Opening day

Not so much opening day here. Been 14 days of tough sledding. Back in the stand waiting for legal light and God willing a deer. I've filled tags for 2 others, thinking mine would be a slam dunk...then the weather soured. Hunting with The Death Ray today. Love the 760, but taking no chances this late in the game. Beautiful walk to the stand with recent snow and glorious full moon. Really feeling ALIVE to be a part of this Northwoods morning. A glorious sunrise in the great North Woods

When younger, I lived and breathed for opening day of rifle season. MO rifle season opened last Saturday; I have had no interest in even going out. I took a nice doe with my bow in late October and that seemed to scratch the itch. At my older age, deer hunting has transformed from more fun than work to more work than fun. I really miss those days - that opening day excitement - that first light. I just don’t have the juice anymore but I very much understand other’s excitement and deer hunting drive - good for you!

9x56MS said:

Its always more exciting when you break in a new generation. My grand daughters first season and I am Hunting with a new to me 1972 Marlin 336 in 35 rem. Hunting with my son and his daughter a new rifle and opening day has got me more excited than I have been in years. Hopefully we will have a report to follow.

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I bought a similar-vintage 336 in .35 Rem from a seller in Michigan several years ago. Reading your post and seeing the pictures Random 8 posted above makes me wonder how many frosty season openers that rifle enjoyed throughout the years it was residing up there.

If only they could talk…

Stay safe.

Bow season has been going on for a while here, this weekend we will have s short 4 day or so, gun season, it will close, then the regular long season will open around mid Dec. The deer and turkey have moved onto our tree farm, when folks went into their normal woods. I watch this every year. Good luck on your hunt.

Random 8 said:

View attachment 1039109 View attachment 1039094 Not so much opening day here. Been 14 days of tough sledding. Back in the stand waiting for legal light and God willing a deer. I've filled tags for 2 others, thinking mine would be a slam dunk...then the weather soured. Hunting with The Death Ray today. Love the 760, but taking no chances this late in the game. Beautiful walk to the stand with recent snow and glorious full moon. Really feeling ALIVE to be a part of this Northwoods morning. A glorious sunrise in the great North Woods

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Filling tags for others is legal where you are?

Party hunting is legal in MN. And WI. My son shoots most the deer for his hunting party.

One of my worst hunts (actually my worst hunt) was when my buddy "shot a deer for me". And yes, here in Washington state it's not legal. I was "livid" but kept it to myself as the damage was done. Disappointed and cheated out of my hunt was how I felt. And so embarrassed when the tale was told.

He of course was very proud that he shot two deer on opening day, and probably thought/assumed I should be grateful. Man that sucked. But hey, if people are okay with that, that's okay with me. I'd rather go without a kill, than have someone "fill my tag for me". !!! No offense to anyone or Random 8, but man that was a bad day.

I was having a hard time getting the motivation for it this year.Ours is this coming Monday morning,and I've been nursing a very bad knee.I was more in the mood to go to work than I was to go hunting.Last night I had an idea hit me and it gave me the boost I needed.I stopped at a pawn shop/gun store a couple hours away to kill some time before the Dr. appointment I had and I ran across a set of used RCBS dies for the old 300 Savage my grandfather gave me many years ago.It's a Remington 722 that he bought new in the 50's.I used to be pretty good with its iron sights,and actually learned the basics of hunting and killed my first deer with it.I sort of wanted to get it out and try to load some ammo for it,but I have 11 ancient W-W Silvertips that the brass is too raunchy to even think about loading,and my usual Friday evening trip to the LGS confirmed my suspicions that there would be nothing available to shoot in it.When I got home,I went to my loading bench to put away a couple things I bought and I got an idea.I bought some Remington BR brass with the small primer pockets to load for my 308's because I was all but out of large rifle primers.I wondered what would happen if I ran one of them through the 300 die.I tried it and it worked great.Trimmed them to length,primed them and dumped a little Varget in and went to the bench.I'd cleaned it out and mounted a little 1X4 Varix-II and that old Remington was alive again.I'd last shot it in 1984,but had never shot it with a scope,and the first three shot group was about an inch and a half at 100 yards and I couldn't help the big smile I had.I bumped the charge up a little and formed up some more brass and shot it enough to have a decent load for next week.I don't know if I'll take it opening day,but I'll be taking it more than one day most likely.I leaned it on the rack beside the 280 Ackley I built last year and was simply amazed at how much the bolt action hunting rifle had evolved and was also amazed at how much they haven't evolved.Two totally different but remarkably similar firearms.I have killed a few deer with the old 300,but the 280's never got the job done yet,so I guess I should give it a chance on Monday.Either way,I'm glad to be feeling like it's time to get things ready to go.

This year I struggled to get on my stand. If it weren't for my buddy, Son and Grandson wanting me to be there I would have stayed home. But once I was on the stand I loved it. Seeing the sun come up, the wild swans and geese nearby, the critters. The weather was warm and nice. A doe walked under my stand, normally an easy shot but my rifle was leaning against the rail and I bumped the metal seat picking it up. I did have a chance at a Texas heart shot but I don't do those. I couldn't go out again. My buddies grand daughter shot a nice 8 point buck. My son and grandson made the 3 hour trek back to camp and went in the cold and snow for three days. My 11 year old grandson shot a nice doe and they were done. I was very proud of him. He also shot a coyote and is making a cap out of it. Both heart shots like I taught him. I also bought the rifle, a 243 Remington, put it in a youth stock and a Leupold scope on it. He helped me sight it in. My buddy agreed that the kids having a great hunt was more than enough.

JumboJVT said:

Filling tags for others is legal where you are?

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What are.....tags???.....

Good luck yall!
No season here, but also no deer on our island so it'll wait till were home in January.
I chooted this guy tho!

What the heck kind of critter is that?? A goat? Part goat? !!! Are you on the island of Dr.Muro?

Chupacabra.

entropy said:

Chupacabra.

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Sheepacabra

Mouflon/feral cross. this one splashed in the short end of the gene pool, one horn was a button the other one was about 4 in and hooking back into his head.

@Ugly Sauce . No offense taken. Just wish to clarify my situation. As stated above, party hunting is legal in MN. In this case, I gave a buck and a doe to two hunters who had to end their seasons earlier and were deer less. Whoops! 2 weekends of unfavorable weather and it looks like I'll be begging for venison this year unless I get lucky with the bow. Winds gusting to 30 with temperatures falling through the teens today. I'm sitting by the woodstove and picking up camp.

LoonWulf said:

Sheepacabra

Mouflon/feral cross. this one splashed in the short end of the gene pool, one horn was a button the other one was about 4 in and hooking back into his head.

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Ooof, that’s one NOT to take anywhere but straight to the butcher!

Ugly on the outside, tasty on the inside.

Oh, nice shooting.

Stay safe.

Random 8 said:

@Ugly Sauce . No offense taken. Just wish to clarify my situation. As stated above, party hunting is legal in MN. In this case, I gave a buck and a doe to two hunters who had to end their seasons earlier and were deer less. Whoops! 2 weekends of unfavorable weather and it looks like I'll be begging for venison this year unless I get lucky with the bow. Winds gusting to 30 with temperatures falling through the teens today. I'm sitting by the woodstove and picking up camp.

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Yep I understand, and I'm sure y'all are in agreement ahead of time. In my case, there was no mention or discussion about filling other people's tags. My buddy just decided on his own to "do me a favor". !!!! And no doubt his intentions were good. I think.

I was on the next hill over, and above my friend, and I hear him shoot a deer. Then I hear another shot, and just figured he had to finish it off, and then he's yelling at me: "it's above you! It's above you!" I'm thinking there's a deer above me, so I go up and there's an almost dead deer laying there. !!! Was quite a shock and most unexpected. ! Talk about "What The Heck"!??!! So now if I hunt with anyone new, which is seldom, I make it very clear not to shoot anything for me, as I absolutely will not tag it.

My neighbors are getting some shooting in, I’m not so lucky. Just had to get out of my tree stand and make a ground blind out of a old bench and cedar tree. Wind, snow & sleet are bad but ended up a nice sunset.

Yeah, funny how you can see a deer in cover and as you wait for a clear shot, the deer just disappears. This year I could see part of the doe I didn't get a shot at in the brush, Then I didn't. I love deer hunting.

WVRJ said:

I've been nursing a very bad knee.I was more in the mood to go to work than

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I feel your pain, I've been struggling with knee and shoulder pain, sometimes severe, but keep on going. 2 Sundays ago I went to the range despite my shoulder pain, yhe recoil did it some good, still sore but usable.

Opening day I was in the blind from 6:15 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset which was 5:11 p.m. thanks to now being able to hunt 30 minutes before & after sunup & sundown. Not a bad day but nothing was moving. Didn't see anything until about 5:05 p.m. when it was almost dark but still legal. 40 yards to the right of me a deer appeared in the semi-darkness. I know the distances in every shootable direction from that blind. Came out of a thick brushy area onto a trail, turned right and walked away from me a few yards and vanished into the dark brush again. This all took maybe 5 seconds; seemed like an adult deer but I couldn't identify sex and I have a doe permit so either way it was legal and I'd like to get some venison. It just all happened too fast and I'm wishing it would have made a right turn and I would have had some venison. Here's a daylight shot of my view from the right side window of the blind (had it here on the computer), with the deers location circled. Could only see the rear end of that deer moving away from me in the very dim, and fading light. Had it stopped I may have been tempted to try my first ever "Texas heart shot". At least I didn't go all opening day and not see one. ..

stillquietvoice said:

I feel your pain, I've been struggling with knee and shoulder pain, sometimes severe, but keep on going. 2 Sundays ago I went to the range despite my shoulder pain, yhe recoil did it some good, still sore but usable.

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A couple days ago my shoulder flared up along with my knee.Pseudo gout they call it.It has my right knee,hip and ankle on fire,and now it's in my left shoulder.I can't raise my left hand any higher that shoulder height.Also can't hold up even a light rifle.Went hunting today anyway,just put a bipod on my 280AI and laid it across the cab of my vintage John Deere Gator that I've made into a mobile shooting bench.I went into the open creek bottom crop fields and managed to see about 50 deer.2 bucks,but they weren't what I was looking for.Still in incredible pain,but it felt better to at least get out and do what I could.