Opening Day

[sheltowee]

How was your opening day. I saw a few deer. Nothing that I wanted to shoot. I did get the opportunity to drop a coyote.

 

[ghitch75]

squirrels and a raccoon that was it....

 

[rhino400]

Saw a train. It was a big one too. I stopped counting at 100 cars.

 

[avboiler11]

Small 8pt cruising this morning...and 6 turkey that made a gawdawful commotion.

This evening, saw the same 6 turkey, a small spike, and 3 does that were following the spike (?).

 

[Leadeye]

Had an interesting evening, the forest erupted with gray squirrel chatter like I've never heard before. So loud and continuous that I didn't hear the cause sauntering under my stand until it was on the other side, a bobcat. The bobcat continued down the trail with the noise increasing ahead of it. The cacophony went on and on. Things like that make hunting interesting even when you come back with nothing.

 

[Hookeye]

Greys told me of incoming coyote at my old spot more than once.

 

[srad]

A decent six came by at 8:30a; went to a different spot for a sunset sit and a fork horn came feeding into the field five minutes after sunset. Nothing much else except a few squirrels. Beautiful day in the woods though.

 

[Magneto]

The FIL has a big meal on opening day after the morning hunt. Three people got deer, two of which were good size. Many others didn't even see a deer, only coyotes and squirrels.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Saw a spike this morning about 45 minutes in. With the frost on the ground, the leaves were not crunching and I actually saw his shadow coming before I heard him. He casually walked on by, and I didn't see anything else in the morning.

This evening had 2 does come crashing through the woods about 4pm, and one was a very nice doe (would have taken it if it was next weekend). She stopped and walked around a bit in front of my stand about 15 yards away, then quickly ran off. I had a feeling she was being chased and she was. About 2 minutes later a little basket rack came by, tongue out smelling everything around where that doe had been standing. Was fun to watch him following the scent.

Around 4:30 I had another doe walk towards me from a harvested soybean field that has some green weeds on it from the warm spell. She meandered around for a while about 25yards out, every so often looking up, but never spotted me or appeared to get my scent. I was hoping that she would draw in a buck, but instead she joined up with 4 other does who started grazing with her. I watched them for close to an hour before they started getting a little playful and eventually trotted off. It was actually very relaxing to just fade away and observe, like I wasn't there.


Of course saw lots of squirrels, a couple of which got danger close climbing some branches around my stand. I was waiting for once of them to jump onto my lap!


I heard a lot of shooting, although it seemed less than normal opening days. What was different was the amount of doubles and triples I was hearing. Very few single shots. Not sure if people were shooting at running deer more than usual, or what.

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

My wife shot two does today. She was excited so I am happy. She killed the first deer with my 44 reloads for the HandiRifle. I am hoping to get a shot at a doe to test my 243 reloads.

 

[sportsman223]

Several doe's only one shooter buck and youngest daughter stopped him in his tracks now it's just oldest daughter and wife left

 

[Fordtough25]

My hunting partner and I dropped two bucks and two does this morning. My buck was a solid 10 pointer, prob 185 lbs after dressing. His was a 7 pointer and close to 170 lbs after dressing. Busy morning and I'm tickled pink! Best buck of my life hunting so far!!

 

[eric001]

I saw three this evening--2 does at bad angles and a young spike buck close in and perfectly lined up. Thought about trying to wait for one of the does to work her way in to a clear shot and took the young guy instead due to the light starting to fail and I just didn't feel like tracking after dark. Hit him with a 240 grain Winchester .44 mag out of my Marlin at 50 yards and he staggered for maybe 30 or so before falling over dead. Not a big buck by any stretch of the imagination, but he's going to look REALLY good in the freezer and will help provide some variety when we host Thanksgiving dinner. Add to that the fact he's the first good shot I've had in almost three years, and I'm pretty happy to have him hanging up right now waiting for me to dress him out.

 

[clfergus]

Saw about 7 doe crossing right in the middle of a steep hill out at about 150 yards. Wasn't on our property though. Moved to another property for the evening and saw nothing. My dad shot a small eight point who was up in years. He was running and working the scrapes of the big buck i killed last Saturday during bow. I have yet to see any sort of Rut behavior in my area.

 

[possumpacker]

heard 32 shots by 10 am on the opener. saw 11 does an 3 bucks 2 were nice ones but out past 400yrds. seen 2 bucks an 2 does today and my buddy took a 7 point at 40 yrds with 243handi rifle. no trackin

 

[farmerdan]

I spent the weekend at my dad's farm and I seen a couple bucks but nothing too impressive. Ran off quite a few trespassers, one guy tried telling me he had permission and I heard him out then asked who gave him permission. He couldn't remember so I escorted him and his buddy to their truck. I hate trespassers! I'll probably head back to the farm tomorrow morning and spend the night, I'm sure I'll end up dressing a few while I'm there. Good luck everyone and stay safe. Dan

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

squirrels and a raccoon that was it....

Same here. Except to see a racoon fight too.

 

[Huzrjim]

Saw a young forkhorn around 8:30. Saw a nice hawk land in a tree right above a squirrel, which started barking like crazy from the other side of the tree. The hawk moved on. Saw a small 6 pointer about 5:30pm. Nothing worth shooting for opening day.

 

[cerebus85]

We went out on the opener at 4. All we saw in the morning were trespassers and what looked like a deer with a glow nock? moving through the woods. it was too dark to tell. I was able to take a 9 point at tail end of shooting light. (one tine broke when he fell into the ravine and got kinda stuck) it was a good 1.5 hours getting him out. He wore us out.