HUNTING GUIDES AND HUNTING OUTFITTERS
After adding the Southern Farms account I was quick to notice the potential of this trophy Whitetail operation. When Troy invited Kirk Fox (co-owner of HuntGuide.Com) and myself to go on a hunt, we eagerly accepted.
Our trip began with a brief flight from Harrisburg to Atlanta, and then a quick 30 minute connection to Columbus, Georgia. Troy was waiting for us at the airport. Southern Farms is happy to provide airport pickup for those guests who choose to fly. As we made the 1 hour drive to the lodge Troy shared a lot of information about his hunting operation. Southern Farms was founded in 1993, and started out as a 300 acre lease. Since then it has grown into a full scale trophy whitetail operation. They now have exclusive hunting rights to over 6000 acres of prime whitetail habitat. This land consists of 1500 acres of farm land, 2500 acres of swamp / clear cuts, and 2000 acres of hardwoods. 35 food plots are also maintained on the property. 50 tree stands are strategically located through out the property. They are a combination of ladder stands, tripods, and Texas tower stands. All of them are built by Troy and his staff. They are very comfortable and have shooting rests. In addition to these stands, some climbing stands are also located on the property.
As for accommodations, you certainly won't be disappointed here. A brand new 2500 square foot lodge can comfortably handle 8 hunters. As you can see from the photo of the dining room and living room, prepare to relax and unwind in a cozy lodge after your hunt. The package price includes a continental breakfast, full lunch and dinner. Our meals included roast beef, chicken, pork chops, spare ribs along with various side dishes. It is difficult to tell lunch from dinner when eating here. With most operations similar to Southern Farms, lunch is simply soup or a sandwich. Let's just say don't plan on losing any weight on your hunting trip !
As we arrived at the Lodge, both Kirk and I were anxious to begin our hunt. The first night I was located on a grassy field and a food plot that served as a crossing area to some dense pines. Kirk was also located on a food plot. I was in my stand at 3:45 and at 4:15 a nice 6 point took a leisurely stroll across the field. As darkness fell later that evening, a larger buck appeared approximately 150 yards away. I could tell the rack was wider, but due to the darkness I was not able to get a close enough look at the rack to determine if it was a "shooter" buck. Southern Farms harvests 8 point or better bucks with a 15 inch spread or larger. For those wishing to take home plenty of venison, you are allowed to harvest 1 doe per day. That evening Kirk saw a young 4 point buck chasing 2 doe.
The next morning was pretty uneventful. Kirk didn't see a deer, and I saw a doe cross a food plot a little after 9:00 AM. That evening Kirk saw a 4 point buck, a 6 point buck and 3 doe. As we returned to the lodge that evening we learned that Ryan, an 8 year old trying to bag his first deer missed the 6 point buck that I had seen the previous evening. Troy's policy and attitude toward young, first time hunters who have never taken a buck is very admirable. Fathers who bring their son or daughter to hunt and sit with them in the stand are only charged a fee for 1 hunter. Troy also waives the 8 point, 15 inch minimum requirement for these hunters because he understands that when it comes to bagging a youngsters first buck, every buck is a trophy !
The following morning was accompanied with heavy rains and quite a light show just before dawn. Luckily, Troy's well built Texas tower stands shielded us from the elements allowing us to stay dry. As dawn broke deer were definitely on the move. That morning I saw 6 doe and a 4 point buck, while Kirk saw 2 doe and a nice 6 point buck. That evening overall deer activity slowed down, but Kirk was still lucky enough to see 5 doe and a rack buck. Due to darkness falling, he wasn't able to count the exact number of points. He was able to determine that the whitetail was not big enough to be a shooter buck.
The next day came with the same unfavorable weather conditions as was the case the prvious few days. Morning lows were in the mid 60's, with afternoon temperatures soaring into the mid and upper 80's. For those of you who have tried to pursue a trophy whitetail buck, you understand how difficult it is to get one of these guys to appear on a hot, sunny 80 degree day. With these conditions against us, little did we realize what is in store for Kirk later that evening.
The morning hunt was quiet, the only deer sighted was a small 6 point buck by Kirk. After an excellent lunch we tried some new stands in the evening hunt. I wasn't lucky enough to see a deer, but Kirk ended up experiencing one of those "once in a lifetime" evenings. He arrived in his stand a little before 4:00 PM. Within 15 minutes of getting settled, a 6 point buck with a very high rack, appeared only 75 yards away. Kirk scoped the buck, trying to somehow squeeze another 2 points out of the rack. Then suddenly, a monster buck appeared about 300 yards away, only showing the top of his neck and head. Kirk was able to count 17 points including a large drop tine on one side and a kicker on the other. At that distance scoring the rack was difficult, but he thinks the buck was easily a 170+ class whitetail. As the buck stood there, it let out a sound Kirk had never experienced in the woods before, much louder and deeper than a grunt. The smaller 6 point buck quickly scurried off. After this, the monster buck retreated into the dense swamp area. A little later the small 6 point buck again appeared, and within seconds the monster buck again came to the same spot, let out the same noise and again the 6 point buck quickly scurried off. The monster buck once again retreated.
Kirk has spent a lot of hours in the woods watching whitetail bucks and has taken several nice bucks. He was quick to point out that this was the first buck in a long time that made his knees shake. The buck was smart though, he never stepped out to offer a clear shot. Obviously he didn't get to be that big by being careless. As the evening went on, Kirk managed to see 4 more shooter bucks in the swamp area behind him. It was both a rewarding and frustrating experience. He would first see the large bodies of the deer moving through the thick brush and swamp area approximately 150 yards from the stand. As soon as he was able to select a spot to scope the animal, it would briefly appear giving him only a glimpse of the large rack.. As soon as he was able to verify that it was a shooter buck, the buck would avoid offering a clean shot. Hard to believe 5 bucks of this class would all be in the same condensed area. As Kirk told his story over dinner, Troy was relieved that we were finally able to get a taste of what Southern Farms whitetail hunting has to offer. Kirk was impressed with not only the racks but also the body size of the bucks he had sighted. All 5 bucks easily weighing in excess of 200 lbs. So much for the notion that all southern, east coast deer are small. The above picture is of a buck taken that same evening. As you can see for yourself, Southern Farms bucks are anything but small.
The next morning was our last chance. Kirk was eager to return to the same stand in the morning. I wasn't lucky enough to site a deer, but Kirk once again experienced plenty of action. As luck would have it, Mother Nature still was unwilling to give us a break. Not only was the last morning warm, but now a dense fog covered the area Kirk was hunting. A good hour before daylight, Kirk could hear the loud crashing of 2 bucks fighting down in the swamp. This continued for several minutes. Eventually, both the sound and the deer disappeared as dawn approached Later that morning Kirk saw a spike buck and a small 4 point buck. Kirk could only laugh as he considered his last 6 hours in that tree stand. 8 different bucks were sighted, 2 others heard fighting, and not a single shot fired.
Troy has a lot of good ideas for the future. In 2002 he plans on running a "Mega Bucks" contest. He plans to have a maximum of 50 hunters. The entry fee will be $1500.00 which includes meals and lodging. Each hunter will be randomly assigned a tree stand each day. First place will pay $10,000 along with numerous other cash prizes. For further details of the upcoming Mega Bucks hunt contact Troy.
Due to the large Whitetail population in Georgia the season is fairly long. Archery season begins in mid-September and runs to mid-October. This is followed by a 1 week muzzleloader season. Gun season begins in late October and runs through the second week in January. In addition to Trophy Whitetail hunting, Spring gobbler season is also a big attraction for Southern Farms. 2001 turkey hunters enjoyed a 90% success rate. For the avid bird shooter, Southern Farms offers some of the fastest dove and quail shooting to be found anywhere in Georgia. Contact Troy or visit his website for further details.
Both Kirk and I enjoyed are hunt. Even though neither of us were lucky enough to take a buck, it was obvious to see that Southern Farm holds numerous quality bucks. If you are able to time your hunt right and able to get a few breaks from Mother Nature you will thoroughly enjoy a hunt with Southern Farms.
Please feel free to email us at dlatsha@aol.com or fox7766@epix.net if you have any detailed questions or comments concerning this article.
Visit the Southern Farms web site now!
Happy Hunting,
Denny Latsha
Kirk Fox
HuntGuide.com
