Ed, do all the scouting you can without contaminating the area along the river bottoms.
I always score on the bottoms. In Green Swamp, along the Withlacoochee, in Perry along the Econfina, in Upper Hillsborough along the Hillsborough, in Aucilla along the New Port (Now called Flat Rock), etc.,etc.,etc.....
Where you see a lot of crossing, back off 100 to 150 yds and set up.
You do understand that things change come Hunting season?
Most thingsdon't change to much on Private Leases if there isn't to many Members hunting the Lease.
One time back in the early 90's in Aucilla WMA I found these huge and deep tracks while scouting a Logging road on my way to scout the bottoms.
I remember what an old timer from Perry told me years ago, when you see them tracks going across the road, it's going to Cross there again. So I backed off about 75yds and marked the spot with Orange Tapewhere I was going to setup. I told myself this is where I am going to be at sun-up.
I got there before sun-up and it was colder then heck. I wasn't about to climb 25 to 30ft in that cold wind. I parked off the road about 10ft, lowered the tail gateon the Toyota and opened upasleeping bag and layed in the box inthe prone position facing the crossing.
At 7:15 I seen something move at the crossing and Lord and Behold, he stuck his headout to check the road before crossing. All I did was lay there in Awe not believeing what I was seeing. I told myself, Hell I have to shoot now, and pulled the trigger on the .270 just as it got to the other side of the road and down it went.
It was a massive10pt and weighed 176pds,big for the area. What I am tring to show you here Ed, is that deer hunting is not always by the book.
