those tracks, every single time. We were able to use this to fill all our doe tags that same day. |
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Quoted: You could see tracks in the snow where the deer had walked, and without fail when a deer came to another set of tracks (another trail) it would turn and follow those tracks, every single time. We were able to use this to fill all our doe tags that same day.
how did that help you fill doe tags? |
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Quoted:...we had to actually walk through the middle of a bunch of hogs to get to an opening where we could shoot when one came out. We had hogs about 10 feet on either side of us.
* * * Your movements need to be super slow and without making ANY noise. you sneaked by wild pigs 10 ft away from you? |
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Quoted: They knew what trail they were going to take.Quoted: You could see tracks in the snow where the deer had walked, and without fail when a deer came to another set of tracks (another trail) it would turn and follow those tracks, every single time. We were able to use this to fill all our doe tags that same day. how did that help you fill doe tags? |
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You have to get some altitude! You can't see very far from the ground anyways, so getting up will only help you. If nothing else, take a 6 ft. ladder, spray paint it, and mount it to a tree using a tie down you would use in the back of a truck.
I love hunting the thick stuff. Nothing like up close and personal to me. When you hear something approaching, get on the gun and stay there. If you stay on the ground, I would suggest some home made shooting sticks (dowel rods from home depot, a screw and a nut) to keep your rifle up. Put the sticks just in front of the magwell at an angle to your face and it will make your rifle rest on your shoulder and you don't have to hold it up. This will help with minimal movement to get ready. While looking at the maps and all is a good start, nothing will substitute for walking it after the season. Then you will know best where to hunt next year. I always start close to the creeks, you will find what look to be like cow trails through the thick stuff. If you get lucky, you will find someplace along that trail that is open a bit more than everything else. Hang up down wind of the prevailing wind, and hunt it. I would keep using a rifle, and a red dot will do you good at these ranges. Good luck. Edited spelling. |
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Quoted:
Quoted: You could see tracks in the snow where the deer had walked, and without fail when a deer came to another set of tracks (another trail) it would turn and follow those tracks, every single time. We were able to use this to fill all our doe tags that same day.
how did that help you fill doe tags? If you knew that 100% of the deer are going to take the bigger trail, where would you hunt? |
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I know everyone is saying get higher but I would consider getting lower if I were you. Getting down below the leaves can give you a great field of view to see deer coming in from much further away. There are many area's by us where getting elevated gives you NOTHING to see at but a canopy of small oak tree leaves and tall bushes. If you lay down on the ground you can see for a good 40-50 yards in most directions though. You won't have a shot that far but it helps a bunch knowing a deer is coming from that far out instead of waiting till he is on top of you.
As another poster said, I would seriously consider hunting with a pistol. A nice .44 magnum would be beautiful for that piece of woods and be much more maneuverable than any long gun. |
| I would look at a marlin guide gun in 45-70 for sure. I would put a 4x scope or something similar for quick shots. I also agree that getting up in a tree has big advantages in being able to see. My fav ladder stand is in the thickest crap on the property and I see good bucks there all the time. So put up a stand and clear lanes and get comfy. You will do well. If the pressure is low where you hunt look for some oaks and put your stand close by. If there is a lot of pressure find good trails that they may use to escape the other hunters and set up there. I any event good luck and have fun. The adrenalin runs wild in those close quarters. |
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Quoted:
I know everyone is saying get higher but I would consider getting lower if I were you. Getting down below the leaves can give you a great field of view to see deer coming in from much further away. There are many area's by us where getting elevated gives you NOTHING to see at but a canopy of small oak tree leaves and tall bushes. If you lay down on the ground you can see for a good 40-50 yards in most directions though. You won't have a shot that far but it helps a bunch knowing a deer is coming from that far out instead of waiting till he is on top of you. As another poster said, I would seriously consider hunting with a pistol. A nice .44 magnum would be beautiful for that piece of woods and be much more maneuverable than any long gun. I agree. It is a little late now, but I have cut lanes in brush like that that extend 4 ways like a big plus sign and dig a hole at the intersection and hunted in the hole. I was going to put a top on it and brush it up, but never did. I just wore a leafy head net. All a deer could see was the top of my head. I never killed anything at that particular spot but it was a hell of an ambush spot. I always ended up killing something somewhere else. |
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I hunt in very heavy deep woods every November. I use a Remington 700 .308 with a 20" target barrel. I'm less likey to accidently hit a limb with the short barrel. My scope is a 1.75x5x30 Redfield wide view. I only use the 1.75 power, which allows me to rapidly acquire my Deer. A 3x scope will have you swerving the barrel around looking for the Deer and will end-up spooking it. Re-cap: Short barrel, low power scope. |
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Quoted:
I hunt in very heavy deep woods every November. I use a Remington 700 .308 with a 20" target barrel. I'm less likey to accidently hit a limb with the short barrel. My scope is a 1.75x5x30 Redfield wide view. I only use the 1.75 power, which allows me to rapidly acquire my Deer. A 3x scope will have you swerving the barrel around looking for the Deer and will end-up spooking it.
Re-cap: Short barrel, low power scope. Hence my option of an AR in 6.5/6.8 (16" barrel) with an Aimpoint/EOTECH... 25 rounds of fun in a short/compact and relatively light weight platform. |
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Hunting in brush is my preferred method. I like getting up close and personal with my supper.
I agree with Towely – Get lower. You don’t need to dig a foxhole, if you can, find a depression or dig a hole to put your legs in and sit on the ground, that will work. One of my go-to spots is the hole left by a rotted out tree stump. Cut a few shooting lanes. You do not need to do any major work, just take a pair of 2’ loppers. Put the brush that you cut behind your hunting position as well as in front to make a screen. Putting up a popup blind in that type of brush is a real PITA. In that type of brush I use a slugs in a 12G. or a Rosi M1982 in .454Casual. I prefer a heavy shot that can punch throuh some brush instead of being deflected (like war stories say lighter weight high velocity rounds can be.) |
Where in SC? 
I've shot deer as close as 8ft, big 3-legged 7pt, with 00B to the neck, closest with a rifle was about 7-8 yd, that one's on the wall and in the state books. Just a side note, most non-bonded expanding rifle ammo will explode violently at that range, which is a bad thing if you want consistent penetration. In my experience with CorLokts in a 30.06, the jacket usually ends up in the far side, under the skin. Out past 30yd or so, I usually get a through-and-through. |
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It looks like you have some pretty good trees that would work perfectly with a climbing stand. (Summit Viper) You would be surprised at how well you can see when you get up a bit. I don't use climbers here in Texas, but up in the thick woods of NW WI getting up gives you a lot more range, as well as time to prepare for a shot and pick even a tiny slot in the brush to shoot through. You probably don't want to disturb by cutting lanes or bait at this late time. Another thing getting up will do is allow you to see deer farther away that you will never see or hear from the ground & allow you to move your climber for the next hunt if you happen to see the bucks are using a different trail, which is very common, usually just down wind of the trail the does are using. Watch the wind in tight quarters, too. Good Luck!
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