2020 Live from the Stand

[George]

About midway through season I found I have a new small pack that runs our property daily. I actually had a couple of the dogs come up on my porch and act as friendly as all get out. I let the pass unharmed but many times this season they ruined my hunt and right now they seem to be on max deer chase mode. It’s easy for them...they come to the plot or feeder and run everything out of the country that is near...it’s gotta stop...

The dogs saved your target buck's life. A big chunk of roadkill and a half dozen conibear traps could about take care of the problem overnight.

I heard back through the grapevine turns out it was my neighbor that shot his own dog for killing his daughter's cat.

G

 

[FL Plotter]

Still hunting in Florida. Rut is next week for us. Been putting in the time in the stand, but no shooter yet.

 

[OkieKubota]

Still hunting in Florida. Rut is next week for us. Been putting in the time in the stand, but no shooter yet.

Wow! Good luck!

 

[Deadeye]

Yupper.

I’ve been hunting this week but not seeing much movement.

Saw several Spikes but no Shooter Bucks and only a few Does.

I figured it would be next week for the Rut but the SIL had off this week so we came.

Just my luck. Haha


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[FL Plotter]

I've put in 10 hunts over the last month with some being 12hrs in the seat without leaving but finally connected with this toad at 0630 this morning. Biologist aged the jawbone at 6.5 y/o. 142# live weight. I think that's the largest live weight ever on our lease (12 years). Good for a Florida deer. I've "tagged" out for my family needs, so with the rut about to kick off...I'm done!

He came from the right and is laying on the ground by the feeder pole. I shot from the condo in the background of me holding the rack, not from the condo in the sunrise photo. I had to back my truck in a ditch to load him -- I'm not 40 anymore! In the last picture he is standing next to a typical Florida 1.5 y/o.

 

[Deadeye]

Very Nice.

Those long sits get tiring for sure. I did 3/4 day Sunday all day Monday Tuesday and come Wednesday I was shot. Slept in until 9:30 and used the rest of the day to sneak around and find more sign of where they are during this time of year.

Back at it for another all day today then heading home tomorrow.

If no Buck this trip I’m going for one more try before the season ends.


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[Deadeye]

This “plot” did well this year. Tons of pics of Bucks n Does in it October November December January. Got about eat down to the ground.

Last sit here for this trip. Rained most of the night. Hoping they move some today.

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[lakngolf]

I've put in 10 hunts over the last month with some being 12hrs in the seat without leaving but finally connected with this toad at 0630 this morning. Biologist aged the jawbone at 6.5 y/o. 142# live weight. I think that's the largest live weight ever on our lease (12 years). Good for a Florida deer. I've "tagged" out for my family needs, so with the rut about to kick off...I'm done!

He came from the right and is laying on the ground by the feeder pole. I shot from the condo in the background of me holding the rack, not from the condo in the sunrise photo. I had to back my truck in a ditch to load him -- I'm not 40 anymore! In the last picture he is standing next to a typical Florida 1.5 y/o.

Good Job, FL Plotter. Nice deer for these parts. And that field shows all the work you put into it. Congrats.

 

[tlh2865]

I've put in 10 hunts over the last month with some being 12hrs in the seat without leaving but finally connected with this toad at 0630 this morning. Biologist aged the jawbone at 6.5 y/o. 142# live weight. I think that's the largest live weight ever on our lease (12 years). Good for a Florida deer. I've "tagged" out for my family needs, so with the rut about to kick off...I'm done!

He came from the right and is laying on the ground by the feeder pole. I shot from the condo in the background of me holding the rack, not from the condo in the sunrise photo. I had to back my truck in a ditch to load him -- I'm not 40 anymore! In the last picture he is standing next to a typical Florida 1.5 y/o.

View attachment 21137 View attachment 21138 View attachment 21139 View attachment 21140

Beautiful plot and congrats!!

 

[FL Plotter]

Thanks all. We used a tiller for the first time on our plots rather than a disc. I also put out 6 bags of fertilizer on this plot this year; an increase of my normal 4 bags. Also, there was some overlap with aerial fertilizing of the pines that added some extra "free to me" nitrogen. This is the same plot but sitting in the condo on the other end. There were more pines in the plot, but Hurricane Michael in 2018 blew them down....you can see the stumps.

The buck would have come from the left in this picture.

 

[Drycreek]

Nice buck, and a good looking food plot too !

 

[Deadeye]

Well finally connected with a Legal Buck.

Only a week left in the Season and I was down to my last couple of days available to hunt.

I’d seen several Bucks this year but none were Legal for my area. Went up to the Property for one last try.

Rut is hit or miss right now. Some areas they are ON and others maybe not so much.

Friday I did an all day Sit and watched a clearing and woods cut where I saw several deer running last week. Way to fast to even try a shot. Saw Zip.

Left a little early to sneak walk back to Camp and see what might happen. Had a Doe come running from across the road right up to 5 yards from me before she saw me and about turned inside out and ran back the way she came.

What it did was confirm my thoughts that the stand I had been using (old blind was there before we took over) is NOT the best location. Even with the open clearing.

I had found a nice Bench Flat of Oak Scrub and Pine where they were Scraping and Rubbing. Below the Flat is a Cypress Swamp and above the Flat (where the Doe tried to run me over) has a mix of Mature Oaks, Young Oaks, and Persimmon Trees. Looks to me like a Deer Magnet.

Took me 3-years to put it all together but before next season there will be a stand set up on the edge of the ridge so I can see down into the Thicket and on the Top to the Property Line.

Saturday it rain from 6:00 Friday night until 9:00 or so Saturday morning. I decided to wait out the rain and try a spot in the Swamp I found last Spring and hadn’t hunted yet.

Wind was all wrong to get there but perfect once there and the only place it would be the rest of the day.

Easing in down a trail I heard one Blowing at me in the thick and eventually took off running through the swamp Splash Splash Splash. I continued on.

Just as I started down the trail into the swamp a Buck stepped into view. He was the First Legal Buck I had seen all year. A bit of brush between us but I took the shot knowing he was feet from hitting my wind stream.

Clipped two twigs getting to him, and I think that caused the bullet to tumble as he was more messed up than any other Buck I’ve ever shot. Oblong holes in and out.

Bled mostly inside and the tracking was tough in and out of water but I found him.

Super Happy to have him.

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[Drycreek]

Sometimes lucky is better than good !

 

[OkieKubota]

Congratulations! I had tag soup this year...lol

 

[Deadeye]

Sometimes lucky is better than good !

Got that right.

Actually I think if he hadn't winded me he might of stayed bedded up where he was at, just out of the water. Weird how it works out sometimes.