My Florida Saga....

[Lostinthewoods]

So I need to go to bed, but I am torn on what I want to do tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the last day of gun season here.
Then the 30th-3rd will be off, followed by late season muzzleloader opening back up. (So I can bow hunt)

Im considering taking my new gun out that I put together early 2016.
I am righty with everything, but I shoot guns lefty.
In the beginning of 2016 I sold my right hand bow and bought a lefty bow.
I also sold off some right hand guns to put together a lefty gun.

Anyways, Im considering taking her out for a final hunt so I can give her a good clean and put her to bed!
Then I will bow hunt the rest of the season.

Pictures of the gun....

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I honestly though this morning was going to be it.
The weather was crisp for Florida (approx 42-44 degrees)

The wind was perfect for this little river crossing spot.
I watched the beautiful sunrise while drinking my coffee and listening to the songbirds.


Around 7 I saw a BLACK BEAR!!!!!! It was about 200 yards out, but I caught his or her movement and rushed for my camera.
I botched the recording a few times, but was able to catch the tail end of him or her running off.

[video=youtube;tT_IitQaB7U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT_IitQaB7U[/video]

If that wasn't cool enough I had 6 does pass by me. 2 came in at first and I could have thwacked them with a bow they were so close.
Then I had 4 more come in thirty minutes later. Once again I botched the recording, but I caught the tail end of them too. :W:


It'll take some getting used to, but I am going to get this recording down.

Anyways, with all the does coming in I was CERTAIN that a buck was going to come in.
I was sitting on pins and needles just waiting for a big old boy to come in.

No dice though. I left my stand around 11 because I wanted to come home and help my wife out. I cleaned the whole house and gave her a nice nap break.
Now I am trying to decide if I want to go bow hunt or rifle hunt this afternoon.


Until then....

 

[Lostinthewoods]

[video=youtube;vOwsFi0YX5A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOwsFi0YX5A[/video]

The does.
It's real hard to see (user error) but there are three.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I don't know how any of you guys hunt, but one of my favorite things to do is hike in hike out with my climber.
I like leaving zero evidence that the area is even hunted because then people don't touch it. I can't tell you how many stands, blinds, scent sticks, etc I've found out here.

Another reason I enjoy this set up is because I can go in as deep as I want and have no boundaries. There have been days where I'll hunt the morning, pack up and hike in even deeper. Or you're able to change on the fly if need be.

It's a good thing I train for elk hunting because even with adding on this extra 15lbs of recording stuff, it's still a breeze.
Sometimes we limit ourselves with how hard we can hunt when we don't train!
I refuse to do that!

Here's a picture of what I packed in this morning and me setup about 25ft up.

 

[rjlefty3]

Great thread! Those are some pretty awesome deer, hope you cross paths with one. I'm rooting for you!

 

[Tufrthnails]

I don't know how any of you guys hunt, but one of my favorite things to do is hike in hike out with my climber.
I like leaving zero evidence that the area is even hunted because then people don't touch it. I can't tell you how many stands, blinds, scent sticks, etc I've found out here.

Another reason I enjoy this set up is because I can go in as deep as I want and have no boundaries. There have been days where I'll hunt the morning, pack up and hike in even deeper. Or you're able to change on the fly if need be.

It's a good thing I train for elk hunting because even with adding on this extra 15lbs of recording stuff, it's still a breeze.
Sometimes we limit ourselves with how hard we can hunt when we don't train!
I refuse to do that!

Here's a picture of what I packed in this morning and me setup about 25ft up.

Man I loved hunting with my Climber......Until I got to use a Lone Wolf Assualt and sticks. The options just explode when it comes to trees you can get in. Added some stealth stripping and stick talons along with a paracord wrap and this thing is stupid quiet.
I ended up buying the LW Alpha for the bigger platform.

I did end up flipping the straps and adding a kidney pad and belt since these pics.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Great thread! Those are some pretty awesome deer, hope you cross paths with one. I'm rooting for you!

Thank you for following along!
What part of Maine are you from? I grew up hunting way up north off the Golden road.
There is just something special about hunting the North Maine woods...

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Man I loved hunting with my Climber......Until I got to use a Lone Wolf Assualt and sticks. The options just explode when it comes to trees you can get in. Added some stealth stripping and stick talons along with a paracord wrap and this thing is stupid quiet.
I ended up buying the LW Alpha for the bigger platform.

I did end up flipping the straps and adding a kidney pad and belt since these pics.

That thing is TRICKED OUT!!! Looks great!!!!
The 550 cord wrap is phenomenal. Definitely a good idea.
I have a lone wolf climber and an XOP climber. (Lone wolf makes the best stuff!)

I've always considered doing the hang ons because I know it opens up more trees that you can sit in.
Do you use one of the life lines to get in?

 

[rjlefty3]

Thank you for following along!
What part of Maine are you from? I grew up hunting way up north off the Golden road.
There is just something special about hunting the North Maine woods...

No way! I'm not far off right now, central Maine around Bangor. I grew up in the NE portion of the state in Aroostook county. Never hunted around the Golden Rd, but I've heard good things. Love that area in general, although I've really only experienced the area around Baxter.

You're right. The woods up here in the fall are tough to beat. But I still miss the mountains the rest of the year!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

No way! I'm not far off right now, central Maine around Bangor. I grew up in the NE portion of the state in Aroostook county. Never hunted around the Golden Rd, but I've heard good things. Love that area in general, although I've really only experienced the area around Baxter.

You're right. The woods up here in the fall are tough to beat. But I still miss the mountains the rest of the year!

I understand completely.... the mountains are the place to be!
What I like about both places is the complete solitude.
There is so much land up there in Maine that you can just get out in the middle of nowhere.
We camp WAY up north near Eagle Lake and Chamberlain lake.

One of these years I am going to draw that dang moose tag!!!

 

[vanish]

Keep at it D!

 

[Tufrthnails]

That thing is TRICKED OUT!!! Looks great!!!!
The 550 cord wrap is phenomenal. Definitely a good idea.
I have a lone wolf climber and an XOP climber. (Lone wolf makes the best stuff!)

I've always considered doing the hang ons because I know it opens up more trees that you can sit in.
Do you use one of the life lines to get in?

The weave is pretty easy once you do a couple I got real bored while in the Army doing the whole hurry up and wait thing and we used to make all kinds of stuff with Paracord. DIYsportsman has a tutorial on youtube which is where I got the idea. I use a HSS bowhunter harness and a lifeline when I'm hunting gut I just use my linemans belt if I am using the sticks to hang cams.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

The weave is pretty easy once you do a couple I got real bored while in the Army doing the whole hurry up and wait thing and we used to make all kinds of stuff with Paracord. DIYsportsman has a tutorial on youtube which is where I got the idea. I use a HSS bowhunter harness and a lifeline when I'm hunting gut I just use my linemans belt if I am using the sticks to hang cams.

I've spent many of playing with paracord (AF here).
Im pretty sure I have a few hundred yards of it somewhere in one of my hunting boxes.
I'll go find it and mess around with my stands! It looks great and I bet it reduces noise a bunch.

Keep at it D!

Thanks, R! I appreciate you showing me this site.
I can't wait to run a 2017 Journal. Im gonna hold out a little more to start it.

 

[Tufrthnails]

I've spent many of playing with paracord (AF here).
Im pretty sure I have a few hundred yards of it somewhere in one of my hunting boxes.
I'll go find it and mess around with my stands! It looks great and I bet it reduces noise a bunch.





Thanks, R! I appreciate you showing me this site.
I can't wait to run a 2017 Journal. Im gonna hold out a little more to start it.

Cool post up your results I used a cobra weave on the LW. I love the tactile feel on the edge of the stand.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

This is going to be a very long week.
The last part of the season opens Saturday and goes until the 14th.

Temps are good for here, reports are bucks are moving, and I am just READY!!!
I'm hoping the winds change a bit so I can check cameras on Thursday.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Hi...... remember me?
The guy who thought it was smart to go use my rifle on the last day of the rifle season in a different area than where my big buck is?

Im on an emotional rampage right now and VERY mad at myself, but let me tell it as a story instead of just turbo posting.


So I sat in my stand all Saturday. I got down at dark and left...

Here I am




Well.... look who came to play an hour later.....







COOL! As I review my camera today I am like " THIS IS GREAT, HE IS STILL HERE..."

So now is where I got hit by the emotional MACK TRUCK... HEAD FIRST.

For those of you following you know I moved here in October, started scouting hard, found some big sheds, found some solid deer areas, saved spots for the rut, the big buck starts showing up as planned...... AND THEN I FRIGGEN GO RIFLE HUNTING IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPOT ON SUNDAY????? WHAT WAS I FRIGGEN THINKING.... RAGE


Hey..... look a doe



HEY LOOK WHO CAME IN RIGHT AFTER HER 15 YARDS IN FRONT OF MY STAND









ARGHHHHHHHH THE JOYS OF HUNTING.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

AHHHHHHHHHHH

Anyways.... here are some more new pictures of this fricken STUD!!!!!









LOOK AT THIS GUY!!!!!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Plan and simple.... I am an idiot for not going back out.
We live and learn though, right?

The season opens back up Saturday and will go until the 14th. I will be out there hunting SMART AND HARD every day I can.
Im even shifting my New Mexico barbary sheep hunt to the right so I can focus on this bad boy for for the rest of the season.....


Anyways, I am super pumped he's alive and still running around. He won't be much longer.
He's got it all: length, width, and mass. He's a DANDY for Florida and I would gladly shoot this buck ANYWHERE.

 

[Mudranger1]

ALWAYS GO OUT! man I miss those woods

 

[Lostinthewoods]

ALWAYS GO OUT! man I miss those woods

I will not make that mistake again!!!!