Opening Day - Who's going?
Wisconsin
Man oh man - getting close!
Years ago opening day I shot a 10 pointer on opening day!
Happy/sad day!
Happy because I shot a very nice buck - but sad when I realized I would be limited to a doe or two when the RUT came around -
I was right - That was a hard November!
I haven't hunted a opener since I don't believe -
What about you?
It's been said that opening weekend is a great time to put a monster on the ground?
If ya go - Good Luck!
I won't be hunting until later October. My son has high school soccer until then and I won't hunt without him. It would not feel right. I'll Musky fish without him though and will do that. We had good sightings and success last year waiting until then focusing on the rut.
Still lots of land work to get done as well.
I was planning on camping/hunting that first week but the Mrs made me other plans.
I'll hunt locally Saturday morning then go to a dinner party. That Wednesday I'll head up north for the rest of the week.
I've been so worked up for the last month all I've been doing is reading about hunting, scouting and shooting (little fishing too).
All this anticipation will just mean the skeeters will have more success than I will though....
Happy -
Good for you and your son - great memories in the making!
Leave some muskies for us! LOL
Tweed - Anyone married know what that's like - Good Luck...
Not me. I will be wrapping up work stuff that weekend. I should be done with most of that stuff by the last weekend in Sept. Just in time to take all of October and November off.
I am. It will be #49 for me. Never missed one yet !
I am, # 25 for me, never have missed opening day since 12 yrs old. 1st time in stand can be better than rut but has to be a pretty good one to burn the buck tag so early.
can't wait to get the band back together! especially sweet now that my son is really into it
I'm going . Don't know when it'll be my last .
@Stagetek- of the 49 which was the best and which was the worse and why?
Maybe? Will be in Co. deer/Elk hunting sept.10 thru 18,I don't miss any except when I am out West
I sure am going to try to hunt opening morning, we'll see though. I'm still in PT for an early July right shoulder rotator cuff injury and am still recovering from hand surgery. If I cannot draw my bow in time for at least a minimal amount of pre-season practice, I'll still be on stand on my hunting land so I can truthfully say I didn't miss it. This will be my 60th September bow season opener.
Opening mornings of bow season have always been fun for me. I remember one from the eighties near Tuck-A-Way Campground in Sauk County. I was in a tree stand in a very large wooded area. About twenty yards away there was a blown over tree which had lodged itself at about a 45 degree angle against a dead and seemingly hollow tree trunk. Just after daylight a raccoon came scuffling through the leaves and started walking up the angled tree. He (she?) got about half-way and stopped and took a poop right on the angled trunk. The raccoon then scurried further up the trunk and disappeared into the hollow tree. I didn't think much of this, the raccoon was just one of God's creations going about its daily business. I'd never seen a 'coon take a dump before, it was a cool 'n neat morning!
But, what made the weekend really cool 'n neat was that the next day, again in the morning, I went back to this same stand. What da ya know?!?! Along comes the same 'coon, walks up the same tree, takes another poop in the same spot, and disappears in the same hollow tree trunk!
You never know what you're going to see in the woods!
I sure am going to try to hunt opening morning, we'll see though. I'm still in PT for an early July right shoulder rotator cuff injury and am still recovering from hand surgery. If I cannot draw my bow in time for at least a minimal amount of pre-season practice, I'll still be on stand on my hunting land so I can truthfully say I didn't miss it. This will be my 60th September bow season opener.
Opening mornings of bow season have always been fun for me. I remember one from the eighties near Tuck-A-Way Campground in Sauk County. I was in a tree stand in a very large wooded area. About twenty yards away there was a blown over tree which had lodged itself at about a 45 degree angle against a dead and seemingly hollow tree trunk. Just after daylight a raccoon came scuffling through the leaves and started walking up the angled tree. He (she?) got about half-way and stopped and took a poop right on the angled trunk. The raccoon then scurried further up the trunk and disappeared into the hollow tree. I didn't think much of this, the raccoon was just one of God's creations going about its daily business. I'd never seen a 'coon take a dump before, it was a cool 'n neat morning!
But, what made the weekend really cool 'n neat was that the next day, again in the morning, I went back to this same stand. What da ya know?!?! Along comes the same 'coon, walks up the same tree, takes another poop in the same spot, and disappears in the same hollow tree trunk!
You never know what you're going to see in the woods!
I was planning on hunting near home for the opener and heading up at the end of the month or first week of October. This buck however has changed our plans. We think it was the six point we saw a lot of last year. This year he's a nice 8 and he's been walking past my sons two man stand each evening for the past 11 days in a row. I'm hoping he keeps the same routine so my son can get a shot at him. He would be a great first deer for my boy.
That photo was taken from the front yard of my mother in laws house. She's already calling the deer "Collins buck".... No pressure son:-)
Tweed, Hard to really say which were "the best or worst". The earlier years were a lot of fun. I hunted with about four other guys, including my dad. You could hunt anywhere. You could shoot anything. And, because it was all new, you learned a lot. Like anybody who stays at it, it becomes less about the killing, and more about just being there. I hunt solo now, and while I enjoy the time spent alone, if I could I would get that old deer party together again. The camaraderie is missed the most. But, each and every year just adds to the experience...and I'll keep adding 'til I can't anymore.
Opening day promises to be exciting....it's been a long wait!
I'll have to wait until Sunday. My beautiful eyes wife got us a trip to Madison and tickets to the Badger game.
Trainsafe, she can take my wife. We can go hunting!!!
That sounds like a deal!
I figure I'm going to be sparse around home for a few months, I can give up one day. Besides, that big buck I have chained to the tree can be harvested on Sunday just as good as Saturday.
I've got one buck I'm really Interested in, But I need a north east wind. Opening weekend could be spent observing from a distance. I'm really looking forward to sitting in a tree no matter what happens.
Seems I've been waiting for a NE wind the last two year's . Even when it's 20 degree's up here I'm always getting a SW wind .
Yeah swampy were in the same boat. And when it does blow a NE it switches fast.
Will be fishing a muskie tourney. Might have to wait until Oct to start my season. But I still have 3 weeks of vacation time to use this year.
I've got a wedding to perform in the afternoon, but I might sneak out in the morning first. I can't wait as well to beup a tree with my bow in my hand!
