"No big deer in Florida". The hunt is on...

[Lostinthewoods]

I was stationed at Hurlburt Field from 2011-2014 and hunted Eglin Range often. I wasn't expecting much at first but like you, pleasantly surprised at the number of deer. I never tagged a good buck but plenty of does. Like you, I was blown away when I saw BIG black bears there...had no idea. Like most, we lived in Navarre and had BIG black bears in our neighborhood hammering the trash cans often. I've killed a few bears in my time and was impressed with the size of those rascals there!

Good luck, I always hunting in Jan/Feb there when most other states were done.

Im at Hurby now. Im one of the rare few who would rather be at Cannon than here.
I am pleasantly surprised with the deer population though. After these few months here, I am confident that I'll be able to really knock them down come October. I've got some really good areas that seem to be crawling with does, so I will be excited to fill the freezer up. It's definitely a target rich environment.

The bear was very impressive and you're right, they are way bigger than I would have ever expected for Florida.
It was very enjoyable and I hope I get to see more in my time here.

If I am able to put this buck down I'll tell you where I got him.... you will get a good laugh.

 

[TheCougar]

Damn dude. You'd rather be at Cannon? I was at Eglin for three years and wasn't a huge fan, but there is no way I'd rather be at cannon. I'd rather crotch punch myself! Good luck on the range! Watch out for the water moccasins in the streams. They'll get you if you're not careful.

 

[sn.outdoors]

Damn dude. You'd rather be at Cannon? I was at Eglin for three years and wasn't a huge fan, but there is no way I'd rather be at cannon. I'd rather crotch punch myself! Good luck on the range! Watch out for the water moccasins in the streams. They'll get you if you're not careful.

I'm with Dan... The panhandle is gross and way too far away from mountains and good elk hunting. Clovis is no fancy location, but the ranchers and locals I met while there made the time well worth it. New Mexico hunting is truly amazing... if you can draw a tag of course.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I'm with Dan... The panhandle is gross and way too far away from mountains and good elk hunting. Clovis is no fancy location, but the ranchers and locals I met while there made the time well worth it. New Mexico hunting is truly amazing... if you can draw a tag of course.

Damn dude. You'd rather be at Cannon? I was at Eglin for three years and wasn't a huge fan, but there is no way I'd rather be at cannon. I'd rather crotch punch myself! Good luck on the range! Watch out for the water moccasins in the streams. They'll get you if you're not careful.

haha crazy isn't it?
Take Clovis out of the equation. That is what gets most people upset about being stationed at Cannon.
I always just looked at it like "as long as I have what I need to get me through the work week, then I'd be fine."

Once the weekend came around it was game on! Like CJ mentioned NM is just absolutely amazing.
Probably similar to AZ, it really satisfies the outdoor adventure's needs! Hiking, camping, fishing and GREAT HUNTING!
There was no limit to what could be done out there.
The other thing about Cannon is I was located next to great whitetail hunting as well. I posted them a few posts back, but I found myself some nice little honey holes in OK. Another perk was is I never drew a tag I could be in CO to OTC hunt in less than 6 hours.

I was going to say another great thing about Cannon is the mission, but this is a hunting site, so I'll keep it focused to that.


Thanks for the snake warning too.... I've heard so much about them and was told by everyone that they are nasty....I still haven't met one yet...
I did buy snake boots though.

 

[Sodbuster]

Great pics from an area I never thought much about for toad Whitetails.
Oklahoma territory looks deery as heck.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Great pics from an area I never thought much about for toad Whitetails.
Oklahoma territory looks deery as heck.

I'll say it once in here and then deny it for the rest of my life... but Oklahoma is a sleeper state!
The last season before I moved I was chasing a deer I had pegged for 180".......




but now that I said that.... THERE ARE NO DEER IN OKLAHOMA

 

[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.

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

I would definitely be there between 12:00 and 3:00 the very first opportunity I got with the right wind. Good Luck !!!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I would definitely be there between 12:00 and 3:00 the very first opportunity I got with the right wind. Good Luck !!!

Thank you!
If the winds are right I'll do all day sits this weekend!
I've got him showing up in a few spots so I can be flexible.

 

[FLAK]

Dang. He's got your #. You need to come in a different way, park farther away.
He got YOU patterned. He's slick!!!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Dang. He's got your #. You need to come in a different way, park farther away.
He got YOU patterned. He's slick!!!

Lol I think in this situation I had my own number!
He's definitely slick though... he didn't get this old for no reason.

He's going to slip up this weekend. I will be there when he does.

 

[Sodbuster]

Lostinthewoods

I'll say it once in here and then deny it for the rest of my life... but Oklahoma is a sleeper state!
The last season before I moved I was chasing a deer I had pegged for 180".......

Agreed. My doctor's son lives there and they hunt there whenever possible.The pics rival anywhere.
But you let the secret out.Lol.

Great bucks you are chasing around.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Agreed. My doctor's son lives there and they hunt there whenever possible.The pics rival anywhere.
But you let the secret out.Lol.

Great bucks you are chasing around.

Did I say Oklahoma, I meant.... TEXAS

Oh and a few of those bucks in the pictures are hanging on my wall as we speak!

 

[KoolBreeze]

He's moving during shooting hours. You'll get him, stay after him.

 

[bcv]

Nice honey hole

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Nice honey hole

Thank you!

He's moving during shooting hours. You'll get him, stay after him.

Im not gonna give up. I spent all last night thinking of this buck....
I'll sleep when he is down or when the season is over. lol

 

[Josh Wright]

Need to get in by 11am and sit rest of day. 3 days and he will be dead.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Up at 3am..... didn't sleep much, I AM PUMPED!
Drinking my morning coffee and checking winds one last time.

The weather is going to be nice and chilly today (for Florida) so I am expecting some deer to be moving.