First Morning..

[predator77]

 Well, This morning was just about as good as one could have asked for. My day started with a 4:30 alarm as it does for most of us. Breakfast,shower and getting back into my rhythm for hunting season. I did leave the house to early and spent close to an hour in the dark. Finally came some light and deer movement came with it. I had a mature doe and 2 yearling trotting through my area as if they were pushed by something. Twenty minutes later I had more deer trot through and I saw my first buck of hunting season at 15 yards in some thick cover. One buck became two and two became four. I just let them keep coming with no commitment from me to shoot any of them. I had two eights, one six and a spike all within 25 yards. I had a small eight so close to me that I got scared that if he got spooked he might get tangled in my ladder stand and pull it out from under me. Thirty minutes after these bucks left, I had one more eight walk the same path as the others but by this time my sent was falling with the fog. He became alert by the thermals kicked back up before he spooked and I got away without getting busted. All together I seen 3 does and 5 bucks from the stand and 2 more doe on the way out. All the bucks were to small for me and especially for a first day bowhunt.

[uncle buck]

Sounded like you had a bit of excitement and thats what counts...Thanks for sharing your story...

[muttbuster]

My first year hunting from a ground blind and a crossbow. My morning hunt I saw nor heard nothing. Plan B for the afternoon hunt. I was in my blind and situated by 5 o'clock. I was watching a trail that I had good feelings about with the wind to my face. Behind me was a steep hill full of vines and small trees that dropped off to my left. Six thirty I heard a twig snap behind me to my left in the thicket. I looked over my shoulder and thirty yards away I saw a huge body with a monster rack. It need to come up the hill about ten yards and his next step would take him to the taxidermist. Like I said, this is my first year hunting from a ground blind. I needed to turn myself around inside my blind and wait for my shot. I managed to turn around without creating a scene in the middle of the woods but, for some reason the buck kicked it into 4 wheel drive and was gone. He might have winded me or he saw or felt something he didn't like. Not sure what. About fifteen minutes later I came out of my blind and blew my cover. Deer were running threw the thickets in warp speed. This year just might be a learning curve year for me. I know if I could still use my tree stand he would have been toast. Live and learn for next time. However, it was a truly beautiful day in the woods.

[Lookn4Fur]

Sounds like you both had great days afield.

[muttbuster]

If I play my cards rite, we might meet again. I spotted the area and scouted the area he was in but I have never seen him till today. This patch of woods holds several respectable bucks but he was definitely the man in  charge. He won the first inning, but I still have eight more!

[Leglifter]

Mutt, I'll be down to ice that big boy for ya!

[muttbuster]

I don't think so Scooter, he belongs to me. But, you are welcome to come down and hunt with me. I have some super spots. I have nailed 5 record book bucks in these spots and there are many more to be had.

[shadowchaser]

Well all I saw were does.  I had a shot at 42yds, but thats pushin it for me.  I am more after the meat then the horns anyways.

[predator77]

I had deer all over me this evening to. Just a little far and there was like 8 deer below me chasing each other around. I was gonna try to get a big doe for meat but The biggest one stayed out 50 yards.
 Dang Bill! That's awesome you seen a monster already.

[Critterslayer51]

We had does all around us out of range, and in the afternoon hunt I had missed an 8 point at a hard 8 o clock shot, shooting left handed...shot right over him at 12 yards.

[muttbuster]

CS51, I did the same thing about 5 years ago. I shot right over a heavy racked ten point. The shot looked so simple. I beat myself up for a long time after that one.

[scott]

Me and Forrest hunted behind our cabin the first morning, we just got up in the stand and i was attaching our saftey belts when Forrest said theres 2 deer, one really big doe and another adult doe with her.  they were really skittish but i ended up taking the big doe at 20 yards.  she ran alittle bit and layed down, we watched her for awhile when another group of about 8 does walked into us.  we watched them for over an hour when they left we got down and retreived the big doe.  great morning to be in the woods.  Now that we got the meat deer out of the way, Forrest will be hunting squirrels for the next couple of weeks. 

[predator77]

Me and Forrest hunted behind our cabin the first morning, we just got up in the stand and i was attaching our safety belts when Forrest said theres 2 deer, one really big doe and another adult doe with her.  they were really skittish but i ended up taking the big doe at 20 yards.  she ran Little bit and layed down, we watched her for awhile when another group of about 8 does walked into us.  we watched them for over an hour when they left we got down and retreived the big doe.  great morning to be in the woods.  Now that we got the meat deer out of the way, Forrest will be hunting squirrels for the next couple of weeks. 

From what I remember, Forrest can limit out on squirrel. He must be a good hunter if he let a doe come in to 20 without blowing it for you. I only hope someday my son will be a quiet and patient.

[scott]

when he was little i couldn't wait until he started hunting at age 12, then the GC passed the mentor youth season when he was 7 years old.  he was already shooting his .22 for a couple of years.  i took him out for squirrels and he managed to get a couple his first year.  From all of the squirrel hunting he has done over the years he understands when he can move and when he can't.  He does a really good job in the stand and in the woods.  That was the first deer he has ever seen shot with the bow and did comment how neat it was and the sound of the hit unlike with the rifle.

  he is getting so big (and mouthy), he will be 12 this year and i don't know where the time has gone.  Although he is my hunting and fishing buddy I also miss the times when he was younger, so enjoy yours while he is young.   I will say this, after every time I take him hunting or fishing he will thank me for taking him when i tuck him in at night.  He truly enjoys the outdoors and appreciates every minute he spends in the woods. 

[predator77]

That's awesome Scott. That made me sad because it seems like yesterday my boy couldn't do anything and now he's in school and asks me everytime I came back from hunting , if I saw anything. I can't wait to get him behind a gun but I want to keep him young as long as I can. Thanks for the story Scott.