Bear Island for Eight Months.

[Swamp Hunter]

  There has been some recent discussion about going into the swamps in the Summer. Well I have been camping in the Big Cypress for over 35 years every August and September to prepare for archery season. In my opinion these 2 months are the worst. The only relief is the heavy rains. 

I no longer bow hunt and I dont use a tent much anymore.  I am camping/living in my 13 foot Scotty at Bear Island for eight months for my work. Thats 8 months in paradise folks! Here are a few pics of my little antique camper at the campsite 7 miles in from the gate pictured at the end of Turner River Road.. I need to make some shade. 

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

Nice lil setup Dale!

[Swamp Hunter]

The Park Service cut the grass real nice although I have a push mower to tidy up.. I need to stretch out a tarp or 2 for a porch, set up my outside shower, bar-b-q grill and fire pit.  I can take another pic later.  I like to burn up all the dead palm fronds. I figure about 2 months of brutally hot weather then pleasant after that. I have a nice ATV behind the trailer that the state supplied to travel back and forth. 

I have had a lot of unusual experiences. I developed a method 4 years ago to walk right up to wild deer by pretending to feed on leaves. I wish I had someone to video it. I have repeated it again and again every year with various deer.. I wonder if the deer recognize me or I give off some kind of calming odor? Its hard to believe but it works. I havent tried to actually touch the deer but I get close enough to do so. I need to be careful to never make any sudden moves or direct eye contact. Never look at a deer directly, like a predator would.

[Connie Mier]

Calming odor? You're funny! What a great story about the deer, can you please figure out a way to do that with birds?
Connie
PS you're living my dream

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

That's interesting, I'd love to see that. How do the leaves taste? ;)

Dale said:

The Park Service cut the grass real nice although I have a push mower to tidy up.. I need to stretch out a tarp or 2 for a porch, set up my outside shower, bar-b-q grill and fire pit.  I can take another pic later.  I like to burn up all the dead palm fronds. I figure about 2 months of brutally hot weather then pleasant after that. I have a nice ATV behind the trailer that the state supplied to travel back and forth. 

I have had a lot of unusual experiences. I developed a method 4 years ago to walk right up to wild deer by pretending to feed on leaves. I wish I had someone to video it. I have repeated it again and again every year with various deer.. I wonder if the deer recognize me or I give off some kind of calming odor? Its hard to believe but it works. I havent tried to actually touch the deer but I get close enough to do so. I need to be careful to never make any sudden moves or direct eye contact. Never look at a deer directly, like a predator would.

[Dallas]

I like your setup Dale. You are lucky :)

[Swamp Hunter]

[Swamp Hunter]

Thank you Flex, Connie and Dallas. Im sorry my internet signal is very poor here, if at all.  

 I chewed on some Brazilian Pepper, Flex, and it wasnt good.  But you dont have to actually eat the leaves, just shake the branches and rip the leaves off, when the deer are looking and every time the deer looks away, move closer. I just pick overhanging branches, whatever is quickly available.  Sometimes I really shake the branches hard and they seem to look with curiousity. Just act as if you have no interest in anything but feeding while continuing to sneak closer at every opportunity. Dont try to rush. I have actually had one deer taste the same leaves I was pretending to eat.

Here is my latest victim. But she did not like me taking her picture at all with my phone.  That pretty much ended the encounter.  In the past I have followed deer feeding and deer followed me "feeding" for quite some time before one of us lost interest.   

I havent tried anything with birds.  

[yakmaster]

When eating brazilian pepper, limit yourself to sucking the sap out of the very freshest buds. It has a sweet aromatic "resiny" taste. Not offensive at all.Remarkably, the buds taste like buds if'n you know what I mean.

Goes real good with grapenuts according to Euell Gibbons,

sorry, couldn't resist.

We used to try to attract the buzzards by laying out in an open field and playing dead. Wasn't very effective, but buzzard hunting was one of my favorite "sports" when we had free days in Phys ed. Your deer stalking technique seems to be a variation on the theme.

How far away do you start? Do you stand, squat or move on all fours?

I'm having trouble visualizing the technique. Maybe you could get someone to film you as you execute the move, or you could drag a go pro behind you, so it can get everything!

Hell, I'm just going to have to escape the office so I can document this in person!

[Swamp Hunter]

Im not sure if you are joking about the Brazilian Pepper with Grapenuts. It didnt taste offensive but it kinda left a small numbing effect in my mouth that scared me. The tree is poisonous to some people and its not a plant I would purposely put in my mouth but I was so excited at the deer's reactions that I got careless. I remember we had to take a hunter to the emergency room that had a bad reaction just from the smoke of Brazilian Pepper wood in the campfire..

Thanks for offering to film me but it would be hard because I dont see deer everyday. Actually I was able to film myself with my cheap smartphone but Im not sure how to post a video here. It seems to work on about 80 percent of the feeding deer I encounter. Bucks are curious but dont usually hang around very long. The does are extremely curious of my feeding habits.

How far away do I start? I start feeding immediately when a deer sees me before she runs away. It seems to really get their curiosity. I try not to look but pretend to be only interested in feeding on leaves. I remain standing at all times while directing leaves into my mouth. It also helps to make chewing sounds. I believe the deer realize that I am human but think that I am only harmlessly feeding, like themselves. I actually have a short video of myself shaking branches and "feeding" on leaves from this past weekend.. The more I shake, the calmer the deer become. It reminds me of Cool Hand Luke, "Im shakin' it boss."  Keep shakin and the deer will calm right down. Move closer only when the deer are not looking. Dont stare and keep shakin it lol.

In the video of me shaking the branches, the deer calmed down so much, they dont even bother to look at me anymore (as long as they can hear me shaking and/or chewing). In this particular video, the doe and yearling were about 60 feet away and I was trying to close the distance but I could not find a way to feed across the open campsite. You can see me shaking the branches vigorously and the deer casually feeding with tails wagging. Unfortunately an ATV approached a few hundred feet away and the 2 deer bounded away. 

Someone may say that this is a campsite where deer are used to seeing humans but keep in mind this is hunting season and these deer fled away at the mere sound of an approaching ATV. I first discovered this technique deep in a cypress slough. A deer appeared out of nowhere and not knowing what to do, I started feeding.  The deer camed down and we spent quite a bit of time together. I was so close to the deer, I could have touched her. She actually tasted the same leaves I was eating. I only broke off the encounter because it was getting dark.

Does anyone know how I can post the video?

[Swamp Hunter]

I dont have an internet signal at camp so I wont be able to post until after work using WIFI in town. The video in question is on my smartphone. Im not very internet savvy but I am learning.

[Swamp Hunter]

I drove to McDs for the WIFI to do a little research on Euell Gibbons and I find that he ate some poison ivy every spring and never had a case of poison ivy there after. http://www.eattheweeds.com/poison-ivy-ponderings/  I would be afraid to try that. Here is some information on Brazilian Pepper. http://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-23-january-2012/  The deer probably think Im a grapenut for eating it.

My deer experiment seems to work and its a lot of fun so I thought I would share.

 I used to bath in a culvert off Loop Road and the same little Largemouth Bass used to visit me. Did I mention I used to pet him/her underwater and he/she seemed to enjoy the attention?  Just one of the strange things that animals do.  

[Swamp Hunter]

This has got to be the coolest, most comfortable September I ever spent in the swamp! And today a cool front hit lol! Im not complaining. Loving every minute. Only sorry to not have internet.  AT&T says they have coverage and I believed them.  Well Im going to buy about a weeks groceries and Im outta here. Immokalee that is.  Back to camp...