# Sambar on St Vincent



## J rod (Sep 21, 2010)

Made our way to the Island across a pretty rough bay, got a little wet but it was worth it. Wendsday afternoon, the day before the hunt, we set up our stands, me and two friends. We had a 3.5 mile walk one way each day, but a reliable source recommended the spot. On my way in to the spot I was going to hunt I jumped a nice stag out of bed. Stood still for a few minutes and waited for him to calm and snuck around some bushes and if only it was the first day of the hunt. I could have easily dropped him with a 40 yrd neck shot, but it wasn't and he walked off unaware. Next day got another look at him, but just for a sec, my friend had busted him up again after heading back out to the road to get some food out of his bag he left out at the edge of the road and take a crap, on his way back in he must have busted him up and he ran right down the swale I was hunting on. First I heard a crash about 100 yrds behind me and I wrote it off as another palm fronze falling to the ground then a few more twigs and another crash, when I turned around I saw him but he saw me too he stopped and spun on a dime and turned and ran back the same direction he came, I cracked one off at him at about a 120 yrds, he was still just on the other side of some brush, and no such luck. Too Bad! Next morning about nine a nice young hind showed up and I was able to pop one off at her that found it's mark bout 70 yrds out, she ran about 10 yrd and that was that, the work began, she dressed out just over 200 pounds, smallest of the hunt but I bet the tastiest. Good Hunt and Great Eatin!


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## Worn Out (May 10, 2008)

Great report. That is some real hunting if you are man enough!


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## 69Viking (Oct 30, 2008)

Congrats! One of these days I'd like to do that hunt but don't really know where to start. Would be awesome to talk to someone in person that has done those hunts!


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

what a monster! ive never hunted sambars but ive always wanted to! that thing really resembles a whitetail DoeZilla! congrats!


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## joebuck (Oct 1, 2007)

Man that is AWESOME!!! Congrats and thanks for sharing such a great hunt with all of us!!!


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## Bone Yard (Feb 2, 2009)

Been to the Island many times. I've killed some nice stags. The last time I went I killed a hind just over 200 LBS. I was happy. Little did I know a 200 lbs hind still has Milking teeth. I have never drawn a tag since. Hope this is not the case for you.


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## love to hog hunt (Nov 1, 2009)

good story:thumbup:


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## fromthedepths (Nov 21, 2008)

a guy i work with has been on this hunt before and says sambar taste like arse. can someone verify this for me ,is that true or is he full of it.


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## J rod (Sep 21, 2010)

He's full of crap for sure, this one tastes great. might have a little to do with the fact it was a young one but it's tender and taste great, very mild, and lighter than deer not as light as pork but in between, and something i thought was interesting, it didn't have intestine but rather more like a cow stomach. it was huge.


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## J rod (Sep 21, 2010)

Bone Yard said:


> Been to the Island many times. I've killed some nice stags. The last time I went I killed a hind just over 200 LBS. I was happy. Little did I know a 200 lbs hind still has Milking teeth. I have never drawn a tag since. Hope this is not the case for you.


Me too, got me all scared now. the current rule as you probably know is that we can't apply again next year but have to wait to the year after but my cousin who works that island and st marks said that they are talking about changing that rule. this was my third year applying, but you wanna know what's crazy 200 tags paid for and only 80 people showed up to hunt and only 5 Sambar killed. Maybe i'm paranoid but i wonder if anti hunting nuts aren't drawing tags to keep hunters from getting them.


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## fromthedepths (Nov 21, 2008)

that's cool. he killed a big stag so your probably right about that being young and tender .congrats


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## jks0007 (Nov 4, 2010)

Can out of state hunters apply for these tags? I grew up in Marianna, and have never even heard of these tags being applied for. Is this something new?

Granted we did move to Orange Beach when I was 13, I might have had a reason not to know about this program.


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## J rod (Sep 21, 2010)

jks0007 said:


> Can out of state hunters apply for these tags? I grew up in Marianna, and have never even heard of these tags being applied for. Is this something new?
> 
> Granted we did move to Orange Beach when I was 13, I might have had a reason not to know about this program.


Not that new, although I'm not sure exactly how long they've been doing it. but yes it's available to all US citizens, not and easy permit to get, about 1000 people apply and only 200 pemits available. but it's an awesome hunt and i would recommend it to anyone.


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## Heller High Water (Nov 1, 2007)

Just awesome, I have been drawn for whitetail there but not the beast, great work. Whats it like to see that thing walking through the woods of the south?


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Here is what one looks like under your stand. It is an awesome sight.


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## J rod (Sep 21, 2010)

It'll get you pumped that's for sure, I've hunted out in Colorado for elk serveral times and love it, but this is comparable and a whole lot closer. Man I can't tell you how it was to see that stag then watch him disappear. but i had two firends with me and we had decided since we all had empty freezers that if a hind showed up we would take her. One of the guys hunting with me _almost_ got a tall spike stag on the last day but couldn't make it happen. we saw tons of whitetail though i mean tons, one of my friends saw like 40 deer running down the sand dune right out in the open with a shrimp boat in the back drop, that's awesome. Never figured out why they were running like that, maybe it was the wolves! who knows!


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