St. Vincent Sambar Deer

[kpenglish77]

After several years of putting in for this hunt I was lucky and blessed enough to get drawn. For a Texas boy going solo without a boat this will be a fun challenge. Bugs, gators, snakes, low odds.....whats not to like! Scoured the Internet for videos and message boards on this hunt, but if anybody has any experience or helpful info it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JDeanP]

If you want to take the hunt seriously, and want to hunt hard, hunt the east side. Only one stag was killed last year, it was on the east side and close to the water. GW wouldn’t let the hunter get his boat in there, so he and a buddy had to slog it in through thigh deep (and deeper) mud. It was a massive effort for a spike stag, but still very cool.

If you want to have fun in a cool place, and fart around, possibly shoot some raccoons (there are no pigs left), the west side is just fine.

Get there as early as you can, scout as much as you can, and be willing to go further into the uncomfortable places. They have killed them from the west side, but most of it is on the east. If you can bring an e-bike, a trailer, and I would advocate for a sled, bring them and a way to recharge your bike daily. Bring a way to carry a lot of water. It can get quite hot, and busting through the muggy swamp without water is asking for trouble.

Bring multiple thermacells. If I had to ditch water or my thermacell, I’m drinking swamp water. I may get the squirts, but I won’t have skeeter bites on my gooch.

 

[JDeanP]

Also, what’s your plan without a boat? You can make the west side in a kayak, or a canoe, I’ve done both. You aren’t getting to the east side without a boat or a looong walk.

 

[kpenglish77]

Also, what’s your plan without a boat? You can make the west side in a kayak, or a canoe, I’ve done both. You aren’t getting to the east side without a boat or a looong walk.

I already chartered a local guide to get me to the east side. Definitely bringing a bike.

 

[JDeanP]

I haven’t camped on the east side, but have multiple times on the west. Obviously don’t camp below the high tide mark, but if you can set up in the open and not under the trees, there should be enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes down while in camp. It’ll also help for drying out the rotation of hunting clothes during the day in direct sun. There’s too much condensation to dry clothes at night without a fire, so keep that in mind if dry clothes are a priority.

I don’t have much advice about specific spots on that end of the island, but if you have specific questions about weather, humidity, camp tips, etc, feel free to ask. Most anyone with a honey hole wouldn’t offer that up, but only a jerk wouldn’t give advice on staying comfortable in camp.

If you have a lot of time available, you might consider buying one of the earlier (October?) otc deer tags. I try to go every year, sambar tags or not, to learn the island better. It’s honestly one of my favorite places to hunt. It’s a very unique place/experience. Being able to get an extra weekend to scout and get the lay of the place is very beneficial. A dry run on camp setup, conditions, bike shakedown, etc. will make the sambar hunt that much smoother.

One more super important piece of advice that I highly suggest you take to heart…when you leave after the hunt, absolutely stop at the Indian Pass restaurant and have some oysters and cold beverages. I look forward to my stop there on the way out about as much as the hunt itself on the way in.

 

[kpenglish77]

I haven’t camped on the east side, but have multiple times on the west. Obviously don’t camp below the high tide mark, but if you can set up in the open and not under the trees, there should be enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes down while in camp. It’ll also help for drying out the rotation of hunting clothes during the day in direct sun. There’s too much condensation to dry clothes at night without a fire, so keep that in mind if dry clothes are a priority.

I don’t have much advice about specific spots on that end of the island, but if you have specific questions about weather, humidity, camp tips, etc, feel free to ask. Most anyone with a honey hole wouldn’t offer that up, but only a jerk wouldn’t give advice on staying comfortable in camp.

If you have a lot of time available, you might consider buying one of the earlier (October?) otc deer tags. I try to go every year, sambar tags or not, to learn the island better. It’s honestly one of my favorite places to hunt. It’s a very unique place/experience. Being able to get an extra weekend to scout and get the lay of the place is very beneficial. A dry run on camp setup, conditions, bike shakedown, etc. will make the sambar hunt that much smoother.

One more super important piece of advice that I highly suggest you take to heart…when you leave after the hunt, absolutely stop at the Indian Pass restaurant and have some oysters and cold beverages. I look forward to my stop there on the way out about as much as the hunt itself on the way in.

10-4 thanks for the tips. I'm going to spend a couple nights in the Apalachicola/Port St. Joe area prior to the hunt and hammer some oysters, local seafood and definitely some cold ones. Indian Pass is #1 on my list.

I'm going into the hunt knowing the low odds and difficulty but the experience will be awesome regardless if I harvest a Sambar or not. I'm lucky just to have been drawn.

I'm looking at setting up shop somewhere on that southeast part of the island where all the lakes are.

 

[kpenglish77]

......for my hunting spot, not camp.