I cut my hunting season short this fall because I had a niece getting married in early Oct. I didn't feel to bad about that considering the real crappy weather we had this past fall.

Instead I just decided to call my friends in Florida who have plenty of land and game and invite myself down for a week of hunting and a little fishing.
My friends are always more than accomadating. I hit the ground running my first morning there, One friend who is a charter captain took me out for a few hours of salt water fishing. that was the most fun I have ever had on saltwater.

Second morning another friend said lets go out and check his property. He said not to expect much but why not. I crawed up in a stand before daylight and bonded with my Sauer 30-06x12x12 for about 30 min till light. I saw a glimps of a couple deer that had started to come into the open pasture but turned and ran back. I soon realized why they ran off, A herd of hogs walked in moments later. one nice big one, I slowly raised the gun set the trigger took carfull aim and shot. Everything felt real good but the hogs ran and I wondered why the big one didn't go right down. He stopped under a tree and just stood there. I opened the gun to reload and realized what I hate to admit here but I had just sent a load of buckshot out at the hog 125 yards away. I felt stupid but the hog was still there so I closed the gun took carefull aim again and shot. Again he ran but I heared the impact this time and I found him just inside the palmetos.

The next day I hunted another friends property who is an old longbow hunting buddy of mine I took along one of my recurves that day and got just short of getting a shot more than once.

Next day off to a third friends property. This ranch is really big full of game. Hogs and Bucks were in season and he also had landowner doe tags so that was also legal game on that property. I almost got a shot at a relly nice buck but I had the scope on and he jumped across the trail about 15 yards in front of me. Thats were I could have used the buckshot. I did have a small buck broadside at about 30 yards but I preferred to let that one grow. The next day on the same property I shot a doe at 175 yards in a big open pasture.

My friend I stay with has a walk in cooler and freezer conected for processing game. I only had a few days left and it was getting time to stop hunting and start cutting and wrapping meat so I could bring it home frozen and vacume packed.

We decided to hunt one more evening on the big ranch because we did see some real nice bucks. My drilling is such a great shooter I wasn't surprised by the small doe at 175 yards. I knew it would make those kind of shots all day long. What I wanted to do on this last hunt was to stalk around in the oak canopy and palmetos and try to jump shoot a buck or hog ether with the rifle barrel or buckshot.
I walked a really sceanic section of the ranch. I have always like hunting on that trail although I haven't been there in years. I did jump two nice bucks right away but they looked like young guys probably only 2&1/2 years old.
After awhile I came to a pasture that hadn't had cattle in it for awhile. The grass was waist high but not thick so walking through it wasn't a problem. I spotted a buck right in the middle of the pasture only 150 yards away. I had the scope off while walking through the oak and palmeto so I reattached it and aimed at the buck. After I looked at him for awhile through the scope I decided to pass on him as well.
I got back into the thick stuff again and walked a trail around a large pond. It was getting evening and it felt like things were going to start happening.

The first hog I saw was right at my feet. Only a few feet away but it was so thick all I saw was a black shadow between the palm leaves.I still don't know how he gave me the slip. Up the trail ten minutes later was a small but tasty looking hog that had no idea I was there. I watch him step off the trail giving me a chance to close in but I never saw him again ether. I was coming to the end of the trail back out to the road when I saw a glimps of hog to my left through the brush. I saw he was on and interception coarse with me so I took a few steps and raised the drilling. I had the rifle selector on and the sight was raised. The big boar stepped into a bit of a clearing about 15 yards in front of me. I was ready when he looked up and hit him with a 165 gr. hornady btsp. He turned at the shot and ran wich really made my day cause I now had an excuse to follow up with the buckshot. I found the boar just a few yards inside the palmetos.

I really love my Sauer 3000 12 ga 30-06. I have another drilling that is much better quality and is light and slinder and feels better in the hands but it's hard to turn down an old friend that shoots as well as my Sauer. I have taken a mountain reedbuck with the Sauer over 250 yards and it shoots the Iron sights spot on at 100.

The doe taken at 175 yards




The first hog 125 with the 6x Zeiss.


The second hog up close and in person.

I think maybe you are ready to move down to FL now. You seem to fit right in.

It just ain't right to hunt deer in shorts! You have to freeze for a while on the stand while you are deer hunting! Congratulations on a good hunt.

Well done Bob. Sounds like a great time.

Yes Mr T it was a blast you know the guys. I need to try out hog hunting in in TX one of these days. Was talking to a mutual friend who has me thinking hard about doing the Dallas show and something he has arranged for afterwords. Probably not this year but maybe next.
No Jason I like it but I aint moving.

I hunt deer every year. Sometimes in Florida, sometimes in Indiana and useually here at home. If you think TN is cold in Nov come on up. It was a little below zero this morning but it's always wormer down on Kodiak where the deer are. Your right though deer hunting in shorts is just wrong and I have bug bits all over. I guess I thought I was back in Africa or something.

quote:

..... and realized what I hate to admit here but I had just sent a load of buckshot out at the hog 125 yards away.

a-k,

Almost choked to death on my coffee when I read the above; Congrats, Pal, I, too can vividly recall some great Faux Pas I've made in the past with bbf & Drilling trigger selection, too.

..... like the time I set the rifle trigger on a 7x57R/12 ga. bbf to take a shot at some Piggers that managed to disappear. Then a hapless Fox strolled by so I decided to pop him with a load of 12 ga. #4's. I can honestly say that when both barrels discharge simultaneously outa a bbf it is a REAL attention getter.

Sounds like you had a great trip to Florida - Way to Go.

Bye-the-Bye I come from Florida, too and when I relate to Germans that Florida is a wonderful hunting paradise they just look at me in amazement; you can see the wheels turning as they consider their immpression of Florida as one big Amusement Park along a beach with a few episodes of CSI attached.

Waidmannsheil!