Coolest hunt ever! Blackbeard Island

[KentuckyTJ]

After getting back to camp and kicking the sand covered boots off to let the dogs air out a bit, we all ate some lunch and sat back to rest for some time. At 2:30 I gathered all my gear back up and headed out the road again to our middle trail. After a 30 minute walk I was slipping into the palmetto blind. A quick check of my shooting lanes and after drawing my bow and visualizing a shot opportunity I settled in and waited for the deer to follow the previous nights wonderings (sandy ground is great, I had smoothed it out in a few spots and knew the tracks were fresh from the night before). At around 5 I turned to look left down the road again and saw nothing, then turned slowly to the right OH a deer in the road. She was about 25 yards and picking along on the berries on the opposite side of the road and headed my way.

There was a very thick palmetto between me and the deer and I grabbed the Nitro and readied for the shot. She kept coming and stepped up in the road about 15 yards out. When she reached my shooting window directly in front of my setup, I drew and bleated to her softly. She stopped and looked right at me and the arrow was off. At 5 yards the shaft seemed to hit her instantly. My shot was a bit high and on a 40 pound deer two inches is a lot.

She dropped in the sand. I quickly dispatched her and then pulled the camera from my pack and snapped a few quick shots so I could get her off the road. We had 5 tags and I still had an hour of daylight.

 

 

 

I got her gutted quickly and sat back in my hide. The rest of the evening was uneventful and at dark I stepped out into the road to see Tracy just down the way. She walked up and we swapped the evenings events before gathering our gear for the walk back. I threw the massive beast on my shoulders Mike Mitten style and walked it backed to camp like a man (Only because Tracy said I couldn't do it).

[SheltonCreeker]

Great story TJ! Thanks for sharing. Those deer sure are a lot smaller than what you normally pose with! Congrats.

Awesome so far! Those are some small deer!

Congrats TJ and Bill!

Bisch

[Hawken1911]

Congratulations!

[Keith Zimmerman]

Congrats!

[Tim]

Very cool guys, congrats.    

[bowhunterfrompast]

Congrats            

[KentuckyTJ]

Thanks guys! There is more to come. Joe should be getting home today I believe and Jeff has just started a hunt in Ohio and Rob has some great stuff to come also. Keep an eye on this one.

[zipper bowss]

I did not take a tree stand on this hunt but I sure will next time. There were a few trees around that were big enough I could make due.
 

[thump]

I slept in this morning, keep it coming.

[zipper bowss]

Hunting so close to the beach was a unique experience. Joe found a great new bicycle helmet on one trip to the beach.
 
We also found the remains of a rather large turtle that had washed up long ago.
   

[KentuckyTJ]

I love that pic of you in the tree Bill! You should print an 8x10 if that and give it to Trace for Christmas!

[zipper bowss]

A couple of more beach pictures.
 
 

[Tsalt]

   Enjoying the story guys!  Thanks for sharing such a cool experience with us!   Congrats on the two deer down so far.

[Whip]

My camp mates have done an outstanding job with their stories and photos.  It's hard to compete with the likes of the photography skills shown here but I will add a few.  

I did see a few deer during my trip, and had my chances at a couple of them but no arrows were launched.  The main reason I had come was for the chance to explore what to me is an exotic location and it filled a long time dream of setting foot on a place I had read stories about years ago.  To be able to do it with a fine group of PBS members was really icing on the cake.  

I can't begin to describe how special this place is and the feelings it evokes while walking its paths.  Pictures are worth a thousands words they say, so I will let them do most of my talking.  

 

 

 

This was my favorite stand location of the trip.  Although I never did see a deer there, tracks indicated they used it frequently.  It was situated on a beautiful dune with a mix of palm and pine trees, live oaks draped with Spanish moss, and palmetto thickets, and I could hear and see the waves breaking on the beach 100 yards away.  Heaven!

 

This turtle shell was washed up on the beach, but hopefully was able to pass on its legacy first.  The game biologist said that they typically have 200 - 300 turtle nests on the island beaches each year.  They place wooden cages over the top of the nests to prevent predators from digging up the eggs during incubation.  As the hatchlings emerge they are able to crawl between slats in the cages and make their way to the sea.  

 

 

[SELFBOW19953]

That last picture looks like stone crabs.  How about snakes?

[Whip]

I know that some of the others saw a few snakes.  I only saw the back end of one myself,  and I don't think it was even a poisonous one.  Certainly something to be aware of but it wouldn't stop me from hunting there again!

[KentuckyTJ]

The campfire meals were amazing. I am used to just going simple in the food catagory on trips and this one was nothing like that. Bill Kissner had smoked a bunch of ribs that were amazing and Tracy made a bison meatloaf one afternoon that was the best loaf I've ever had for sure. They automatically got invites back from Matt after that one. Around the fire we figured out that the meatloaf cost about $110 a pound. Bill killed it last year.

   

[zipper bowss]

Originally posted by SELFBOW19953:
That last picture looks like stone crabs.  How about snakes?

Tracy and I saw one cotton mouth sunning himself on one of the sandy roads. That was the only snake we saw.
Bill

[The Night Stalker]

You mentioned snakes. Apparently, Jeff and I share an interest in snakes. Both of us wanted to see one of those 8 ft eastern diamond back. It is said that they have a head the size of a cat.
I saw 3 of these, they would bite you if given the chance.