Two Weeks in the Swamps (The Horse Creek Hunt)

[gregg dudley]

Great story, Chris! COngratulations on the animals you killed!

[Landshark160]

Tuesday, October 27th
 Day 9

 Morning:   I hunted a white oak tree up on the hill that Robert and I had found earlier.  Robert had already hunted here several times, and said he was tired of looking at it.  Shortly after daylight, it began to rain.  It was just a light rain, so I decided to sit it out and hoped that it would pass.  Well, it didn’t, and pretty soon the rain started to accumulate and began dripping off the leaves in the trees.  Before I knew it, I was soaked, and figured I may as well ride it out and see what happened.  It was all for naught, as I didn’t see anything the entire morning.

 Afternoon:   With heavy rain moving in, I decided to head home to get a good nights rest.

[Landshark160]

Wednesday, October 28th
 Day 10

 Afternoon:   I missed the morning hunt, but made it back in time for the evening hunt.  Again, I hunted the white oak.  When I parked the truck and got out, I took a 4 or 5 practice shots before I headed to the tree.  I got into the stand and was setting up my camera when I heard, and then glanced up and saw, a deer running off.  It had been coming in and had seen my movement.  I looked at my watch, and it was 4:27.  If I had been there 5 minutes earlier, I may have gotten a crack at this one.  Maybe I shouldn’t have taken those practice shots.

Nothing else happened until right at dark.  I first heard, then saw a deer coming in.  It came head on to me, and then at about 15 yards, locked up.  I don’t know if it got a whiff of me or maybe caught my movement as I tried to get into position to shoot.  It spooked back to the edge of the branch, and then walked off to my right.  A few minutes later, I heard deer come running into the branch.  There may have been more, but I could only make out two.  They passed in front of me headed to my right.  A second later, one of them trotted back the way it had come from, and I could hear the other one continue walking around on my right side.  I waited a good 5 minutes after I couldn’t hear them anymore, and started coming down.  When I was about half way down the tree, I had two more deer blow at me off in another direction.  I slipped out as quietly as possible, hoping I hadn’t spooked them too bad.  I left my stand on the tree and planned to return in the morning.

[Landshark160]

Thursday, October 29th
 Day 11

 Morning:   I got back into the branch and was settled in WAY before daylight.  I wanted to make sure everything was calmed down by the time it got shooting light.  At about 8:15, I heard a squirrel barking up the branch about 75 yards away.  I had a feeling something was about to happen, so I went ahead and stood up.  I kept watching the firebreak that ran along the edge, and in just a minute, saw a deer approaching.  I turned the camera on and started videoing.  About the time I got the camera going, a squirrel in the branch right in front of me started barking at her.  She had white oak acorns on her mind, and came straight in to the tree.  I filmed her for about 11 minutes, and 10 of those minutes she was inside 10 yards.  There were a lot of limbs and leaves in between us, so I waited patiently for the perfect shot.  She finally got in the clear, and broadside at about 10 yards.  I drew to anchor, but just as I hit full draw she turned towards me.  I had to let back down.  Around and around she fed.  She kept getting closer, and soon she was less than 5 yards from my tree.  The way she was headed, if she walked past the white oak, she would cross where I had walked into the tree.  I didn’t want to shoot her that close, but I couldn’t take a chance on her busting me.  She finally got turned right at 4 yards, and once again I drew the Predator to the corner of my mouth.  My heart was pounding.  The 10 minute wait for the perfect shot had put a strain on my nerves.  I tried my best to hold it all together.  I really bared down on a spot, and this is what happened.

 VIDEO:    

(I kept scratching because the sand gnats were tearing my head up.)

 

 Afternoon:   I hunted once again at Warren’s oak.  The wind was perfect.  Right at dark I heard what sounded like two deer tearing their way through the thick brush along the edge of the branch.  Once they got in, I heard just a little bit of walking in the leaves, and then, nothing.  They were about 35 yards away, and I never saw them.  I waited a full 10 minutes before climbing down, and didn’t spook anything.  I guess they moved off without me knowing it.

[Landshark160]

Friday, October 30th
 Day 12

 Morning:   This morning I decided to hunt the swamp chestnut where Lance had hunted Monday evening.  I got in there early and climbed with my hooks.  The acorns were falling good all morning, but nothing ever came in.

 Midday:   I checked the red oak where Lance had hunted down near Staves.  The water had dropped out enough that I could get back in there.  The red oak wasn’t showing much sign, but there were a lot of tracks at the swamp chestnut right next to it.  

 Afternoon:   I came back to camp, took a shower, and returned to hunt the chestnut.  It rained just a little bit, and then eased off.  I really expected to see something, but I sat until dark and nothing ever showed.

[Landshark160]

Saturday, October 31st
 Day 13

 Morning:   That brings us back to where we started.  I had left my stand in the tree yesterday afternoon, and returned this morning for my final sit.  There was too much sign here for me not to see anything, but that’s exactly what happened.  I stayed until 10:00, but it was a dry haul.  

I returned to camp, broke my gear down, loaded the truck, and headed home.  I’m really looking forward to next year’s hunt.


                         THE END

[Jerry Wald]

WOW great hunt...some nice animals there and some good patiience

Jer BEar

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Good job Chris, you had a good hunt!  Nice videos and photos.