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LIVE from the saddle 2025

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thedutchtouch said:
I slept in this AM so didn't go back out then but I'm set up in a different area tonight. Haven't been here since a few years ago when I had a knock split and shot over a nice bucks back. There was plenty of deer around back then and I bumped at least one walking in this afternoon, so fingers crossed.
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Just had a young buck meander by, roughly 50-60 yards off basically in a straight line behind this leaning tree. Was hoping he'd turn downhill towards me but no such luck. This is one of those crisscrossed thick deer appear from everywhere kind of places (I thought) so perhaps he or another deer will take a closer path later.

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5:50 edit: heard/smelled another deer walk through up the hill so I quickly got down and relocated to about 40 yards uphill of that bendy tree. With my luck the next one will walk under the tree I was just in but here we go...

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BT
 
Day 2. At this point I am optimistic. The rotten pine on the ground broke off two large oak branches that are covered with acorns. My friends the squirrels are loving it. Here’s hoping it attracts deer. Unfortunately, I only have until 10:30 am. And the high today is only supposed to be like 88 so it’s a “cool” day for Florida.
 
Nonlive recap- moving was definitely the right decision for me yesterday, but a moment of hesitation when a doe was in a shooting window, followed by her moving from tree to tree and then her fawn spooking a bit kept me from taking a deer home yesterday. Good hunt, saw 4 more on the walk out so seems like it's a pretty good harvest any deer spot, will return.
 
I had a big buck encounter first thing this morning while on the ground. I was watching 2 armadillos fight while standing next to a big tree. After the dillos runnoft I made 1 step and this big chocolate 8 point was at 15 yards.....we stared each other down and he finally felt good about the situation and started feeding. His head went behind a tree and a squatted down and knocked an arrow and drew on him. He stayed facing away from me for a while and I let down and was going to range but he slowly walked off out of range and eventually into the thick palmettos. I moved up a little closer to the path he traveled and climbed up 1 move. 15 minutes later a doe came out and I watched her feeding around for maybe half an hour and she finally got inside 30. I had a small window to shoot thru and the deer was going to be passing thru the window quartering towards me. I messed up and didn't aim forward enough on the moving target and by the time the arrow arrives she had taken another step and I hit her far back. She jumped 10 foot away from impact site and stood there motionless for 20 minutes. I texted my buddy about what was happening because we have to share a bag limit on the quota.....I looked up and she was gone. I went and retrieved my arrow with no blood and gut smell and white hairs. I went back to the road and met my hunting partner and we waited for a while. In hindsight we should have waited longer but nonetheless we started blood trailing and trailing and trailing 830yds until we bumped her. Lost blood after that. So.....I should have aimed more forward and should have waited 4 or 5 hours but we got lots of blood trailing experience. I also got to watch a bobcat catch a squirrel....I had to leave to do family stuff so no afternoon hunt. 1000000186.jpg


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Weldabeast said:
I had a big buck encounter first thing this morning while on the ground. I was watching 2 armadillos fight while standing next to a big tree. After the dillos runnoft I made 1 step and this big chocolate 8 point was at 15 yards.....we stared each other down and he finally felt good about the situation and started feeding. His head went behind a tree and a squatted down and knocked an arrow and drew on him. He stayed facing away from me for a while and I let down and was going to range but he slowly walked off out of range and eventually into the thick palmettos. I moved up a little closer to the path he traveled and climbed up 1 move. 15 minutes later a doe came out and I watched her feeding around for maybe half an hour and she finally got inside 30. I had a small window to shoot thru and the deer was going to be passing thru the window quartering towards me. I messed up and didn't aim forward enough on the moving target and by the time the arrow arrives she had taken another step and I hit her far back. She jumped 10 foot away from impact site and stood there motionless for 20 minutes. I texted my buddy about what was happening because we have to share a bag limit on the quota.....I looked up and she was gone. I went and retrieved my arrow with no blood and gut smell and white hairs. I went back to the road and met my hunting partner and we waited for a while. In hindsight we should have waited longer but nonetheless we started blood trailing and trailing and trailing 830yds until we bumped her. Lost blood after that. So.....I should have aimed more forward and should have waited 4 or 5 hours but we got lots of blood trailing experience. I also got to watch a bobcat catch a squirrel....I had to leave to do family stuff so no afternoon hunt. View attachment 120424


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I get all depressed when I hit and don’t recover
 
Weldabeast said:
I had a big buck encounter first thing this morning while on the ground. I was watching 2 armadillos fight while standing next to a big tree. After the dillos runnoft I made 1 step and this big chocolate 8 point was at 15 yards.....we stared each other down and he finally felt good about the situation and started feeding. His head went behind a tree and a squatted down and knocked an arrow and drew on him. He stayed facing away from me for a while and I let down and was going to range but he slowly walked off out of range and eventually into the thick palmettos. I moved up a little closer to the path he traveled and climbed up 1 move. 15 minutes later a doe came out and I watched her feeding around for maybe half an hour and she finally got inside 30. I had a small window to shoot thru and the deer was going to be passing thru the window quartering towards me. I messed up and didn't aim forward enough on the moving target and by the time the arrow arrives she had taken another step and I hit her far back. She jumped 10 foot away from impact site and stood there motionless for 20 minutes. I texted my buddy about what was happening because we have to share a bag limit on the quota.....I looked up and she was gone. I went and retrieved my arrow with no blood and gut smell and white hairs. I went back to the road and met my hunting partner and we waited for a while. In hindsight we should have waited longer but nonetheless we started blood trailing and trailing and trailing 830yds until we bumped her. Lost blood after that. So.....I should have aimed more forward and should have waited 4 or 5 hours but we got lots of blood trailing experience. I also got to watch a bobcat catch a squirrel....I had to leave to do family stuff so no afternoon hunt. View attachment 120424


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You said it…. Should Always wait a minimum of 6-8 hours with a gut shot. Happens to everyone. You will probably find it the next day.
 
Checking in before putting away phone. Hot day.
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