Hey all, I noticed there's not much of a published Florida hunting presense here, so I thought I'd share my last day hunting success story. So here it goes!
Whew! What a day I'm exhausted! I finally connected with a my personal biggest buck and my only animal for the longest season ever! Or so it seemed at least. So here's the story:
Was supposed to go camping and hunting this whole last weekend for zone c, but plans fell through and I was(still am) sick. So I didn't hunt saturday. But I was feeling a little better by that eveing so I decided last minute to go this morning, brrrr it was cold but nice. Get up at 4:30, and get to the parking spot by 5:30 ish. Make the 3/4 mile walk to the place I like to sit in the mornings, it's a creek crossing but from the rain we had the river was too deep for anything to cross. Got a close look at some wood ducks, man are they pretty! So at daylight I decide to get up and put my sneak on! If you can call it that anyways with all the dead stuff lying around.
Well anyhoo I walk down river very slowly and deliberatly, watching and stopping every 100 feet or so. Then flags! Shoot I wasn't quiet enough! I didn't see antler so I wasn't too upset, they'll be more down river. I make my way off the riverbank towards the higher ground, where the oaks and palmetto grow, but keep to the more openess of the cypress hammock where I can see about 80-100 yards ahead of me.
It's about 8:45 by this time but I've only been another 4/10 of a mile. Something made me look to the south east( I'm walking south) and I see a shape that resembles a deer barrel and rump! I throw the scope up and look, but cannot see a head to tell buck or doe. Rats! In a split second a HUGE buck tears away though my scope heading east but the woods are too thick I can't get a shot!
My heart sank to the floor, as my past experiences this season is that the first chance is usually THE chance. Well I picked my heart up, put it back in it's place and pressed on even slower this time back south. I get about 100 yards farther and catch movement to my left about 70 yards out! Throw up the scope again and see another doe standing broadside! But wait.... HE turns his head and I see antlers! Safety off and boom! He stumbles at the shot and lopes away out of sight! I slowy rack another cartridge into the 7x57(saving the spent case of course they cost and arm and leg and a firstborn son), collect myself and stay put. Then, about 20 seconds later I hear him crash! Yes! Thank you Lord!
After the crash I slowly make my way to where I shot him, but before I got more than half way somemore movement catches my eye. It's low to the ground though. Scope up and.... it's my buck looking right at me, this time obviously hurt and about 60 yards out. Saftey off and boom! Finishing shot to the neck. He's down for good! Whooooohoooooo! I wasn't skunked this season! I finally reach him and he's a big 6 point! Just missing brow tines, well he had a nub for one but cant really call it a point. Thank you Jesus for blessing my family with this meat!
Well as well know the real, nay hard work begins once the animal is down, and I realize that I'm 1.2 miles from the truck, by myself, in the swamp with a 140 pound(I'm guessing as I had no way to weigh him) deer. So I got to dragging, and dragging, and dragging. For 3 hours! That sucked big time! But no complaining now, this is a blessing and well worth the time. So needless to say I made it back in one piece, exhausted beyond measure, and thrilled to death! What a day!
P.S. Note to all those who use a pack like mine with a hydration bladder in it, do not freeze the water if it's only going to be 60 for the high!
P.P.S. This buck was shot in the heart of central FL on public land. So even though he's small in comparison to deer on the rest of the continent he's a monster in my book cause of all the work it took to get him. No bait, no fences just me, my mauser and the deer!
Oh and here are the pics back at the ranch:
And here's the future genration of Florida hunters!
