Georgia island 3 1/2 year old spike

[Forkieslayer]

Well my buddy and I are finishing up a deer hunt on sapelo island Georgia. This was a quota hunt we drew together and it turned out interesting. This is an island south of Savannah that you have to take a ferry to and drove in on a trailer with a tractor. The population is the interesting part. Everyone told us you don’t go there expecting a giant it’s for the adventure. You are dropped off early in the morning and picked up a few hours later by trailer. On the trailer there are 10-20 others and everyone has their own spot. They try to explain the population problem and try to urge you to shoot the first deer you see. You are given two tags for the trip and as many hogs you want. The 2nd morning my friend shot a spike and I shot a 7 point. The size of the deer is comical. They have a biologist at camp ready to record the deer data. We gutted both deer out in the field due to Georgia heat and since we had to wait for the trailer. My 7 point ended up weighing in at 62 pounds and the spike at 42 pounds. The interesting part is my 7 point was 2 1/2 and the spike was 3 1/2. Even more interesting there has been bucks shot that age at 3-4 that weigh 125 pounds. The manager of the preserve stated the deer will breed somewhat throughout the year but mostly during October timeline. This hunt was one of the most enjoyable hunts I have been on due to it being such a different hunt and feels like it’s a completely different subspecies of whitetail. One of the bucks that was killed was a 3 point and aged at 6 1/2. I will surely be back to Sapelo island with a bow again.

 

[Webster912]

Awesome you got to hunt there. I live on St Simons Island, GA. Deer don't get very big in these parts.

 

[Forkieslayer]

Oh yeah, normally small deer is the only option I have. I actually live in Folkston Ga myself so a little bigger deer but still small. These deer on the island has amazed me though. It’s fun seeing all the tracks on the beach.

 

[Forkieslayer]

The best part is today I’m on an island and in two weeks I’ll be on my first Elk hunt. It’s been a great year so far.

 

[4090Sharps]

Thanks for sharing your experience! That looks like a great time.

I’ve been saving and building all of my GA preference points for quota hunts, and the island deer and hog hunts are high on my list of hunts to participate in. I just need to find the time to get back there…

 

[Carr5vols]

My son has hunted the youth hunt there and connected. Nothing like being in a stand and hearing waves crash...

 

[Horns]

Cool. I am in Georgia as well. Never been hunting on the barrier islands

 

[Swamp Fox]

Love the Spanish Moss pic. I'd steal it for my home screen if I hadn't already lucked into a trail-cam red fox on a swamp fire break.

: )

Spanish Moss has taken a real hit up here. It has vanished from places I loved to see it growing up.

 

[Webster912]

Love the Spanish Moss pic. I'd steal it for my home screen if I hadn't already lucked into a trail-cam red fox on a swamp fire break.

: )

Spanish Moss has taken a real hit up here. It has vanished from places I loved to see it growing up.

You like like Red Bugs? LOL

 

[Swamp Fox]

You like like Red Bugs? LOL

I love all God's creatures .... LOL ...

 

[Mudpuddle]

I've done the Sapelo muzzleloader hunt a couple of times and love it, except for the mosquitos. First morning I was there I hid inside of my rain jacket like a shelter to escape them. When that failed, I paced back and forth on the trail to try to outrun them. Needless to say, I didn't see anything that morning. The second time I was there I learned my lesson and brought a thermacell.

Congrats on the buck! That's a good one for Sapelo.

 

[MallardSX2]

Very cool!

 

[Northpark]

Looks like a cool hunt. And I thought our coues deer were tiny!

 

[Sizthediz]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing

 

[WDO]

Pretty fun trip. I went on that hunt with my dad's buddy when I was a freshman in highschool. I shot a button buck on the second day.

 

[FLS]

Congrats on a very cool hunt. We have a similar one here in SC.

 

[Drdarby45]

Bucket list trip!

 

[doc holiday13]

You have blaze orange requirements on a controlled archery hunt????

 

[Mudpuddle]

You have blaze orange requirements on a controlled archery hunt????

It's a muzzleloader hunt with archery allowed.

 

[FearedFactor]

Congrats on the successful Sapelo hunt, I've been there on a few archery Quota hunts, killed a few does, but no bucks. I'm from Georgia and I've never seen weather change so abruptly as I have on Sapelo Island, but that's what makes it such a good story.