Panhandle buck
Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:45 pm
Hadn't checked in in a while so I'll go ahead and add a bit of a tale and some pictures to back it up.
Last Thursday afternoon I went to my old shooting house here on our place and watched several deer come out of the woods and enter the food plot. All were does, big yearlings and a couple of fawns that were still trying to nurse. Our rut is about to get serious but hasn't cranked up full speed just yet. Been seeing a lot of small bucks, a bunch of spikes and only a couple of larger one on the cameras.
The woods are still a mess since Hurricane Michael 16 months ago and deer patterns have changed a bit to accommodate their traveling ease. Last season was very slow. This year it looks a bit more promising as I have already killed a doe on the lease property.
This buck showed up around New Years according to the camera stamp: Last Thursday afternoon he walked out of the woods on the east side of the food plot opposite from where the "girls" came out. There was still about 15 minutes of legal shooting time. It was overcast, the light was fading but I took a crack at him anyhow. At the shot he jumped and ran into the pines and it looked like he traveled on through the downed pines as there were several "flags" heading west. I drove the cart back to the house and got the dog and proceeded to have her go completely nuts with all the deer scent. I found a small bit of blood on the green Rye grain plants and then another small drop or two and lost the blood trail with the flash light. The dog wouldn't pay any attention to the blood.
Replaying all this in my mind and seeing the small amount of blood I came to the conclusion that I had just cut the deer and one of the flags running through the pines was his. I hate to cripple a deer, they deserve better. I was almost convinced that I had just cut him with a bad shot and he would heal up and hair over.
The next morning right after coffee, I took the dog back to the woods and again showed her the blood spot. I had actually broke off a Dog Fennel stem and stuck it in the dirt by the blood the night before. Well this time she goes straight to the next blood spot I had found and then walks about 30 yards into the downed pines and looks back at me. For some reason the buck didn't hardly bleed? There was the entry hole and there was an exit hole and the autopsy showed part of a lung and the liver blown up but he was full of blood when I opened him up. I guess stranger things have happened.
Was able to salvage everything but the liver, was blessed as the evening was not that cool.
Here are a couple of pictures after the recovery: This is the one I hope to see as the rut continues to increase. Looks like maybe a 10 point? The does are not showing a lot of color on their hind legs yet. The deer will still be rutting when the season closes at the end of February.
A little update from Starvation Plantation in the Florida Panhandle, y'all have a blessed day!
Treefarmer
Last Thursday afternoon I went to my old shooting house here on our place and watched several deer come out of the woods and enter the food plot. All were does, big yearlings and a couple of fawns that were still trying to nurse. Our rut is about to get serious but hasn't cranked up full speed just yet. Been seeing a lot of small bucks, a bunch of spikes and only a couple of larger one on the cameras.
The woods are still a mess since Hurricane Michael 16 months ago and deer patterns have changed a bit to accommodate their traveling ease. Last season was very slow. This year it looks a bit more promising as I have already killed a doe on the lease property.
This buck showed up around New Years according to the camera stamp: Last Thursday afternoon he walked out of the woods on the east side of the food plot opposite from where the "girls" came out. There was still about 15 minutes of legal shooting time. It was overcast, the light was fading but I took a crack at him anyhow. At the shot he jumped and ran into the pines and it looked like he traveled on through the downed pines as there were several "flags" heading west. I drove the cart back to the house and got the dog and proceeded to have her go completely nuts with all the deer scent. I found a small bit of blood on the green Rye grain plants and then another small drop or two and lost the blood trail with the flash light. The dog wouldn't pay any attention to the blood.
Replaying all this in my mind and seeing the small amount of blood I came to the conclusion that I had just cut the deer and one of the flags running through the pines was his. I hate to cripple a deer, they deserve better. I was almost convinced that I had just cut him with a bad shot and he would heal up and hair over.
The next morning right after coffee, I took the dog back to the woods and again showed her the blood spot. I had actually broke off a Dog Fennel stem and stuck it in the dirt by the blood the night before. Well this time she goes straight to the next blood spot I had found and then walks about 30 yards into the downed pines and looks back at me. For some reason the buck didn't hardly bleed? There was the entry hole and there was an exit hole and the autopsy showed part of a lung and the liver blown up but he was full of blood when I opened him up. I guess stranger things have happened.
Was able to salvage everything but the liver, was blessed as the evening was not that cool.
Here are a couple of pictures after the recovery: This is the one I hope to see as the rut continues to increase. Looks like maybe a 10 point? The does are not showing a lot of color on their hind legs yet. The deer will still be rutting when the season closes at the end of February.
A little update from Starvation Plantation in the Florida Panhandle, y'all have a blessed day!
Treefarmer