WNY Bowhunter

Didn't get to pull the trigger this weekend...but still had my best opener in years here in 8P & 8R. Saw6 bucks and a bunch of does yest...passed on a couple of small bucks and a couple of big does (no DMP's for this unit). We were in the back of the truck setting up a drive about 10:00 yest. and there was an absoluteMONSTER standing out in the neighbors field tending a doe. Don't know how many points he had but he was a huge bodied deer with a really tall and wide rack...without a doubt the biggest buck that I've ever seen during open season. The funny thing is, they apparently were bedding in a small swampy patch of brush/goldenrod within 100 yds. of a cabin with 4-wheelers driving all around them! The image of him turning around and going back into the goldenroad is still etched into my mind. Saw a couple more nice bucks but couldn't get a clean shot on either. Had a nice buck grunting and chasing does out in front of me during a drive this morning. The 4 does came within a few yards of me and spooked causing the buck to stop behind some brush where I couldn't shoot. I've heard of a few big bucks getting taken in the area, including a real nice 10-pt. and a 21" 11-pt. just up the road and a monster 24" 10-pt. on the winery property that I hunt. Still lots of bucks out there for the taking. I've got until Sat. off so I plan on doing some serious hunting this week.

farm hunter

Slow here too - A couple passed deer - and one 4 point shot by our group on opening day. Nothing big taken nearby that I know of yet - but there was LOTS of shooting around - I'd say 2 years of no Doe permits was catching up.

FH