HNI_Christine

I forgot about that mouse. Mr. Floater.

I'm almost ready for the opener on Friday. 'Cept the arrows still need to be made and I haven't gotten my hunting clothes out yet and I still don't have any tags. Eeek.

jnrbronc

Our opener is Friday as well. I haven't gotten clothes out yet either. I did pick up four tags on Monday night.

Gotta work Friday, I hope to get a hunt in on Saturday, because Sunday I leave the country for two weeks.

Should be back just in time for the rut.

Huntinlady

That is some funny stuff ladies!! I got a good laugh out of that one! Love the stories sounds like I would like to share camp with you ladies sometime.

Lady Forge- I had the same problem with my ratchet strap!!! Your not alone. I was so mad at that thing I all most tossed mine on the ground. After about an hour and scaring deer off a bunch of deer I finally got it.

I have been out a few times for our intercity hunts (DOE ONLY)but I got a look at what may be to come?? Seen a bunch of does & yearlings a few small bucks in shooting distance. But tomorrow is our opener here as well. And everything is fair game!! But around here it wont get going good until later on in the month. Looks as if a few of us have a opener tomorrow!! I will be in that stand waiting on that sun to come up.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL & STAY SAFE!!!!

I cant wait to hear a few stories- GO & GETEM TEAM

Robow45

I’m taking tomorrow off work! I don’t have one patterned but maybe I can catch one off guard! Good luck everyone

HNI_Christine

This is how my opening morning went:

I managed to get up at 3am, showered and out the door by 3:30.

I forgot my rangefinder.
The batteries were dead on my gps.
I put my climber on a crooked tree.
Once in the tree I took an arrow out of my quiver, put the arrow on the string and then dropped the quiver on the ground. Oops.

A doe and two fawns show up before light and eat acorns in front of me. Just as it gets to be shooting light a jogger came down a nearby trail and ran them off.


Later at 7:30 this doe came by.





Now I can shoot a buck... I just need to find a cooperative one.

jnrbronc

Nice Christine!

I'm going to do an evening sit today, don't have high expectations, just gonna be happy that season is finally open.

jnrbronc

Well, last night was the first time out of the year. 16 deer sighted total, but I think it was only 12 different deer (think I saw one doe and her fawn three times). I had 2 does (each had a single fawn) directly under my stand at different times. I had an antlerless tag in my pocket, but since I'm heading to the airport here shortly, I opted not to shoot.

I did see one of my target bucks, but he was with 6 does in a bean field about 400+ yards out. He was bird dogging one of the does really hard. The up side is it looks like he's running the same route he did during the rut last year, where he actually beat a path across the property. I'm hoping to get set up on him when I get back from my business trip.

WV Hunter

Good job Christine! Your trip sounds like what most of us go through on the first hunt...I know I usually do. LOL! Hey, at least you got your slick! Now go get one of them hammer bucks that you know are roaming around.

I haven't been out yet. VA opened yesterday, and WV in a couple weeks. Good luck everyone, lets get some points!

Canuck33

Awesome HC! Nice Swamp Donkey now go drop a booner!

Huntinlady

Congrats to ya Christine!!! Nice job. Have you eaten her back straps yet? Just think about them is making me hungry! Yum... Have ya ever been so hungry in the stand and a deer walks by and ya and you think mmmmm how good a steak would be right now.

Jnrbronc- your hunt sounded a bit like my hunt, they will be going strong by the time you get back from your trip. Well I headed out on friday morn and I seen about 15 does and yearlings a bunch of little S**TER bucks. I think they need some steroids in there diet.
I did take a few pics while I was out with my phone found some pretty interesting things.

First thing I found some mary j plants growing on the outside of the corn rows. I did take a pic of it but I am not going to post that one.

The next thing I found was a few tomato plants in field I picked the ripe one.

Last night I climbed into my latter stand I sat and watched a few deer here and there, I had a little yearling come in looking for mama not sure where she was..?? but the little one came right to my stand then pondered around the area so I decided to see how my bleat call was working and the little one fell for it hook line and sinker. Then all of a sudden I hear something terrible sound it was like something choking on a hair ball and it was right there!!

I look all around me and I see nothing!! I think that is so weird ??? WHAT THE HECK?? I looked to my right and see a few more deer coming in and I got focused on them. Then it got to the time the big guys will be moving in that area and I hear some scratching and I look up and not 5 feet from me was a raccoon!! OH **** I jump up and went to grab my bow and thought to myself coon season is NOT OPEN YET! So I just grab a arrow out of my quiver and point it at him and tell him to just go down that side of the tree and he kept coming at me and at this point the only thing between me and him was another stand we have up above me. And I am thinking how dumb,,, whats the difference between me with the arrow or shooting him with the bow??? Self-defense? Well anyway....

I finally told him YOU WIN and I will just get down and wait for you to leave. I got down and stood there waiting for him to go and he went into the v of the tree which was right behind my latter stand, he kept peeking out at me and would not leave!! I needed my stuff at least my keys to get home. I can come back later for the rest. It started to get pretty dark and I figure I need to climb up before it gets to dark and I can keep my eye on him. And then I hear a deer BLOW (first time this year) I turn around and there is a small buck and 3 more whitetails in the air running away!! I look back at the coon and say see what you did!!!!

I slowly and with caution slid up my stand and all the while looking right at him grabbed my pack and my bow real quick and thank goodness that I had a bow hanger that hung out so far. I left the rest of my stuff and will get it later. I got out of there with out a scratch LOL and I had a great weekend even if I got chased out of my stand by a raccoon!!

I am going to try to post a couple pics from the woods they are not real good but the last one has the coon coming down the tree.

So Sorry I guess this is a long post. Just thought I would share.

I hope everyone is doing well and I cant wait to see what is instore for all this year.