Chassahowitzka Archery Hunt: High Waters and Deep Frustrations

My final set-up

"This is just ridiculous!" I thought to myself after letting an arrow fly at a doe at Chassahowitzka WMA. It felt like if I was in a tree with a bow in my hand I could do no wrong this archery season. I started the season with a Georgia hunt and successfully harvested a doe and a buck. Now in Florida it seemed I was off to the same kind of start.

From the beginning the hunt seemed destined for failure. I have hunted Chassahowitzka many times and am well familiar with the amount of hunting pressure and the low success rates. Me and my brother Jonny planned on scouting Citrus for it's November archery season, then do an evening hunt at  Chassahowitzka  just to get in a tree. With the ridiculously high water levels I knew that my old spots would require a boat to get to so my only scouting involved Google maps.

We arrived at the area late afternoon and I climbed a pine tree at the edge of a Cyprus swamp that formed a horseshoe around me. Jonny set up about 100 yards further down the edge. After sitting 20 minutes I just wasn't feeling it. I got down, walked pass Jonny, and after wandering around like an idiot for a half hour without finding a place that interested me, I climbed a Cyprus tree overlooking a main road. A half an hour later I could take the lameness of that set-up no more and I once again set out to move my climber stand.

Finally, I found a Cyprus swamp that surrounded a beautiful oak hammock. It looked like a place I would actually enjoy sitting. Once again I climbed a pine tree with my back to the swamp and peered into the oak hammock. A pair of bald eagles flew by me shrieking like crazy, I don't see that everyday. About 6 p.m. Jonny text me saying that there was a doe feeding right where I had originally set up. That's what I get for moving so much.

About 6:30 p.m. I heard something splashing loudly in the swamp behind me. I stood up and readied my bow as the anticipation grew. Soon I could see the visitors, two does coming toward the edge of the swamp. The first one stopped broadside quartering away at about 35 yards and there was a hole in the foliage giving me a clear shot. I released the arrow and the shot looked and felt good. She ran off about 30 yards along the edge and began splashing around in the water, then she stopped and all was silent. I assumed she was down for the count. The other doe ran deep into the swamp from where they came. After waiting a few minutes I called Jonny and told him I shot a doe. As I was talking she got up and ran off along the edge and out of sight.

After waiting a little longer I got down to look for my arrow and blood. When I got to where I shot her I was wading in water up to the top of my boots. If it was a pass through shot my arrow was somewhere in the mud under the dark brown water. I walked the edge of the swamp looking for blood till after dark with no success. Finally I had to call it quits. I am freshly reminded how frustrating bowhunting can be at times. After playing the whole situation over in my mind a hundred times I have to conclude that the high water levels were to blame. I had a clear shot, I practice shooting a lot and am confident at that range, I just can't blood trail a deer through knee deep water in the dark.

While the high water didn't seem to change the deer's travel patterns, it should be considered when bow hunting this season. Blood trailing a deer can be tough enough, add water and you've got a very frustrating experience.