You do the math, first day 3 ¼ miles there 3 ¼ miles back , second day we did it twice in order to eat lunch at camp and check the boat, third day we decided to come back to camp to eat, check the boat and find something closer that actually had deer (so far no deer and we’re up to 26 miles of exercise). Which we did, only 1 mile from camp but in the opposite direction. You are expected to be on your stand and not move at certain hours, in order to conform we didn’t have much time. I found a place that looked promising but the only problem was having to sit on the ground, there were no decent trees to climb. Now out of time I just sat and laid back against an oak tree dropping acorns on me.
After about an hour, this 8 point eases by at about 25 yards and across a lagoon (naturally), I shoot and could see across the smokepoles cloud that he was hit. Being worried from losing another deer a couple of weeks ago, I thought it best to retrieve him immediately. Wading *** deep in the lagoon, I then thought of the nice gators and snakes I have seen here, got him and drug him back to my tree. I’ll be if less than 30 minutes later a doe walked the same place, I figured I done tempted fate enough and let her go. About another 30 minutes went by and a doe walked within 21 FEET next to me, well yes she got shot!
Next morning, figured it wouldn’t hurt trying it again, same place. Sure nuff had a doe and yearling feed to within 25 FEET of me. I couldn’t help it letting them go also.
We didn’t hunt the last days afternoon hunt for having to get the boat off the bottom, low tide was going to be all morning long the next day and we HAD to be gone before 12pm.
All in all a great hunt, we returned not only alive but intact and scored (this time). The neighbor will have an automatic bilge pump and a way to preclude the bait pump before the boat leaves the yard again!!
Total hunters 30
Deer kill 17
Largest deer 114lbs 8pt