Opening Day

[tcoop]

Because of dense fog, I got lost 2 times on the way to the stand. And I know this timber pretty well. So I didn't get to my stand until 5:36. I should have been there at 5:00.

Shooting time was 6:24 for my area, but at 6:30 with the fog it was still to dark to see anything.

At 7:30 I saw a small buck coming. At 20 yards I decided to let him walk. I told myself that I would take anything except a small buck.

Well when he got to 6 yards I saw that he had a weird rack. Three pts. on one side and a spike on the other. So I decided to cull him from the heard before he spread those jeans for the irregular rack.

I shot him at 6 yards. At first I thought I missed. I saw the arrow sticking in the ground. But then I got my binos and saw the blood on the arrow. The timber is so dense I didn't see him drop, but he only went 20 yards. I love those WASP JackHammer mechanical blades. That 1 3/4" cutting diameter really drops them.

Gotta go process him now.

tcoop

[Myk]

Good job. I'm debating if I want to stay up and go out tonight (won't shoot anything because I have to work tonight so it would be a waste of time) or be a good boy and sleep so I can get my work done and spend the whole day out tomorrow after I drop off the work in the morning.

This morning sure was tempting until the sun poked through. If I wouldn't have had a job due for today I just might have left a special message on my machine and skipped out early.

[Mossyhorns]

I took a doe this afternoon at 21 yds with a Montec head.About 40 yds watched her fall over and go to sleepy town.seen 17 deer today 3 were buck all none shooters.

[DickPal]

congratulations you guys. Sounds like a action packed day. I hunted last evening for the MI opener and did not see a deer. ::big The picture is what it looked like up here yesterday morning and pretty much still does.

[realtree]

contrats guys

[Myk]

My first day wasn't as successful, but it wasn't bad.

I was in my blind and about ready to call it quits. I looked out and saw a pretty big body coming my way. They never did step into my shooting lane but I did get a glance at what they were, at least one buck.

So I gave them fifteen minutes to leave the area. As soon as I got out of my blind and on the flats I heard them still playing around. So I still hunted my way behind some cover and towards the beach (at least 15 minutes, probably more like 30 to go less than 30 yards). After I got to the beach I waited and didn't hear them anymore so I walked up the hill slowing down at the top in case they went up in the field. It wasn't them but there was a doe and a fawn in the field. I stalked to about 5 yards from where I was going to sit and wait them out when the fawn got wind of me. It hopped out of the field with tail up, the doe followed slowly with tail down. If I was sure of the range and my 40yd pin I probably had a good shot at the doe, but I know my 40yd pin is off and wasn't sure how far they were (those 5 extra yards and I would've been hidden enough to put the range finder on them). The bucks were also in shooting range just never in a lane.

At least I had bucks near my shooting lanes and had a fairly successful open ground stalk. If the wind wouldn't have got me I would've filled my antlerless tag. The whole time I was in my blind I was thinking I should've stopped by the pine tree before heading into the woods.

[Tifford]

Good hunting and shooting both of you!!

Thanks for the pics as well.


Tifford