jackflap

We did not have an observable deer populationon the family farm until we started "bumping" a few while quail hunting in the mid to late eighties.

Much to my family's and neighbor's surprise, as well as mine, I shot a large 13 point on Thanksgiving day in 1989. This was the first deer ever shot on our farm,at leastin the1900's.

It has been quite a ride watching the deer population bloom and then explode as it has in the last 19 years. The amazing part is that is seems as though is was just yesterday.

I have not missed a Thanksgiving morning hunt since and have scored a few other times on this day as well. Whether Thanksgivingcomes early or late, it always hits during our rut and I have lots of memorable hunts on this day.

I can't think of a better place for me to be at a time when one should be reflecting on their blessings than out enjoying the sunrise and all of God's creation in our little place we call the family farm.

Anyone else hold Thanskgiving as their favorite hunting day?

gutshot

In WV Thanksgiving week is the first of a month of variuos gun seasons and I gave that up for bowhunting 20 years ago. But I know what you mean I feel the same about just about every day of bow season. When we all still gun hunted it was a big deal to get up on Thanksgiving morning and hit the woods and then after dinner we would go out and hunt all afternoon.

Muliefever

Well seems how I am active duty and no where near Idaho..;( My family always goes on either a mornig goose or phesant hunt. Trust meI wishI was there!

GMMAT

I started a "traditional" Thanksgiving thing, last year. I'm going to carry that over through each holiday morning hunt, this weekend.

Longbow only Thurs, Fri and Sat mornings, this week.

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IL_BOW_MAN

Thanksgiving is like the unsaid tradition with my dad and I. We have hit it every year since I started hunting. In 2001 I shot my biggest buck (until this year) with dad not sitting but 100 yards away.

buckmaster

I love hunting Thanksgiving, This year Matt/TN is here hunting with me this week, theres fun to be had, and hopefully, Lord willing a deer to boot.

Critr-Gitr

Thanksgiving is usually a special hunting day/weekend for me, but this year we are going down to Waco to be with some of my relatives down there. Normally we do Thanksgiving around home because that is where most of the realtives are, and hunting is a big part of it, just not this year. I will be jonesing pretty bad.

I'll be thinking of ya though, and thinking even more about that nice mature shooter buck I got pictures of underneath my stand 3 days ago. But don't worry about that, you go have fun. I'm going to make the rounds of the gun shops down around Waco and get stocked up on some reloading components that may be getting scarce.

Schultzy

I made a thread about this last year on Thanksgiving. Thanks for the reminder Mike!! It all started back when I was 14 years old (20 years ago) on a snowy Thanksgiving Day. Dad told me to go sit In the stand by the crick and that he was going to run the dogs through a couple different willow patches on our land and hope to get some pheasants and possibly also flush some deer out of there and hope they'd run to where I was sitting. Well, It worked out to perfection. 1/2 hour Into the hunt I heard dad fire his 870 In one of the willow patches he and the dogs were In. I thought sweet, I hope there was some deer In there also and that they make there way to me. Sure enough a doe and 2 fawns came a running about 15 minutes later and stopped st 12 yards. The fawn (BB) was the closest one to me and I let an arrow fly and nailed him perfect. He ran 30 yards or so and that was It. 2 minutes or so later I hear more deer coming but I also hear a grunt noise. This was the 1st time I've ever heard a buck grunt. 2 different bucks came within 15 yards of me with there noses to the ground trailing where the doe had walked. I couldn't do nothing being my tag was already filled (1 tag state usually). Both of these bucks were 130" to 140" class bucks and they stood there for at least 5 minutes, I was beside myself and couldn't believe It! Dad showed up right at dark to pick me up and he couldn't believe the story once I told him what happened. He right away says, Steve, that's hunting for ya and that's how It goes. He then say's congratulation's on your BB, you drilled him perfect. This BB was huge! He weighed 80lbs dressed and had at least 1.5" nubs on his head. I'm sure he would have been a dandy buck In his day.

2 years later I told dad I wanted to repay the favor he did for me so we set up behind my house on some land that I use to be able to hunt. I told him where I wanted him and that I was going to go upwind of the bedding area and slowly make a slow push to him and hope he connects on a deer himself. Low and behold 40 minutes later after I made the small slow push I seen him sitting where I told him to go and he had this big grin on his face! Any luck I said? His smile said It all! A doe fawn ran about 18 yards from him and stopped and he placed his arrow perfectly behind the shoulder with his Big Horn Recurve. We later tracked her about 60 yards and there she layed. That was one of the best hunts I've ever been on being I was able to repay dad back for what he did for me 2 years prior. We did this same push every year for about 7 years straight after this and were able to get a few more deer In the process. We ended getting my mom and my brother Involved on our traditioned Thanksgiving drive also and made some good memorys In the process. We no longer do this anymore being I can't hunt this woods anymore due to different owners and my parents have also gotten divorved and went there seperate ways but every year on Thanksgiving It's the 1st thing I think of when I wake up In the morning. Usually I'll call dad up or he'll call me up and we'll talk about old times. I told dad last year that we have to start doing this again. It's part of me and him, something us 2 started and It makes It that much more special to me and also to him. He lives 4.5 hours north of me so It makes It kind of tough but I can gaurantee you that's going to change. Lifes to short, I'll be making the trip up there maybe next year so we can keep our little traidition alive.
Thanks dad for the great memory's, here's to you and I and hopefully many more memory's to come!!
Love ya old man!!

rybohunter

No deer seasons open in PA on thanksgiving.
Except a doe only season that's been instituted in a couple areas of the state. I live in one of those areas and will be out for a couple hours thursday morning.