Fletch's Freezer Filler Fun 2017

[johnplav]

Sounds like a great hunt.  Let us know how the gator meat is.

[helmut in the bush]

On August 17, 2017 at 9:32 PM, stoneam2006 said:

Dis you fly in to Valdosta? When my grandmother passed we flew in there and drove to moultrie where her bnb is. Tiny little airport.

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I've gone through Moultrie on 319 on my way to Thomasville since the 60's.

[BizCT]

Awesome, clngrats


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[helmut in the bush]

If I shot a big gator and had $15K layin around, I would have a mount like this

[Fletch]

That is very cool!! Wow

[turkeyfeathers]

Great read Fletch. Sounds like a blast and many memories

[LET EM GROW]

Gator is good eating! 

[greybeard]

Great story !!!!!  Congrats on your success.

[Fletch]

Skull is done. He tastes pretty darn good!

Now getting prepared for North Carolina deer hunt with the boy in 4 weeks with the muzzleloaders.




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[Fletch]

My mid life crisis is going strong!! The new ride...





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[Fletch]

Well I got out this past weekend to the hole stands and did some serious trail cleaning. Lots of trees down to chainsaw and since I skipped last year I had two years worth.

I just have to hang some camo burlap, cheap compliments of Gander closeout, up in the tower to break up some windows. Then do a last trail clear and mow out back and I am set to go.

Just bought my and my sons North Carolina licences. We leave Oct.4th or 5th for a muzzleloader whitetail hunt.

[SmokeinTN]

13 minutes ago, Fletch said:

Well I got out this past weekend to the hole stands and did some serious trail cleaning. Lots of trees down to chainsaw and since I skipped last year I had two years worth.

I just have to hang some camo burlap, cheap compliments of Gander closeout, up in the tower to break up some windows. Then do a last trail clear and mow out back and I am set to go.

Just bought my and my sons North Carolina licences. We leave Oct.4th or 5th for a muzzleloader whitetail hunt.

East, West, North or South ?

[mlammerhirt]

Well I got out this past weekend to the hole stands and did some serious trail cleaning. Lots of trees down to chainsaw and since I skipped last year I had two years worth.
I just have to hang some camo burlap, cheap compliments of Gander closeout, up in the tower to break up some windows. Then do a last trail clear and mow out back and I am set to go.
Just bought my and my sons North Carolina licences. We leave Oct.4th or 5th for a muzzleloader whitetail hunt.

Keep us updated....sounds like fun!

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[Fletch]

38 minutes ago, SmokeinTN said:

East, West, North or South ?

East NC, east and south of Raleigh. Lodge, meals, 200 stands.....this one is a relax and enjoy and get the boy his first deer or two or three....farm country.

[SmokeinTN]

3 hours ago, Fletch said:

East NC, east and south of Raleigh. Lodge, meals, 200 stands.....this one is a relax and enjoy and get the boy his first deer or two or three....farm country.

Nice enjoy !!!

[Fletch]

Well getting most of the chores finished up before the season. Closed the pool yesterday. That was wierd I went swimming in it before hand and it felt stupid closing the pool when it was 86 out!!

Got out again shooting the muzzleloaders and the boy is shooting good. Can't believe NC trip is only 10 days away!

I've been shooting the compound every day. Just go out and shoot one shot at a time, all that counts is that first one! 

Tonight I need to get the hunting clothes out and washed. I leave for business in Chicago Wednesday through Friday, I need to head to Jersey the following Monday and Tuesday then leave Wednesday for NC! I will get one day Sunday out bowhunting for those big boys. It looks like the crazy heat is supposed to end Thursday so maybe it will be 40's in the am!

[turkeyfeathers]

Fletch, broken record but don't forget to spray your and boys clothes with permithrin before going.  Good luck to you both down there

[Fletch]

Well just getting things ready for the morning!! It is supposed to be 39 degrees so pretty pumped nabout that. Have not decided where I will sit yet but I will be sitting somewhere!! Good luck to you all!!

[Fletch]

10/1 39

 

Down in the deep hole stand for 4 hours. What a nice morning. Unbelievable after decades I got in stand first morning and nothing forgotten and everything in the right pocket lol!!

 

15 minutes before legal I move my head a touch and dang there must have been one right in the back of the lane straight out who could see better in the dim than me. I saw ass and tail. Sat still for 3 hours. Heard one walk behind me. Also had a yote go by my side no shot. I stand up slowly to stretch and doh get busted by one that snuck in the brush out front.

I was not too lucky this morn lol.

 

 

My brother passed a 4 point up top.

 

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[Fletch]

10/1 pm 62

Went fishing between sits.


Got out for 1.5 hours tonight out behind the house in the far stand. Had a yote go by too far out. At about 6 had a flash out front and see a deer running in the pines? Then I see it again 5 minutes later then what I'm 90% sure were two small yotes running in the pines the other way? Got me lol.


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[Fletch]

Okay headed to NC 10/4. My younger brother Jeff, my 15 yo son Conner and myself. We hit the road Wednesday and did half the trip. 10/5 we drove the other half and got into the lodge around 4-5. We got moved in and met the one other guy in camp and with the owner all headed into town for some chicken and biscuits. We had a relaxing evening an uneasy with expectations sleep and an early morning. So our hunt started Friday am and the outfit has about 10,000 acres of farms leased. In the mornings we would focus on areas a small distance inside the woods hoping to cut off deer coming in from the fields. In the evening the opposite and watch the fields for them to come out.

The other guy in camp took a doe the first day we hunted, which was his last. We were the only ones in after that.

I'll just highlight the exciting points. One evening we all hunted a big sweat potato farm. The potatoes had been harvested but a ton were left in the dirt and the deer loved them. Con and I saw 34 deer that watch, my brother saw 20 something. My brother missed a real nice buck at 180 yards he was pretty sad but it was a clean miss as the deer came back out later too far away. Con and I just could not get a break. We played the wrong side of blind game trying to switch to get him a shot and almost had multiple chances but deer to far or kept moving or.... I was going crazy lol I am real proud of him for not taking a shot he was not 100% about.



Part 2 coming


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[Fletch]

The second morning we were in a box blind watching a power line. A little after first light we had a deer come out a bit over a hundred out and turn walking away. We got the glasses on it and it was a good buck fo Conner. Some more deer came out farther out and a couple were running around and such. At about 150 yards the first buck met those deer and a smaller buck instantly started sparring with him. This went on for a while with the bigger buck pushing him around and once flipping the smaller one over. All this time Conner has the scope on them waiting for a clear shot. The buck kept moving or had deer in front or behind or the power pole in the way. After about 10 minutes Con finally had a clean shot and bang. The smoke cleared and the buck dropped right there. The shot was 148 yards with my Triumph ML. Great shot right in the shoulder. We stayed put for another hour plus and ended up seeing 19 deer that morning but nothing else close enough or big enough to shoot.

[Fletch]

The last day of the hunt we let Conner hunt alone for his first time. This is legal in NC and there is no minimum age, our guide shot his first deer at 8 or 9 yo!

All three of us saw deer watching cuts in the am just no shots and we were on a management farm so 8 point or better bucks and all we saw were smaller ones.

 

On the last hunt Con got blanked, I saw a couple but no shots. My brother got the opportunity to get us some meat and dropped 2 does as well as seeing a bobcat and some turkeys.

 

 

 

It was a great trip and we had a great time. We are already talking about going back sometime.

 

[Fletch]

10/10 pm 72

Back home in NY. Got out with the bow for the last 1.5 hours. Lots of mosquitoes and no deer. I did have one blow once way up the hill. The wind was blowing from there to me and way to far to see me or me it so I have no idea what made it blow. Can't wait for some cooler weather!!

 

[Fletch]

10/11 am 56

Out back in far stand for two hours. Dim cloudy morning. A bit cooler but no action at all. Did grab some cam cards and one big boy has been still around. Have on cam 3 different days in the last 10.


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