OHANA06 Bear Bay Traditional Archers [Archive] - Ohio Sportsman.com

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:20 AM

The following semi live hunt takes place in Live Oak, Florida with the annual Bear Bay Traditional Archers FLOJAM hunt. Live Oak is located just South of hte Georgia boarder right off of I-75.

This was Bear Bay's the third annual hunt and from what I understand it gets bigger every year. This was my first year and I joined as an associate member and for $100 I got ten days of hunting. Full time memberships are $500 and you can bring your family for free and guest too.

The terrain is flat and sandy with alot of small pines that are barely big enough to hang a ladder stand much less a climber. About 1/3 of the lease has been logged. The weather was hot and averaged around 75 degrees every day.

Caribou Dreamer2

02-20-2006, 10:21 AM

AnD:yikes:

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:25 AM

I left my house in NC around 1530 on Wednesday and stayed with my buddy Wiley in Hardeeville, SC. Wiley's an old bowsite buddy of mine and it was good to see him and his family. The next morning I was on the road around 0830 and arrived at the club around noon. I was going to take pictures, but then I realized that my batteries in my camera had died and I would have to go back into town to get some more.

Regardless I drove around and checked the roads for hog tracks. What I found was a ton of deer tracks and a hog tracks. The prospects looked good for an exciting hunt.

I checked my stand, but was disappointed to find that there absolutly no sign of activity and the corn that the full time members had put out had not been touched in over a week. It was obvious that I was going to have to change my plans.

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:29 AM

I drove into town and got some batteries and water. I ran into two members at the convience store and once we returned to the club I helped them unload the trailer and set things up.

That afternoon one of the members drove us around and showed us a few stand locations that had been getting hit hard. After that we changed clothes and began our hunt.

Here's a picture of a hog track. I was told that big hog track is was wide as a dollar bill. All I had was a five....:bouncy:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satpm04.jpg

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:31 AM

My first hunt was out of a ladderstand overlooking a tire with corn in it. The corn had been hit before so with some optomizim I climbed in and hoped a hog would be coming by soo.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/thurs06.jpg

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:33 AM

It was HOT and the sun was right in my eyes. This stand was absolutly the most uncomfortable stand I ever sat in. I wasn't installed right and had a huge knot right in the center of your back. Regardless I sucked it up and pressed on.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/thurs01.jpg

Caribou Dreamer2

02-20-2006, 10:35 AM

How's though GTip working??Also what broadhead you got on there??

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:36 AM

The sun began to set and the mosquitos began to come out in force. Dummy me forgot my thermacell in the truck. I wouldn't be making that same mistake tomorrow.

Here are few more pictures of my set up.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/thurs03.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/thurs02.jpg

Caribou Dreamer2

02-20-2006, 10:37 AM

Looking good so far.

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:39 AM

I had brought out the secret weapon for this hunt. I wasn't screwing around :mischeif: so I bought a bottle of "Feral Fire" sow in heat lure.

I just knew that any moment a huge boar was going to come busting outta the brush looking for his hot honey.....:mischeif: ;) :whistle:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/thurs05.jpg

Caribou Dreamer2

02-20-2006, 10:41 AM

Thats to funny

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:45 AM

Well it just wasn't meant to be at about a half hour after dark my ride came and took me back to camp.

I couple other members put a stalk on a group of three hogs feeding around another feeder, but got busted.

Back at the cabin we ate dinner and BS'd about trad archery. The two hunters who stalked the hogs were from the Miami and Homestead area. One of them was 4th in the world in the long bow IBO division and gave us all some shooting lessons which REALLY helped me out alot. The boys on the local 3D circuit better watch out......:mischeif: ;)

The cabin bunks ten people and a few others put up tents too. Around midnight we all hit the rack and planned on getting up at 0500 to hunt......

cont tomorrow............

Thunderflight

02-20-2006, 10:51 AM

How's though GTip working??Also what broadhead you got on there??

I'm shooting a GT 3555 traditional shaft with a 150 grain Wensel Woodsman broadhead. They fly like darts outta my bow. I normally shoot 150 Magnus Stingers, but thought I'd try something different this time. I'll be going back to stingers because these WW's are a pain to keep sharp.

hunTer06

02-20-2006, 01:22 PM

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/thurs01.jpg

man u sure look excited:p

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 07:35 AM

The plan was to wake up at 0500 and be on stand before day break. What really happened was the three of us getting up at 0515, going back to sleep, and getting up at 0600....:whistle: :yikes:

There was some debate about who should hunt what stands so I decided to hunt the one I had hung over T-giving. We where on stand around 0645.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/friam01.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 07:38 AM

The minutes drug by and it was pretty obvious that nothing had been hitting my corn or even the sweet feed I had placed out Thursday afternoon. I had also hung my trail camera and the only pictures take where me coming and going. It was obvious that I'd be wasting my time hunting this stand.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/friam03.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 07:42 AM

Penny was supposed to pick us up at 0830. I decided to get down at 0800 and do a little scouting to see what was going on. I followed the hog trail back and found a HUGE pile of fresh hog crap. I walked a bit further and found a great area to re-locate my stand, but there was already a ladder stand hung in the location I wanted. There was no corn around it and none of the full time members even knew about it. I also found some super hog rubs and gouges on the trees. I didn't get any pictures of the gouges, but it's similar to a rub. One was really fresh and about waist high. That is a BIG hog. A hog rub is when they rub against a tree to scrap off the mud from hog wallows.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/friam04.jpg

mullskinner

02-21-2006, 07:43 AM

how you like that strap on quiver .......:confused:

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 07:45 AM

Around 0830 pulled my tree stand (it was creaking really bad anyways) and waited out on the main road for Penny to pick me up. He showed up right on time and we returned to the cabin. This is a picture of a rubbing post the club put out. They coat it with motor oil and the hogs like to rub against it. They had put out some corn here too, but nothing had touched it in quite some time.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/friam05.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 07:47 AM

We got back to came and a few other members began to arrive. I tried out some of the stuff Eric had told me the night prior and my shooting was greatly improving. Chris (a British guy who moved here five or six years ago) told me I could hunt his stands. He took me around and all of his stands had fresh sign. I decided to hunt one that ran along a high fenced preserve (some rich guy has a huge personal preserve next to Bear Bay). I was pretty optomistic about hunting this area.

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 08:01 AM

After meeting a few more members and shooting a few arrows we headed into the woods with high expectations.

The stand that Chris let me use was the perfect set up. The wind was perfect and the sun was to my back. I laid out a trail of Feral Fire and also added another secret weapon..... Sour Mash spray...... Boy this stuff stinks too!!!!

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/fripm10.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 08:06 AM

I was in the stand around 1600. It was hot and buggy, but this time I brought my thermacell and that kept the skeeters at bay. The feeder was set to go off in the evening and morning. All the corn was gone so something had hit the recently hit the feeder. I was definitly thinking that this could work.

Around 1700 I heard something moving in the woods. I was coming closer and heading right to the feeder. I stood up and got ready.....

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/fripm01.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 08:10 AM

The foot steps got closer and closer and sounded as if they were following the trail of feral fire I had just laid down.

Just then I saw movement behind a tree. It was black and coming closer. Then I saw it..... The red head of a turkey.....:dizzy: ;) :dizzy: Infact there were three jakes that decided to come in and check out the feeder. They hung around for a while and allowed me to take plenty of pictures.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/fripm08.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 08:15 AM

The jakes hung around for about 20 minutes and then I heard something coming from the oposite direction. The foot steps got closer and closer and around a palmetto bush popped out a hen.....:dizzy: ;) :dizzy: All four turkey's came and went several times before mozzing off just before dark.

At 1815 or so I had a raccoon come in and offer me several shots, but I let him go. The owner of the lease wanted the raccoons dead, but I passed because raccoons are very vocal when shot and I didn't want to scare off a hog the might come in.

At 1900 I climbed down, hung my trail camera, and hiked back to the pick up area. Jason was hunting another stand about 1/4 mile from me and heard some hogs back in the palmettos, but they never into his feeder. His Dad was hunting a few hundred yards away and also heard them.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/fripm09.jpg

Thunderflight

02-21-2006, 08:18 AM

When we got back to came we were greeted by several more members. We sat around the camp fire and BS'd about archery and all the stuff that's going on over at Tradgang.com (I was really outta the loop on that one because I don't hang out there much).

Around midnight we hit the rack.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/campfire.jpg

mullskinner

02-21-2006, 07:51 PM

how you like that strap on quiver .......:confused:

TTT....:D

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:28 AM

TTT....:D

Sorry about that I didn't see you post before.

I like it. It's very quite and adds some weight to the bow which helped out my consistency.

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:31 AM

Saturday morning we where up and ready at 0500. I would be hunting another one of Chris' stands. This one over looked a clear cut and was pretty swampy. There were more deer tracks than hog tracks, but you just never know what can happen.

This morning was much cooler and the wind was perfect so I was some what opotmistic that I would at least see something. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satam01.jpg

mullskinner

02-22-2006, 07:33 AM

THUNDERFLIGHT,
THANKS.......i have been looking at them you got the adjustable one:confused:

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:34 AM

Around 0800 I was listening to a couple tom's gobbling their heads off when I caught movement on the other side of the clear cut. I picked up my bino's and saw it was only two deer. I watched the doe and yearling work their way across the 300 yard cut down.

You have to look closely, but there are deer in these pictures.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satam07.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:37 AM

By 0900 the deer had worked to with in 50 yards of my stand. I was hoping they would come in so I could get some close up pictures. However, my ride showed up and Jay (aka: Sewer Rat from bowsite.com) hopped out and hollared for me. When I hollared back that there where two deer in front of me those suckers about turned inside out and took off.:) It was actually pretty funny because even at 50 yards I could see their eyes just about pop outta their heads.:bouncy:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satam08.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:43 AM

We got back to camp and Penny pulled up and announced that Susan shot a 250 pound sow. Susan and her husband John hired "Bubba" to use his catch and bay dogs to run down a hog. I've never done this before and if he hadn't been charging $200 I would have done it myself just for the experience. However I would have used a spear or knife vise my bow.

Anyway, here are few pictures of her hog being bay'd by the dogs.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d179/auchumpkeecreek/FloJam3019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/PennyBanks/Flojam%20III/DSC00950.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:44 AM

Check out the layer of fat on this sucker.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/susanshog.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satpm03.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:47 AM

Saturday afternoon was spent shooting at a variety of things around the camp. I didn't have any stump shooters so I didn't shoot at the aerial targets, but it was neat to watch.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d179/auchumpkeecreek/FloJam3008.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d179/auchumpkeecreek/FloJam3009.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:50 AM

My last and final hunt would be out of the same stand I had hunted that morning. I pretty much figured I wouldn't be getting a hog on this hunt so I hoped to get another encounter with a deer.

Jock is a member who flew from Scottland to attend FLOJAM06. He's a great guy and brought us all Jimmy hats as gifts.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satpm07.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:57 AM

I didn't see anything on stand, but when I came out of the woods I saw two deer along the road.

That evening I packed my bags and BS'd around the campfire. Although I didn't see any hogs I still had a great time. Shoot the archery lesson alone was worth the trip. I was hesitant about renewing my membership because I'll be deploying next year, but I'm going to stay with the club and somehow make it down for one more hunt. If nothing else it's fun just to hang out with people who have the same level of interest in archery as I do (don't get much of that around my parts).

I did eventually see three hogs though. As I crossed the Florida and Georgia boarder there where three black hogs eating along I-95. I swear they were flipping me off as I drove by.....:yikes: ;) :yikes: :mischeif: :yikes:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/OHANA06/satpm06.jpg

geezer

02-22-2006, 07:59 AM

Yo TF - on your opening thread you use the term "semi live hunt" :coco: - i'm a dummy - could you explain that to me

take care
geezer

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 07:59 AM

After I returned I found out that Tim had killed a nice hog Sunday afternoon.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/4nolz/2527f97a.jpg

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 08:01 AM

Yo TF - on your opening thread you use the term "semi live hunt" :coco: - i'm a dummy - could you explain that to me

take care
geezer

If it was a live hunt then I would be posting on location. Semi live means the hunt has already happened and I'm just retelling the story.:)

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 08:02 AM

THUNDERFLIGHT,
THANKS.......i have been looking at them you got the adjustable one:confused:

I got mine from ebay.

geezer

02-22-2006, 08:02 AM

Thanks for the reply - looks like you guys had a great time .

take care
geezer

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 08:06 AM

I had an awesome time.

Next semi-live hunt begins March 11th and will take place at the Savanna River National Wildlife Refuge. We'll be hunting the Georgia side for hogs. I'm only going for 2.5 days, but it should be fun.:)

Caribou Dreamer2

02-22-2006, 09:34 AM

Great story thunder,Maybe next time

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 09:43 AM

When it comes to hog hunting I seem to have been cursed.:yikes:

I haven't killed a hog since 2002. I did miss one last year so I guess I had my chance.....:dizzy: ;)

MUZZY MAN

02-22-2006, 11:59 AM

great pics and story TF. Thanks

Jeff Goebel

02-22-2006, 12:20 PM

TF, thanks for sharing. Goeb

OhioHunter88

02-22-2006, 05:19 PM

I really enjoyed that, I rember when i first came to OS.com you had a semi live Iowa hunt,I really enjoy them and look forward to the next.

Kaleb

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 06:13 PM

I really enjoyed that, I rember when i first came to OS.com you had a semi live Iowa hunt,I really enjoy them and look forward to the next.

Semi live Iowa hunt? Your probably thinking of my Illinois hunt. Iowa is a few years down the road. Probably OHAA09 or OHAW10. :)

hunTer06

02-22-2006, 07:28 PM

wish i could have an OHAA

I only have an OHAPC

(operation hunt across perry county)

OhioHunter88

02-22-2006, 07:34 PM

Semi live Iowa hunt? Your probably thinking of my Illinois hunt. Iowa is a few years down the road. Probably OHAA09 or OHAW10. :)

Maybe it was Illinois hunt, At least i got the I part right;)

Kaleb

OhioHunter88

02-22-2006, 07:36 PM

wish i could have an OHAA

I only have an OHAPC

(operation hunt across perry county)

I two have an OHAPC, but there are some great bucks down here.

Kaleb

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 08:04 PM

wish i could have an OHAA

I only have an OHAPC

(operation hunt across perry county)

When you graduate college and get settled in your career you'll be doing plenty of outta state hunts.;) In all honesty these hunts don't really cost that much (except for the dang caribou hunt). I play the military thing alot and have friends who live in good places to hunt.;)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d179/auchumpkeecreek/FloJam3033.jpg

hunTer06

02-22-2006, 08:37 PM

Yea, Im young and have plenty of time to plan some hunting trips.

I do get out of perry co, so its more like an OHHASEO (southeast ohio;) ) Like OhioHunter88 said, I can't complain. There are some dandy deer in this area. (But dont tell:shhh: :shhh: )

Thunderflight

02-22-2006, 08:42 PM

The only reason I've hunted half these places is because I move every three to four years. The nature of my job has some bennies....;)

Seriously though it's not that expensive. The Florida hunt only ran me about $300 and that included my $100 member ship fee I paid last May. Next months hog hunt shouldn't cost more than $150 and that's assuming I buy a NR liscense for both GA and SC. Gas is the main expense. Food is cheap and I usually stay with friends so lodging isn't an issue either. I'm married so I don't need to spend money on strippers....:whistle: ;)