Slept through opening morning, changing perspective on the way I used to hunt

So, as the title states, I slept through opening morning. In previous years I’d have been quite annoyed with myself and in a rush to make sure I made the afternoon hunt.

After I made coffee I grabbed my journal and set aside some time to reflect (a habit I’ve been trying to do more of). I came to a few conclusions that are new to me and I wanted to put them here.

1.) if you slept in, chances are you needed the sleep anyway.

2.) a thing you enjoy doing that you have to force yourself to do, quickly becomes a chore and less enjoyable.
2a.) just because you don’t feel like doing it this time doesn’t mean you won’t next time, don’t over react.

3.) what’s the rush? This isn’t life or death. If you don’t do this it’s not that big of a deal.

Basically, it’s me just trying to change my mindset so I don’t get too hard on myself.

 

Usually first day of the season we are are still harvesting and nobody is hunting our place. However the whitetail soon figure out that our woods aren’t full of hunters and when we get the chance to go out we have a greater selection of targets.

 

I have changed my priorities also.
Big bucks are great. Tagging a lesser buck with an easy shot, and good meat for the winter is also great!

Deer don't move that much on miserable days anyway. I'd rather spend my early morning drinking coffee with Mrs farmer than shivering in a tree.

This isn't war, we are doing this for fun.

 

I wouldn't miss the first day of deer season for any reason what so ever.
You only have so many first days then it game over when you get to old and worn out to do it.
I love the peacefulness of the breeze out in the deer woods that's why I take a month off to enjoy the seasons I have left. If I get a deer that's great, if by chance I do not get one that is good also, atheist I'm where I want to be with my little 243 H&R Handi-Rifle.
Out of my hundred plus firearms this is my favorite deer rifle.

Armored
What caliber is your single shot?

I have the 243 barrel on it and I also have the 308 barrel for it as well and I bought a 223 H&R Handi-Rifle.



I shot seven deer with it in the last two years since I bought it.
My brother shot one with it last year.

 

This one is 12ga..

 

At my age (78) I'm not about to make myself miserable by hunting in temps below 25 or on a rainy day. I killed my biggest buck on a rainy day but I was 20 years younger then.

Contrary to popular belief deer DO move during the middle of the day. If it's not in the high 80's I'll hunt from 11:00 to 2:00 sometimes.

 

That's called rationalization.

Remember what the guy said in "The Big Chill"? Said he could make it through a day without sex, but he couldn't make it through a day without a rationalization.

Now stop this nonsense and get your butt out there in the woods! lol

 

I no longer hunt as much as I used to but what I always enjoyed most was hiking with or training my dog to hunt.
I still enjoy small game hunting, but again with my dog hiking with a 12gauge.
If you found that missing opening day was a stress reliever, enjoy it, that's ok too.

 

My biggest buck was shot at 1PM.

I hunt mostly mountain wildlife management areas here in North GA. If practical I'll camp and hunt the same spot 2-4 days, but often I only have one day and it could easily be a 1-2 hour drive each way. I've gotten to the point where I'll get up at my normal 6-7 AM, eat breakfast and try to leave home about 7-8AM. I'm getting into the woods around 8-10, just as most of the other hunters are leaving. All that hunter movement will often push deer and make them move during mid day.

Since I have another 1-2 hour drive home I'm not going to stay and try to kill one right at dark. Once again about 2 hours before dark I'm headed to the truck, just as other hunters are headed back to the woods. Once again pushing deer to move.

If you are hunting private property on a relatively small tract of land, where you are the only hunter there, and you can pattern deer this strategy may not work. But I'm hunting public land on 20,000-100,000 acre tracts of land. It is impossible to pattern deer and if you did their movements would change as soon as hunters show up. Under these conditions I think mid day is as good a time as any.

 

I have found that my 57yo eyes and bifocals aren't as sharp to sticks and limbs on the ground in the pre-dawn light. Consequently. I go popping and stumbling to my stand in the early mornings. Sometimes I don't try for the early sunrise from my stand, But rather hunt my way to my stand after sunrise.

 

I seldom sleep well anywhere. 6 hours is a banner night, and more than 3 hrs in a row is a rare occasion.

I have been known to fall asleep in my stand. If I do, then so be it. I am at peace and in the woods. Not much else better. If I kill a deer, I kill a deer, some of the best hunts ever have been dry hunts. I enjoy my time in the woods regardless.

 

I’m the opposite. I seldom sleep purely anywhere.

 

I have taken more deer between 10am and 2pm than early morning or sunset.
Not to say I haven't taken deer at those times.

I get on stand 30 minutes before daylight (there have been times, I slept in and got one stand at 9am or later) and, most times, don't get off until end of legal shooting time.

I have fallen asleep. I was sleepy. I was comfortable.

Weather has become more of a factor every year. The old joints don't like wet cold.

Enjoy your time in the woods. It is not a job.

 

My son has trail cams out and he said before the opener of deer season the deer have been moving along between 10am and 2pm.

 

Since I retired, I have plenty of afternoons to hunt. I haven't hunted mornings in about 2 years. As long as I have a good morning workout, I feel better about "sleeping in" until about 6 or so.

 

If I miss out on something I intend to do by myself, I don't worry about it. I don't ponder or search internally for the why. Chalk it up to lack of motivation...be it temporary or permanent, doesn't matter.

If I make plans with someone, then I'll either be there or make sure I'm up to let them know I can't make it.

As far as sleep goes, if you slept right through your alarm, I'd say you needed it.
I wouldn't know what it would be like to sleep that well.

 

Well this old boy is 75yrs old this season, i have not change the way i hunt ever up at 5am get ready go hunting, but after day #5 or #6 i only hunt afternoons i have always done it that way it works for me, happy hunting !!!!

 

Deer around here seem to have an internal clock. Opening weekend of gun season their traveling and bedding habits change. It may be that it just coincides with beginning of our rut, or it could be because this is about the time all the soybeans get cut, or both. Idk for sure, but it definitely happens. Does and young dumb bucks are still active in the morning, but the mature bucks are often bedded down or stay in the thick until noon.

 

If you don't fall asleep hunting, you are not hunting hard enough...

 

It is very rare that I do, but I have, and I've missed out on some deer because of it. I sat in a camping chair against a tree one time and fell asleep. Woke up with deer all around me, one of them close enough to hit with a bat. Didn't even try to shoot. Still enjoyed the morning and being in the woods.

 

Dang, that hit home. I missed the last two seasons due to a knee replacement and the next year stent, TAVR and pacemaker. This year I WAS going. Day one, didn't get out til 2 pm. And it didn't bother me. Cold hurts, joints hurt, balance bad, but still like the comraderie of deer camp. I own the camp and my two boys, two nephews and one friend make it good.

 

Sounds familiar. I used to be all gung ho about opening morning and getting ready for the hunt. Now it's just take my time and do what I want. I go out when I want and sometimes just sit and watch. If I catch a nap so be it. I have passed on deer just because I did not want to have to clean the thing. If I doze off in the blind so be it. My best bucks are late morning or early afternoon. Of course this year the hogs have really moved in and it's hogs 3 deer zero. I don't even eat the hogs and no one around the area wants them either.

 

I saw at least 10 deer feeding at the edges of the pastures and harvested grain fields while driving home at 8:30 this morning.
Dawn was around 7 so that seems to be pretty "civilized" hours to be hunting. Heck, at my age I have to get up at 3 or 4 anyway...

The only problem I have with late afternoon/evening hunts is the possibility of tracking and hauling out in the dark.