I hunt public lands in Florida and for deer have been very unsuccessful. This is my first deer in probably 10 years and I hunt probably 15 days a season from before sunrise to after sunset. When I go to the woods I go to the woods. I kill hogs every year and see tons of doe but rarely see a buck while hunting.
Two years ago I shot a buck with the 110g controlled chaos. My buddy and I both witnessed the impact right behind the shoulder where I was aiming and never found the buck. I was sick about it and really contemplated wanting to continue hunting at all. Well my hunting buddy hit me up on wednesday asking if I wanted to head out to the management area and camp and hunt for a couple of days and I said sure, since I just wanted to get out and camp with the guys. I didn't even bring my large game cooler and I'm never bringing it again either.
I walked out yesterday morning at first light and walked some oak hammocks. After about an hour I jumped a bunch of deer out of a hammock. I saw three of them which were all does but heard a few others crash in other directions. I followed the sound of one that I didn't see just to see if it was a buck. I didn't see that deer at that time but I saw a very old tree stand that had clearly been there for many years. I decided to just go sit in it and see if the deer would come back. This was a very uncomfortable stand but I sat in it from 10 am until 5pm when a buck had silently snuck in behind my left shoulder and I spotted him at less then 10 yards from my tree...staring right at me.
After about a 20 second stare off he did a hard flinch and I knew it wasnt going to happen. He bolted back behind me into the really thick oak hammock. So I reacted by yelling at him with a noise I heard on a tv show once that has stopped deer in the past. He stopped his run about instantly and walked a couple more steps and looked back at me. I could see the buck but had no shot on him at all. He was about 30 yards away and I was saying, Walk left, walk left, walk left." over and over to myself.
I had a small window between 2 trees about 18 inches apart that if he walked behind or in front of I would have a shot at him. He looked the other way so I set up my rifle, aimed between those two trees, and he actually starting walking to the left. I stared through my scope and and I saw his head apear, antlers, neck, left shoulder, BANG. He bolted hard running through the water. I watched him run about 20 yards and then lost sight due to the thick vegetation and I heard him run for only a few more yards and then heard nothing.
I didnt think he went down because I didnt hear anything that sounded like him crashing. I got down and went to the two trees looking for blood. NOTHING. I followed the path I saw him run on looking for blood. NOTHING. I'm sick again telling myself if I dont find this deer, I'm done. I walk about 10 more yards and see him laying dead on the ground with his head and antlers stuck upright tangled in a bush. It's my personal best by far and for SOUTH Florida public land, it's a good one.
![[Image: attachment.php?attachmentid=17126&d=1605398956]](https://www.65grendel.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17126&d=1605398956)
Sorry for the long post but I'm pretty excited. 12" spread 6 point 130 lbs. When dragging him out I looked up and witnessed the launch from the space center to which was pretty awesome and I didnt expect it. Entrance was dead center of the left shoulder, his right leg was forward as he was walking so exit wound came out a little low but it was from the downward angle of the shot from the tree stand and deer being about 20-30 yards away. Picture of exit hole from the 110g maker trex. Not sure why the pictures are uploading turned 90 degrees.
![[Image: attachment.php?attachmentid=17127&d=1605398975]](https://www.65grendel.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17127&d=1605398975)
![[Image: attachment.php?attachmentid=17128&d=1605398989]](https://www.65grendel.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17128&d=1605398989)
Two years ago I shot a buck with the 110g controlled chaos. My buddy and I both witnessed the impact right behind the shoulder where I was aiming and never found the buck. I was sick about it and really contemplated wanting to continue hunting at all. Well my hunting buddy hit me up on wednesday asking if I wanted to head out to the management area and camp and hunt for a couple of days and I said sure, since I just wanted to get out and camp with the guys. I didn't even bring my large game cooler and I'm never bringing it again either.
I walked out yesterday morning at first light and walked some oak hammocks. After about an hour I jumped a bunch of deer out of a hammock. I saw three of them which were all does but heard a few others crash in other directions. I followed the sound of one that I didn't see just to see if it was a buck. I didn't see that deer at that time but I saw a very old tree stand that had clearly been there for many years. I decided to just go sit in it and see if the deer would come back. This was a very uncomfortable stand but I sat in it from 10 am until 5pm when a buck had silently snuck in behind my left shoulder and I spotted him at less then 10 yards from my tree...staring right at me.
After about a 20 second stare off he did a hard flinch and I knew it wasnt going to happen. He bolted back behind me into the really thick oak hammock. So I reacted by yelling at him with a noise I heard on a tv show once that has stopped deer in the past. He stopped his run about instantly and walked a couple more steps and looked back at me. I could see the buck but had no shot on him at all. He was about 30 yards away and I was saying, Walk left, walk left, walk left." over and over to myself.
I had a small window between 2 trees about 18 inches apart that if he walked behind or in front of I would have a shot at him. He looked the other way so I set up my rifle, aimed between those two trees, and he actually starting walking to the left. I stared through my scope and and I saw his head apear, antlers, neck, left shoulder, BANG. He bolted hard running through the water. I watched him run about 20 yards and then lost sight due to the thick vegetation and I heard him run for only a few more yards and then heard nothing.
I didnt think he went down because I didnt hear anything that sounded like him crashing. I got down and went to the two trees looking for blood. NOTHING. I followed the path I saw him run on looking for blood. NOTHING. I'm sick again telling myself if I dont find this deer, I'm done. I walk about 10 more yards and see him laying dead on the ground with his head and antlers stuck upright tangled in a bush. It's my personal best by far and for SOUTH Florida public land, it's a good one.
Sorry for the long post but I'm pretty excited. 12" spread 6 point 130 lbs. When dragging him out I looked up and witnessed the launch from the space center to which was pretty awesome and I didnt expect it. Entrance was dead center of the left shoulder, his right leg was forward as he was walking so exit wound came out a little low but it was from the downward angle of the shot from the tree stand and deer being about 20-30 yards away. Picture of exit hole from the 110g maker trex. Not sure why the pictures are uploading turned 90 degrees.
