St. Vincent Island

[mullet]

 I very seldom put in for Draw Hunts but I did last month. I was just Web surfing in the office waiting for an important email when I saw it was the last day to put in for the Primitive Sitka deer hunt on St Vincent Island off the coast of Appalachicola and Panama City. So I did, and took the application to the tax office with $5. I've wanted to do this hunt for over 25 years and never could get hunt buddies together. So I said screw it, I'll go by myself and if picked  make the best of it.

 I told my wife it will be my luck that I will get drawn and with the oil spill they will probally shut down the whole bay. The oil is already lapping at Panama City Beach. The hunt is for 3 days in December for 200 hunters, muzzleloading or archery. Sitka Bulls have weighed in at over 700 pounds, that's as big as an Elk. Also, I've been doing some research on this place and it's really unique when it comes to wildlife. There are over 30 different native species of snakes in Florida and this Isaland has over 50 different species. Well, I have my fingers crossed the stars and ocean currents will line up. I find out in July if I got picked.

[HoBow]

Good luck! That would be a blast!  I've never been to St. Vinvent, but that area is beautiful.

[Pat B]

Sounds like a great adventure. December along the Gulf should be pretty nice weather too. How big is St Vincent Island and what is the terrain and vegetation?

[woodstick]

you can do it, keep the faith. then show us pics. good luck

[Pappy]

Good luck Eddie,hope you get drawn.
   Pappy

[cracker]

Good luck Eddie I hope it works out for you. Ron

[mullet]

 Pat, it's 18 square miles of sand dunes covered in Live Oak hammocks and cabbage palms. Also Slash pines and freshwater lakes and streams. Typical Florida habitat.

[Pat B]

Similar to Blackbeard Is, GA and I guess most barrier islands. Cool habitats.

[mullet]

 Yea. I'm going to put in for the Blackbeard Island hunt, too.

[Diligence]

Seems like a lot of hunters for a such a small area, but it sure looks like a neat place!

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=st+vincent+island+florida&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=St+Vincent+Island,+United+States&gl=ca&ei=t_IrTKSUOsmhnQfCqP3ICQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CB4Q8gEwAA

or for google earth users....

Latitude  29°38'28.98"N
Longitude  85° 7'0.53"W

Jaye

[mullet]

 Jaye,
   Not everybody shows up. And you have to come on the island on the west end where the pier is and either walk or mountain bike to where you are going. From what I'm told the only sand packed hard enough to ride a bike is along the beach and hunting is over by 3PM.

[Pat B]

I hunted Blackbeard twice. Very cool(read hot and humid) place to hunt. In those days there were no hogs on Blackbeard. Heck they didn't have or want squirrels because of the limited food sources. Now there are hogs on all the GA barrier islands. I saw the biggest water moccasin there too. We were trailing a deer I had shot and came out of the woods onto a savanna. As we trailed I looked up and under a myrtle bush there was this snake and it looked like a truck tire.  Can't kill them there either. Only deer and hogs.
  Hunting Sitkas will be cool too.

[Cromm]

Cool, best of luck Eddie with the draw. I am hoping for you to get it.
Thanks for your time

[mullet]

 Thanks Steve. Pat, some buddies of mine hunted Blackbeard about 5 years ago. My one friend passed on 3 different deer the first day at less than 15 yards. He was waiting for a big one. He didn't know that most of them are like Key Deer, real stunted.

[leapingbare]

I just looked at it on google maps.
 There is a small ridge that runs betwen two ponds by oyster pond. looks like a good funnel if you can get to it.