So my wife and I had plans to take a trip to our Alabama lease, but had to cancel due to the ice storm that was predicted to pass on that Saturday night.
So as I was talking to a very good friend he mentioned he was going to hunt some public land in the swamp here in south Louisiana. Now I’ve never stepped foot on this piece of public but I knew the area was 100% swamp with no dry ground other than canal levees. So I decided to take my boat and be close incase he needed some help getting a deer out.
He pointed me into a few spots to start so I launched my boat at daylight and drove into the area I wanted to hunt. And sure enough there was a boat there so I went to a second place he mentioned to try.
As I parked my boat and started walking I remember a very good hunter mention when swamp stalking deer that “when you think you are moving slow enough, move slower” so I did just that.
Now remember I was not here to shoot a deer, I just wanted to be close if my buddy needed some help. I even told myself I would only pull the trigger if a really good deer stepped out.
As I crept through the swamp I made it about 400 yards in and noticed a doe grazing, so I said that’s a good sign, and as I stepped on the other side of a cypress tree I looking in that direction and all I saw was antlers. I said to myself, “I don’t think I will let this deer walk.” Now I didn’t have any binoculars with me, so at the time I though he was just a large frame 8 point. Well I pulled the trigger of the 444 I was toting and he dropped. As I walked up I was in disbelief. I had been hunting in Alabama for the last 10 years and lo and behold the biggest buck I have ever taken was 30 minutes from my house.
The real fun starts now. Dragging this deer out took us a couple of hours and needless to say I don’t plan to ever pull the trigger in swamp like that again….. unless it’s a bigger buck.
The buck has 13 score-able points and a 16 inch spread.
Needless to say, you never know when looking out for your buddies will be a blessing to you.
