Wassaw 2008

[tsubaki]

Well we once again tempted fate at hunting whitetail deer on a barrier island.
This is the first thread for you that want to catch up.
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/communit...light=WASSAWAs
As mentioned in the previous thread this type of hunting is not without peril.
Not to forget the heat, cold, rain, rattlesnakes, sandgnats, mosquitoes, poor boating weather or God forbid having boat problems.
See, you must bring everything that you may need to survive for 4 days and nights, and to hunt with primitive weapons. This does mean all food, water and all camp materials you can tote. The only thing afforded to you is the use of the deer cooler to keep the harvest from rotting, everything else, you***8217;re on your own. If you wish to shower, bring such needed stuff, bathe in the river or go without.
This trip the temperatures ranged from 44 to 78 degrees, all in all very pleasant. No thunderstorms, or tropical influences to aggravate us.
We started the first day loading my neighbors boat, first sign of trouble was the batteries acting dead. After cleaning the terminals we are on our way. About half way to the boat ramp his alternator light comes on, I tell him lets go back and check it out. Well, bad alternator so we use my old truck to pull the boat hobo***8217;s to the ramp.
After leaving the ramp we noticed the boat wanted to list excessively on either side as if full of water, well we knew that wasn***8217;t possible and thought it was the amount of weight we loaded in it.
After about a 30-45 minute ride to the islands dock, we unloaded, anchored the boat (you are expected to stream anchor) pitched camp and headed to find a suitable hunting location. Naturally I want to go as far from other hunters as possible, so here we go on a 3 ¼ mile trek. Finding a couple of good possibilities for deer we put the stands up and returned to camp (no hunting allowed on the first day).




While at the prehunt meeting, I kept staring at the boat. One of the game wardens came up behind me and whispered ***8220;is it supposed to float like that?***8221; After telling him ***8220;no***8221; he volunteered to take me to it to see what the problem was. Getting to the boat we could see water was almost 4***8221; from the top of the transom, we got a leak! The boat is too full to run it out with the motor, so I just crank it up and let the bilge run (non automatic) for about an hour till we found the source.
Apparently, during the installation process, they pulled the hose for the bait tank tight and it took till now (as fate would have it) to break the barbed fitting off the pump. Being below the water line it quickly filled the inner bottom and deck with water. After removing the hose and having just enough to reconnect to the broken pump we figured it was best to beach it till we were comfortable with the ***8220;repair***8221;.

[tsubaki]

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

[tsubaki]

Bike carts

Shower

[bradford]

Great post and pics! Should have taken the trusty V though and saved yourself all those headaches. Goodwill was throwing out one of those bike carts, but I got there too late. What kind of fire sticks ya'll shootin'?

[tsubaki]

Took a CVA St Louis Hawken for backup.
I had a CVA MagBolt 150, neighbor had a CVA Hunter Bolt.
All shooting sabots with .4295 Hornady 180gr XTP
Don't know why they call it "primitive" when in-lines, scopes and compounds can be used.
Ought to be percussion, flint, sidelocks, and long or recurve.
At least they won't allow crossbows but then again they are about as primitive as you can get!

It was a toss of the coin to take the V, maybe in a couple of weeks at the gun hunt.

[willy]

Nice job, never been on a hunt in terrain like that, pretty cool

[fishingwithblue]

I just camped on Petite Gauke Island Hammock a couple weekends ago. It was beautiful. We cruised up the ICW from St. Cats during the day. It was a great trip. Those barrier islands we have are amazing. How would one go about getting to hunt Wassaw? I'm trying to get on Ossabaw......I have never hunted on either.

[tsubaki]

blue, there is a 2 year (+) waiting list for Ossabaw, Wassaw quota is a roll of the dice. Applications start in August. Ossabaw is State, Wassaw is Federal (two completely different animals).
The primitive weapons hunt on Wassaw is "walk on", I suggest you try it (with the option to leave early as most new commers do) to see if you want to apply for the gun hunt.
Wassaw has an uncaney ability of very quickly adding certain repeat visitors and even quicker breaking others from ever comming back. THIS IS NOT AN EASY HUNT!
If you really want to pursue this for next year, let me know. I probably can't be more complete and direct than in these two threads.

[fishingwithblue]

I need to re-read your first post, thanks

[tsubaki]

Finally getting to post about the gun hunt 12/11-13.
You are allowed to arrive the day before and must leave before 12 noon Sunday.
Ended up dragging the V (with It's old partner) to the ramp.