No luck first day
 

I had high hopes the first day of the season in SC. I've got a nice velvet 10 pt. visiting my stand...I was certain that I was goin to be riding with the tailgate down! I woke up for the first morning... late. I got dressed real quick; sun just peekin over the trees. I rushed to my stand, just to have fog settle in over the field I'm hunting... and it didnt clear up fast. By the time the fog settled, it was already 97 degrees. With the sun beating down on me, I climbed down the stand and hoped for better luck in the afternoon. No such luck... in the afternoon, all I saw was 3 armadillos, and 6 rabbit. I KNOW that deer are visiting my stand... it looks like cattle tracks around my corn pile... the thing is, the weather (temp.) has the deer acting abnormal. They are hardly walking at all in the morning and afternoon. Though, I did see one grazing in a rye field at 1 O'Clock in the afternoon at 101 degrees! [:o]Strange... I'm certain my deer are walking at night, and not in the day at all... I'm going back next weekend though... wish me luck! I'll have a 10 point on the forums for yall!

RE: No luck first day
 

Hey at least you are hunting, I would give anything to be out right now. Think I am going to plan a SC trip next year:D

RE: No luck first day
 

Atleast I'm hunting is right! Can't complain about that!

RE: No luck first day
 

I'm dying to get out there, consider yourself lucky.

RE: No luck first day
 

Well you have a long season and I am sure you will get that 10 point.

Must have felt nice just to be sitting up in the tree again. I would give anything to watch armadillos & rabbits all day versus sitting in the damn office watching the cars drive by.

RE: No luck first day
 

Chris do you have a corn pile or a corn feeder?

Piles are notorious for making deer nocturnal, so feeding at night is about right on the money.

The most successful way I hunted when it came to corn piles in SC was to establish a pile for about 3-4 weeks and wait until I KNEW I had deer hitting it every 24 hours.

Then, after the deer had worn a right nice path into the pile, I'd back track it about 200-300 yards downwind of the trail and the pile, and thats where I would hunt. Everytime the wind got right, it never failed to produce an encounter with deer. Just have to pick the right wind!

RE: No luck first day
 

SwampCollie, I have a corn pile.

And thats a pretty good idea! Yesterday, I was rifle hunting, so I wasn't right on top of the pile. I'll have a bow in about 2 weeks... thanks for that little tactic you got goin on... I'm gonna have to try that!

BTW, the reason I use a corn pile (cobbed corn), is because not everything can eat cobbed corn. Birds, squirrels, coons,etc..., have a hard time getting the kernel off of the cob (atleast this is what I've heard... it seems to be true). Plus, it doesn't mold as fast. I'm not saying that corn piles dont make deer nocturnal, but last year I had a corn pile and I saw on average 15-25 deer every afternoon, but hardly any in the morning.

RE: No luck first day
 

Man, overslept the opening morning.....I don't believe I have ever done that!![&:] I normally can't even sleep the night before the opener, much less, oversleep. Oh well, you have a long season ahead of you and I am sure you will have plenty of chances. Good luck!!

RE: No luck first day
 

Keep at it buddy. Its my first time hunting SC, but we've been seeing alot of action from 9am - 11am. I killed my 8 at a little after 10am. And we watched a couple imature 10's and a little 6pt. at 10:30. SwampCollie is right about corn piles, the big bucks know when somethings too good to be true. Stick to security cover in transition routes close to water in the morning and just hope luck is on your side. Good luck man.

RE: No luck first day
 

Thanks fellas. A newbie bowhunter here... gonna have to switch up my tactics a little bit!