Cajun Getaway

[LimBender]

You yanks did have plenty of hang!

I was only around for 2 days, but it was great hanging out and gaining weight with you guys from the constant Bacchanalian feasting put on by Fred.

Jeff, hah, I wonder why you have no pictures.            

Sorry I missed you Kip!

[Whip]

Before climbing up I had to stop to take off my boots and pour out a couple of gallons of water.  A pair of tennis shoes would have been easier.  But I was there, and ready to finally hunt.
The view from the stand.
 

As I waited this pair were the first to come by.

 

Shortly later I looked up the slough a little further and actually saw a deer swim across.  Too far for a picture, but she was headed toward the igh ground in front of me.  Alas, she must have gone the other way, or maybe just bedded down when she reached high ground.  I never saw her again.

Jeff was sitting in a stand on the edge of the trees right were the little green patch is in this picture.  Just at dusk I could see two deer in the green patch.  I hadn't brought binoculars, and couldn't tell what they were, but knew they had to be right under him.

 

[LimBender]

Classic foreshadowing was my Dad saying, hrmm, this is going to be harder in the dark.  

[Bernie B.]

Great story Joe!  I really enjoy your pictures.  This is a hunt you will always remember!

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

[ti-guy]

[Rick Richard]

This makes me home sick since I grew up in the Baton Rouge area with a bunch of my relatives living in that neck of the woods in this story.

I can attest that cajun hospitality is awesome and the food cant be matched...anywhere.

Y'all are making me hungry!

[Whip]

The ride out on the tractor had been pretty darn cool.  I mean really, how many people can say they have been driven to their stands riding in the bucket of a tractor through 2-3 feet of water?  It was a trip to remember!

The fun part was yet to come though.  Al knows his property well, and in the daylight had no problem staying on the road.  But with the bucket full of people in front of him the headlights didn't shine out front, so he had to turn them off and rely on our headlamps and flashlights to illuminate the way.  Let's just say that didn't work quite as well....

The first time the tractor wandered off into the ditch Al was eventually able to manuver it back out by pushing backwards with the bucket.  Of course that meant that we had to get out while he worked, and Jeff was quick to find out what full boots feel like.

Eventually we were back on our way though, and it was all just part of the adventure.  Until the tractor wandered off the road again, this time right where a culvert cut under it.  There would be no getting this one out, and we were left to wade our way back toward the truck.

 

 

[Rick Richard]

Forgot to mention that when I used to hunt the swamps nobody wore knee high boots.  It was either hip boots or waders.  Knee high boots were like camp slippers. LOL

[longbowben]

Are you deer hunting or carp hunting.Wow how do you hunt in that much water.

[Kip]

Will same here but glad I got to meet your dad and we talked about the Ville Platte connection.I had heard about the bucket ride did not know it was on your bucket list Joe.
Rick camp slippers  

[Bow man]

Lots of great smiles in those pictures. And a bunch of great memories made

[LimBender]

It wasn't that wet everywhere. I was actually hunting a fairly dry turnip patch and missed a dang doe that evening, though I don't know how we would have gotten her out.  Joe and Jeff told me I had to have an excuse, so it is that I was shooting a bow I had just gotten a week before - I REALLY didn't think there was much chance of any shooting going into this hunt.      

Jeff also had a couple fawns come right under his stand.  So we all saw deer despite nature's best efforts.  
 
My dad is still working on the tractor hydraulics(it's all my fault on that one)!   Needless to say we did not hunt the next day, and that also put a big punctuation mark on my deer season!

Hey, at least it wasn't cold. . . .     :D

[awbowman]

That’s a true story guys, A 500 YEAR STORM hit St. Landry Parish that week!  We spoke to people that have lived there all their lives and never seen the water levels like this.  Ten days before, the small tributaries leading to the bayous and all our lease had been bone DRY.  But then "Bad Weather Joe" embarks on the trip and it was downhill from there on.  It seems that bad weather follows this guy like the plague. Everything from blizzards of the century to freak storms in Texas, the guy has been there.

Joe, that's a picture for the wall with you and Jeff in the front end loader.  As for me, I was back at the camp high and dry drinking a cold one and pot roasting teal for the night’s meal.  God is great! lol

BTW, If y'all haven't caught on Will Huguet is Limbbender on the site.  I have hunted a good many times with Will and Al at their place and it truly is a little slice of heaven.  I want to thank them for going beyond the call of duty to get them in on a hunt.

Awesome!!!!!!

Nothin' like a good cajun meal!

WOW, did it rain or what?

Be watching this one to hear all the rest.

Congrats on a great time had, even when the hunt was somewhat waterlogged!

Bisch

[awbowman]

Originally posted by LimBender:
......Jeff, hah, I wonder why you have no pictures.                    

Rule #1 for deer hunting in St. Landry Parish - DO NOT put your camera in your pant front pocket unless it's waterproof

[tippit]

As you can see in the picture toward my stand, I think it was the only ground ABOVE the water line.  I did see three deer with a button buck & doe fawn right under me for a good 45 minutes.  I did get some Pictures of them....But I forgot to put my camera back in my pack.  No worry I was dry so my front pocket would be fine!  

Sitting in the tractor bucket on the ride back with Will on one side & Joe on the other, I was nice an comfy ie...Dry.  Until we hit the ditch!  When we finally got back to camp and changed into dry clothes, I realized my camera wasn't water proof  :rolleyes:

[awbowman]

Joe, I think there was a trip to meet a special knife maker in there somewhere.  Do you have pics?

[Whip]

We eventually made our way back to the truck and high ground, leaving broken down equipment literally in our wake.  Jeff and I both felt really bad to be the cause of so much trouble.  I am glad to hear there was no permanent damage done, but just changing out all the fluids and all of the time and effort Al put in on our behalf was a bit humbling.  We are forever grateful, and certainly have some memories that will never fade!

When we arrived back at Al's camp we found the party in full swing.  Fred had demonstrated that he was indeed more than just an organizer and supervisor, and had stepped in as chef of the evening.  The pot roasted teal was delectible!

 

As Fred said, Al's camp is for certain a slice of heaven right in the middle of Louisiana. We spent the night there and then messed around the next day setting some crawfish traps and doing a little stump (mud) shooting around camp.
 

 

 

 

[LAMADMAN]

I would have loved to come by and meet you guys but I was on a trip to Alabama. We always have a good time at Freds place.
That rain was something else. It started on tues. morning and rained every day til the following Wed. with only a couple short breaks.

[longbowben]

The food looks outstanding.This looks like a great time nice pictures.Never had a tractor ride to my treestand before.