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Hunting Islands

While hunting during bear season, I found a few spots I'd like to try and hunt. Two of the spots are public land inland hardwood Islands (about 10 acres in size) surrounded by very wet swamp land.

Access is very hard due to the amount of moisture in the swamp. Deer sign looked good but quite entry and exit is an issue. Any tips on hunting islands? Anyone ever have much success doing this?

I read an article this summer (Deer & Deer hunting or North American Whitetail) about a guy who does just what you are thinking about, and he drops a monster almost every year.

He mentioned not putting your stand too high up on the island, as to make yourself standout, and to get in there VERY, VERY early in the morning, to make sure you are all set, before the deer start returning from their nighttime feeding.

He also talked about have a couple trails groomed (lightly so not to attract other hunters) to get to the island from different directions, based on wind direction.

Good luck!

Sounds like a spot we hunt around by Winter. You need to find where they are going out to feed and get in there the back way early. Its tough when you have a wet mucky swamp to get through first. Bow hunting would work better, gun season they are hunkered down before sunup.

Took a trip into one of the spots today. The amount of water in this swamp is just, wow. I did my best to lay down a hidden trail making access a bit easier.

I put 3 cameras on the island. On the east side of the island it makes a sudden 10' drop down into a narrow creek. The opposite side of the creek goes nearly vertical 20'-25' into a 15' wide ridge running north/south.

On the east side of this ridge is a .5 mile wide open swamp. A runway 2' wide is on this ridge but it seems to go nowhere??? The pictures won't lie.

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