Seasonal cypress ponds

[RootConservative]

I’m looking for some guidance. I didn’t start hunting until I was in college when I leased land in low country Allendale, SC mixture of large acreage agricultural (soybeans/corn) and managed pine. We eventually lost lease to some people will deep pockets from South Florida. One of my friends dad now owned the land (in family for generations), but new people offered him 8 times what we were paying and paid for 10 years up front. No hard feelings fast-forward 18 years I’m now hunting in South Dodge County Georgia. My wife and I had an opportunity to buy under 100 acres coming on 10 years now. The property hasn’t been logged in 50 years, but it was never replanted when it was logged. It’s just natural regrowth of mostly thick red oaks, cypress and sweetgum. The high ground has lots of old pine that was never logged, but they aren’t in rows or have any spacing so I think they are just natural. I had one area with a 6-7 mature white oaks and over the last decade the hurricanes and small tornadoes from big thunderstorms have knocked them all down. I have tons of wild crab apple, wild blueberry’s, Black berries, other berry’s, male persimmons, only been able to identify 2 female persimmons, Tupelo and a couple wild pear trees. Since buying the property, I have planted 100 seedling sawtooth oaks, 50 white oaks, lots of fruit trees. I had a natural pond that I had professionally dug out and turned into a pond that holds 1.5-2 acres of water year round that is stocked with fish has wood ducks, occasional alligator and seasonal river otters. My stands are organized around the old logging roads and logging decks, which I have turned into small food plots. My biggest one is 1/2 acre. I have experimented with different seed blends but due to size, I have a summer blend and fall blend that works. Also being I’m in South Georgia I’m overrun in hogs. No, I am not interested in anyone’s offer to help me with hogs. I’m just saying some of the things I would like to plant for the deer I don’t because the hogs will eat the whole field in one night when it gets a couple of inches high. I have tons of trail camera pictures to confirm this from years past. I have three small seasonal cypress ponds. Smallest is around 8 acres and the largest around 15 acres. I’ve always referred to them as seasonal ponds because they are filled with cypress trees and at different times of the year they hold water. I’ve always considered these to be “deer sanctuaries” and don’t walk in them or hunt them. However, last year I identified some heavy use deer trails first by seeing the foot traffic and confirming deer highway with trail cameras. I have since removed the trail cameras and do not walk in there. However, when the winds are favorable I have been using a climber down in there. My question is how do people hunt seasonal cypress ponds? Currently I’m only hunting the largest one which is around 15 acres and I’m going in roughly 80 yards and climbing a tupelo tree that is about 20 yards from two an intersection of two heavily traveled trails. It’s very thick in there and I haven’t done any trimming. There are downed trees from the hurricane and old stumps from when it was logged years ago. I’ve been hunting this stand first light until the evening. I’ve only sat it twice all year. I have seen deer both sits. From people that are better hunters and more experienced than me if you hunt seasonal cypress ponds what is your approach and experience. Do you hunt them early season, mid season, post rut? Have they been more productive for you in the morning, afternoon or all day sits? What are you looking for when you hang your set? Sorry for the ramblings and I anxiously wait any guidance you can give me.

 

[catch22]

cant give any guidance on specific hunting cypress areas, but it looks like a good sit. good luck

 

[roll tide]

No idea on the pond hunting but I hunt in Dodge as well and I`m also covered up in hogs. I`ve learned over the years that the hogs don`t really root up the brassicas all that bad. Not saying they won`t but seldom do they mess with my forage radish/turnip/rape/ mixture (probably 80% radishes). I hope this helps you out in some small way and good luck with your hunting.

 

[RootConservative]

Moved my climber to a different trail. Pictures of new setup. Surprised no one hunts seasonal ponds or has any suggestions.

 

[mguthrie]

We lease a club that has 4 miles of river frontage with cypress slews from one end to the other. some of our members hunt the edges when they're full and some set up like you do. I don't put near the thought into killing deer as you do though. I'd say stay downwind of the trails your hunting. Other than that it appears you have a spot that most of us would love to own and you've figured out how to hunt it. Good luck and kill a good one

 

[mguthrie]

As to your hog situation. Build a couple hog traps that are capable of catching a whole sounder of pigs. You won't get rid of them but you can control the population

 

[chrisw1073]

I'll attempt to help out a fellow Gator. I grew up hunting in Western Telfair county near Rhine, so I'm not far from you. I hunt cypress ponds sometimes. Not as large as the 15 acre one you hunt though. Usually the cypress pond itself is much wider open than the surrounding woods. Although the young bucks and some does will travel well into the interior of the pond, most mature bucks will likely hug the edges closest to thick cover so that they can escape quickly if need be. Now this goes out the window if it's in the rut and the buck is chasing, but for the most part, he'll want to be close to escape cover. I approach the area I want to set up in from the opposite way that I think the deer are bedding. I assume you have targeted the bedding areas on your property. Ideally you will want to have the wind in your face. Quick tip, smoke your clothes before hitting the woods. It's the best cover scent you can use. It's been discussed many times on this forum, and I do it religiously. If you have a food source that will allow you to set up between it and the bedding area, you have just increased your chances of seeing a deer as they travel from bedding in the evening to the food, and to bedding in the morning from the food. If you do not have a food source, create one in the off season. You will need to have an access route that does not go through the bedding or food plot to do this with the highest success. Entry and exit from your stand without being detected is going to be the number one thing that allows this set up to be more than a one or two time sit. Good luck.

 

[joepuppy]

Looks like a nice setup. The only thing I would worry about is entry/exit from these bottoms, and a good rain event may flood you. I live and hunt in southern Dodge, so PM me if you'd like any other advice. Good luck to you.