My best night out alone in the spooky swamp

[South MS Bowhunter]

 

 

[Possum Head]

We're still waiting!

[South MS Bowhunter]

Got to Lower Pascagoula WMA and turned on to Deep  Slough Road, checked in at permit station and parked the FJ just out of the way of any possible through traffic, not that I expected any seeing it was already past 10pm.

I had already decided to just hunt the area around the main road and up under Deep Slough bridge as I knew the area and being by myself didnt won’t to take any chance of getting lost searching out a new area in the swamp at night    :eek:  

The last time in I had missed a big Bull at the head of the slough just off the road, so I ease into the wood near the area where he was known to hang out..

[South MS Bowhunter]

I scanned the area with my STREAMLIGHT Stinger my son had bought me 2 years ago for Christmas it a bright light with 3 different power settings and rechargeable a plus for Frog hunting if you plan on spending a lot of time out at night.

   

My set up was to use the STREAMLIGHT to locate the frogs and when in position to shoot I switch on the Coleman headlight to attempt the shot, seems to work ok for now, when by myself.

   

[South MS Bowhunter]

As I scanned the area no frog showed itself but I did locate a large fresh water eel approximately 3’ long, wish I would of thought to snap a picture of it as it was kind of unique.

The swamp is a very enchanting place to be, during the day the oak bottoms forms a boundary with a mixture of oaks, sweet gums, beech, and assorted hardwood.  The Spanish moss give it that distinctive southern ambiance.

   

   

The swamp itself although enchanting demand your respect... very easy to get lost in as every cypress tree looks like the last one and you need to be sure of every step as those long sliding things are about, and thats just in the daylight.

   

   

[Possum Head]

Cant hardly wait to waller in it tonight. We're gonna whackem pal! Yehaa

[Possum Head]

Oh and nice photos.Ever wish your shootin was as good as your photography. Just pickin man lightin up!

[South MS Bowhunter]

As I scanned the area no frog showed itself in the spot I thought it would, so I moved on slowly searching the banks on both side of the strip or finger of land I was on.

As I cleared a tree a few feet further there hunched ahead of me sat a large frog a good 8' off the bank.

You think the frogs are going to be sitting in the water on the edge, and they are a lot of times, but experience has taught me to look way beyond the waters edge especially if you're walking a strip of land that separates two body of water.

I moved to get into position and switched my light off and then switched on the headlight and slid it around so it was just above my Left eye so when I turned my head to shoot the beam would align and centered on the frog.

So far so good as I drew back and the shot felt good I released to hear that most satisfying sound of “P0P” much like a ballon popping and in reality it is as the 3 prong “pitchfork” let the air out of the gut of the frog.

   

[Tajue17]

you won't catch anyone from Boston walking around in that mess at night, ha ha ha.. don't you have gators down there, plus all those brown widows you'd be walking into..

[South MS Bowhunter]

Gators

 

and Snakes of different variety

 

[South MS Bowhunter]

I managed to take 3 frogs off this first strip of land between the sloughs...

 

 

[Roger Norris]

Dang.....snakes!  

[Possum Head]

Hey Ted, you wont catch folks down here walking around in that mess either and that's exactly why we're doin all the killin. Hope it stays that way. There are snakes and gators but so far we remain the most feared!!

[Doc Nock]

Everytime this ole boy starts a thread...I just HAVE to read it... but... Good gravey, Gertie!

Them snakes is enough to worry a body. Like Roger...my reaction would be:    

[South MS Bowhunter]

Me and Possum Head (Kirk) is prepping to go again tonight, we plan on meeting at around 9:30 pm and working some new areas of the slough.

After making my way back to the permit station I headed to the other side of the road where another trail branched off and runs parallel with Deep Slough. You get a mind picture that Deep Slough is a single body of water that is just smaller than say a river, but that not the case there are many smaller tributaries that branch out and are separated by little ribbons of land.

It is a maze of mud, blow downs, submerged logs, tangles and water.  In this eco system the frog live  along with the other eh critters  

[South MS Bowhunter]

Thanks Doc for the comments...I walked down the trail away to cover enough water I thought would take an hour or so to hunt and turned back into the maze to start looking.

Within the next hour or so I saw some 13 frogs of eating proportion  and it seemed like my shooting was exceptional for the night.

 

[Possum Head]

Patience, neh, I wanna kill somethin!

[South MS Bowhunter]

In all told I shot 11 bullfrogs of good size (now they weren't all shot with a single shot, if you know what I mean      
 
   

   


   

   

[South MS Bowhunter]

 

[Lefty]

That looks like some good eating!  Great shooting too!  Could you have shot and eaten that fresh water eel?  When I was younger, we used to catch a few on trotlines on the Mississippi and would skin and fry them up with the catfish.  They were always delicious!  But, they weren't as big as the one you saw.