Big Bucks Down!

.
Though this was a new moon weekend, there was several really outstanding bucks killed on one of our leases here in east central Florida. Deer sighting in general were down but that is typical for this moon phase. Both of these bucks were taken on morning hunts around feeders.

Have a look at this first buck;

 

 

The bad thing about this harvest is that I'm on the wrong side of the camera!

Here's one of his velvete pictures not far from where he was finally harvested.

This mature buck weighted in at 135#. We'll get a score on his horns when he gets back from the taxidermist. He did sport some great mass for the size of his frame.

Rick had gotten numerous trail camera photos of this buck over the last couple of months and we figured it was only a matter of time before one of us would lay eyes on him. He seemed to be pretty homey for a mature buck like this.

Rick's shot was a far back but it did the trick...he only traveled about 100yds before piling up. The high/back shot made for a poor blood trail.

This second buck was harvested just across the hwy from that same lease by a young hunter with a crossbow at approximately 30yds. This is just about as pretty as an 8pt could ever get. He's a tremendous buck for this part of the state.

Really good tine length and mass on this mature buck!

This next buck was one I had really been pinning for. He is only a 6pt was he's a trophy none the less....as big a 6 as you could hope to kill. I had him at 23yds one morning but it was not in the cards for me to get a shot that day. He ended up winding me and exited the scene. Another mature buck with really good mass....

He ended up getting whacked on the adjoining property. Damn the luck!

 

 

The next buck was taken during the first week of the season...another mature buck with great mass. His frame is a little smaller than these others but he's a dandy 8pt.

 





The season is winding down! You better get after them.

Larry S.

 

Bow Hunting Report 9-27-13

We have been experiencing some really unsettled weather lately, tons of rain and fanning winds. It poured again this afternoon between 3:00 and 5:00 PM.....probably got another 1 1/2" at least. I was watching a live radar feed on my computer while I was working and could see the rain was going to end around 5-5:30!! The moon is close to a 1/4 phase which puts the feed times near daylight and dark. All the stars were aligning for a great afternoon hunt.

I had put out about 15# of corn yesterday afternoon and when I arrived at the stand, I could see the deer had worked it over hard the night before, there was nothing but remnants left.

I hurried and got up in the stand and got all the camera gear going. It was obvious from the squirrel and red bird activity that the feed was on.

About 6:45 I was talking to the video cam....saying I would bet the farm that the deer were already moving. I no sooner got the words out of my mouth and looked up to see a doe & yearling about 125 yds down an old pull trail.....right on cue.

They were picking my way down the pull when they faded off to the south. The thought cane to me that I bet that doe is going to circle down wind of the corn to sent check it before she comes in. About 10-12 minutes later I caught some movement down a shooting lane to the south (directly down wind) and there they were, both with their noses up in the air testing the wind. Pretty smart! They eventually got me and moved off.

I was caught up watching and videoing the doe and yearling and didn't even see another doe that came from the swamp, walk right in front of me at 20 yds until she was in my last shooting hole!  Good thing it wasn't a buck.

About 7:15 a nice 2 1/2 year old 7pt pass by to the south where the doe and yearling had been nosing around. He trailed off the direction they had gone and did not come to the corn though I expect he will be on the camera before daylight.

The camera had 260 pictures on it from over night. The big 6 had been there along with two 7pt,'s and another small 4 or 5pt. There were probably 6-8 does as well passed by. Mostly all night time activity.

The deer are still basically feeding on browse and the acorns have not quite started to drop yet. Once that starts they will just about stop coming to corn. I have only seen a couple acorns on the ground. There has been a drop in activity at the corn so I suspect they are finding a few here and there.

The Palmetto berries are just starting to ripen a little. I don't expect the deer and hogs to be feeding on them for a while yet.

If you have some high ground where a wild persimmon will grow, you need to check them out. I have found several trees that have already dropped all their fruit and another that is about to start. Deer love persimmons and if you can find a few dropping trees it is worth hunting.

 

 

Every one that hunted this morning saw some deer but no bucks. It was raining when I got up so I decided not to go.

Here are a few trail camera pics from last night.

Larry

Bow Hunting Report - 9-20-13

This is my first report for the 2013 Bow Season.

I added a new lease to the list this year and I am really spreading myself thin! The new tract is pretty incredible and has one of the best buck populations I have ever seen for Florida. In one 48 hour period this past week I had bucks pass one of my trail cameras 19 times! I believe there was about 7 different bucks involved in that.

Everything here was finally out of velvet by about the first of September.

We are starting to see some active scraping going on and the bucks are moving really good.

I passed an 8" spike on opening morning and a nice 7pt later in the week.

The only buck I wanted to shoot ended up getting by me. He is a big mature 6pt and is about as big a 6 as you could hope to kill here in central Florida. I had just let my bow to the ground and put the video equipment away when I caught some movement to my left. A deer was slipping thru some dog fennels and headed my way. I pulled the bow back up as fast as possible and got an arrow nocked undetected but at 23 yds he caught my wind, swapped ends and slipped back across the dim road and into the swamp. Just like a big buck!

over the next 48 hours he passed by the stand 3 times! If he keeps that up he is in trouble.

I finally got around to setting up a stand at one of the spots I have been feeding heavy. Decided to give it a try this evening. I saw 4 does and all came within range but no bucks ever showed. I am going to hold off shooting and does for a while, at least on this tract. The chance at a really good buck is to great to be fooling with a doe here.

I have have some outstanding bucks on trail camera so far. Here are a few pics....

Larry S.