A Day with Don D...and some other fine folks...

[Guru]

I'll be back, gotta catch up on some family time....

Besides, I've got plenty of time to share this, and I don't want to leave out any details    

[MJB]

           

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Yea, Curt's hunting hogs in Florida and I'm shoveling a foot of snow out of my driveway.    

We know who the smart one is    Looking forward to the picks buddy, Sounded like allot of fun.

Tracy

[Steve O]

Huh.  That arrow is all red and it is shorter than all the other ones.  Huh.  I wonder what happened   :rolleyes:  

Right from the first post he is "Lambing it" BIG TIME    

     Enjoy the sunshine buddy, enjoy!

[Guru]

And,No...I didn't shoot one of these....

[adeeden]

I really get a kick out of those little cute striped ones!

[hogdancer]

dang it Guru....  if you've got something to say, say it !

[steadman]

Way to go Curt! Bet it's nice down there. Congrats!!

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Good stuff, Curt!

[Shawn Leonard]

Come on bud!! I saw the pic. Shawn

[lpcjon2]

Lets go where's the money shot,or was that someone else bow in the pic

[shortstroke 91]

WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! You can't just leave us in suspense like that! I dig those little ones with the racing stripes.

[BowHuntingFool]

Awwwweesooomeeee!

[pdk25]

Nice job. Pics and story, please.

[Guru]

That's right, I had the pleasure of meeting and hunting with "alligatorDonD", Don Davis while down in Florida for the holidays.I've always thought he had one of the best handles on TG...get it..."Dundee, Don D"...ok,ok....back to hunting.....  

 After reading about some of Don's hunts that he's shared with Don Thomas, in TBM, I knew he was one fella I'd like to meet if I ever got back down to Florida. I shook his hand on Saturday afternoon, and we on our way to some very "sacred" Florida hunting ground....don't even ask me what the name of the club was, because I really don't know...but it's got a long history. Land to hunt in Florida doesn't get much prettier!

I un-loaded my gear and Don into'd me to some of the guys in camp. Camp was typical of old Fl hunting camps that I've been to...

 

 

 

 

 Shortly after meeting all that were in camp that afternoon, we were dressed and off to one of Don's favorite areas to hunt at the club...."the Orange Grove"...old over grown sweet orange trees....

Working our way in....

 

The main course.....

 

Hog sign was abundant and fresh...

 


After checking a stand in there, we got out and slowly creepped around, looking and listening for hogs. We ended up seeing 3 deer, 1 doe, one unknown, and 1 small racked buck. But for whatever reason, we never did even hear a hog that evening despite all the fresh sign....

It was still a great afternoon of hunting with a new friend. After 5 years since my last hunt in Fl, I was again hunting in Fl and loving every minute of it!

Back at camp everyone gathered, some deer were seen, some hogs as well, not shots, but everyone was smiling.

After a gourmet dinner of Don's elk burgers, Craig's pulled pork, topped off with some chocolate cake...we all ended up at the target to shoot a little....

[Benny Nganabbarru]

[Guru]

For some odd reason, I feel like I have to share this(don't ask me why)....    

...So for whatever reason Matt Shuster, had told Don that I was some sort of hot-shot shooter, and Don was letting everyone know. Now anyone that knows me, knows that I do take pride in my shooting, I'm no hot-shot, but I've worked hard over the years to get where I am now. Shooting in front of people doesn't bother me, in fact I really enjoy it. Nor does anyone "breaking my chops" while I'm shooting bother me....I'm usually pretty "cool under fire" so to speak....

So we gather up, several trad shooters, including Jay and Karen Campbell(I'm sure you've read about their adventures in TBM).....

 Now remember, Don's telling everyone that Matt Shuster told him that bla,bla,bla.....

I totally embarrassed myself!  I haven't shot that bad since the last time I was in Florida shooting with TG'er Greg Dudley!  I couldn't believe how bad I shot...I mean my first shot missed the whole bag target from 25yds!  After that I was all over the bag.....usually when I'm a little off...I'm just a little off and within a couple shots things get better....not so this time!

A serious case of "humble pie"!!!!

By the way....Jay Campbell edged out Don D. for the "camp champ" for the night....

The next morning after seeing where the other members where headed as not to bother them, Don and I headed out into a beautiful sunrise....

 

The plan was to sneak around a few spots, then about 8-9ish go stalk a feeder that member dave had told us might be worth checking out.

For my first walkabout of the morning, Don sent me out on my own to sneak around in a big loop and meet him back at the truck.

Didn't see or hear anything as far as hogs, but I did run into this guy....

 

Evil looking little thing...anyone know anything about them?

Hunting these swamps of the south is like walking back in time...so much history, and so much mystery.....

 


 


 We drove back out a little of the way we drove in and got out of the truck to do some still hunting, anf from a distance try to pin point exactly where the feeder was, get the wind right, and sneak in.

After slowly moving and looking several hundred yards, Don figured out exactly where Dave's feeder was. We made a big loop around to the south, got the wind in our favor and slowly moved in from about 300yds.....

[Guru]

Now not knowing how the feeder was set-up, what the cover looked like close around it, even what side of the tree it hung, I was constantly studying the tree/feeder with my bino's as I closed in.  

The closer I got, I could see that the feeder was hung on the back-side of the tree from where I was coming from. But I still had no idea how the cover was around the area, so at about 50yds. I turned and motioned to Don to ask which way....he gave me the ol' palms up and shoulder shrugg, not knowing the feeder himself.....

So little by little I closed in with every step making sure I was making the right decision to work the cover and optomize the wind direction.

At about 40 yds. I started to hear "something" at the feeder and motioned to Don pointing at my ear, then to the feeder...My heart rate was climbing! But that something could be an armadillo, opposum, turkeys, deer......

At about 30yds. I could see I'd made the right decision on the path I took to approach the area. My appoach was silent and the palmetto clumps kept me well hidden.....

At about 25 yds suddenly a hen Osceola busted out and ran for cover...Dang!

But I could still hear movement by the feeder...I crept closer.....

Two more very carefully placed steps around the palmettos revealed a floppy ear...HOGS!!!!

My heart was suddenly hammering in my chest, this is what we live for!  

One more step revealed three adult hogs, and 4-5 little 15 pounders. Don had told me earlier that the club encourages member and guests to only shoot boar hogs, so I had to be careful. Anyone thats ever been around hogs knows that they  never stop moving and can be hard to keep track of. The biggest was without a doubt a sow, she's the first one I saw. One of the other two was definatly a sow as well.  But the other big one was undeniably a boar, and very cool looking reddish black one at that!

 With all the jostling around, it's never easy to get things right for a shot when multiple hogs are involved. But after about 30 very tense seconds a lane opened up and the broadside boar....

I picked my spot low and tight and started to draw my CX shaft, tipped with 300grs. of VPA Terminator, loading the limbs on "Timex", my Kempf Kwyk Styk, hit anchor and as the string started to slip I knew my timing was bad...he stepped forward!

[JoeM]

DOH!!

[JoeM]

Curt, We used to have tons of those little spiders in Louisiana.  We called them jewel spiders, don't remember them being one of the ones to watch out for or any reason to be scared of them. Just real weird looking!!  Joe