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[bart1997]

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[gamwam]

looks like a great spot,.. looking forward to seeing your videos if you care to post them up,.. especially if they are male

gaz

[bart1997]

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[Nessie]

From where I've checked, most of the springy area is all water underneath, as far as I can tell. Not a lot of real mud under there. The thickest I found is that one spot I posted, and it's still pretty watery. Do they usually thicken up during different seasons, in your experience?

I've met a lot of bogs like that...boing-boing on top and slushy water beneath.

In my area I have noticed some fluctuations during different seasons, mostly in the amount of water on top, or the gradual baring of mud as the summer progresses.

But the best thing to do is to try to check the whole area thoroughly. I've been in areas where there's a firm bottom in one place, watery slush in another, and then, the good peat...all three within about twenty feet.

Shooting conditions and playing conditions are not always synonymous. Two out of three of these show little water on top. Definitely, those look like decent shooting spots. Go for it. You're sure to bag some good stills. Cheating by sitting down and submerging certainly does work with a little practice. Mud is opaque and the camera doesn't know what's under there. You could even get a whole scene.

Nessie

[Boggy Man]

You should also check that "bouncing" part of the bog regulary in autumn. I remember from last year, when i just started exploring my current area, that these areas change in consistency and stability from summer to late fall. Some spots get almost impassable, a lot of others become softer, so one can easyly sink in them.

From where I've checked, most of the springy area is all water underneath, as far as I can tell. Not a lot of real mud under there. The thickest I found is that one spot I posted, and it's still pretty watery. Do they usually thicken up during different seasons, in your experience?

From my experience, I find that in my area, the bogs start off flooded or watery early in the spring, from spring runoff from melting snow, and rain. But then, water levels drop as warmer drier weather sets in, and the mud in the bogs start to get progressively thicker, and more and more submerged spots become exposed and then thicken through the summer, often reaching a peak in late summer before fall rains and winter snows. But, it can vary, depending on the weather trends of the year. A wet summer will slow down or reverse the exposure and thickening of the bogs, while an extremely dry summer will speed up the exposure of new mud and the thickening of the bogs. If you have watched my videos in this thread, where I mentioned the date each set of videos were taken (Thursday July 8'th, Thursday July 29'th, Friday August 6'th, Saturday August 14'th, Wednesday August 18'th and Wednesday August 25'th), you can see the progression of the thickness of my favorite bog as the summer wore on, going from loose and partially water-covered, to batterlike, to thick and doughy.

It takes trial and error to find the best bogs and spots within a bog, and I have found that some bogs that have water underneath can have peaty mud further away from the center, which gets thicker the further away from the center you get. For others, it is impenetrable further from the center, because instead of being peaty muck underneath, it is solid peat that is hard to sink into. So, you just have to explore as much as you can, and you will eventually find more nice bogs for sinking into, keeping an eye out for bare areas in the bogs, whether they have some water on them (preferably early in the season) or not. And remember, during wet seasons, places that are underwater could be exposed during the dry seasons. So, it is a good idea to check places that were submerged or too watery earlier in the season to see if they have been exposed or thickened over the course of the drier season. Shallow ponds in a bog during a wet season could have stuff exposed during the dry season.

Good luck!

[lonesinker]

Looks interesting
Ive hiked around the local trails and saw quite a few peat pits such as the photo,s you shot, whenever I find a pit, the curiosity kicks in and simply have to check it out. The first picture pit looks to have a lot of wood and sticks that could be on the bottom, I would approach that pit with caution as I enter barefeet, I really gouged my heal good this summer and Im careful about that.I hate going in with shoes

[Rickington]

Looks interesting
Ive hiked around the local trails and saw quite a few peat pits such as the photo,s you shot, whenever I find a pit, the curiosity kicks in and simply have to check it out. The first picture pit looks to have a lot of wood and sticks that could be on the bottom, I would approach that pit with caution as I enter barefeet, I really gouged my heal good this summer and Im careful about that.I hate going in with shoes

Then why not instead use water shoes or water sandals for pits that may have sticks/sharp rocks/etc in them?

[lonesinker]

Rickington
that,s good advice, *using water shoes or sandals* Ive already lost one pair of sandals, but luckly I bought a few used cheap pairs in the event I lose one in the pit.

[Rickington]

Rickington
that,s good advice, *using water shoes or sandals* Ive already lost one pair of sandals, but luckly I bought a few used cheap pairs in the event I lose one in the pit.

Yeah, foot protection in such endeavors that we sinkers do is important. . Wouldn't want to get an infection from a cut now would we?

(on a side note, the same thing goes for rock climbing... I've seen people climb outdoor rock faces barefoot. Not a good idea. Not only do you have minimal grip, but your feet are unprotected from sharp rocks. :S)