Opening day for our firearms season

[contender]

I started deer hunting with a firearm at age 11. It took me until I was 16 to bag my first deer. (That was 50 years ago.) And in these last 50 years,, there have been very, very few opening days that I was NOT in the woods first thing.

Tradition.

Well, today,, I had to run a USPSA match on my range,, so,,, no early hunting. But once the match was over,, I went home,, changed clothes,, grabbed my Contender,, and to the woods I went. I didn't have time to go very deep in my area due to time. So,, I went to a stand near the gun range.
I'm allowed (2) antlered deer per season,, and (4) does. And having cameras all around my property,, I have a decent idea of what I may see here. Well, about 5:40 pm,, I caught silent movement,, and a young, but nice 7 pointer slipped into an opening. Not huge, but classically good looking. Gave me the kind of poses that we see in magazines. Upright, alert,, and picture perfect.
Knowing I have at least (4) other bucks bigger,, and actually hoping for a doe,, I just enjoyed watching him slip around & feed a little. It got dark soon enough,, and giving him plenty of time to be on his way,, I quietly slipped away myself.

It was a good day!

 

[Watertender]

A friend of mine says what you did today was to attend church in nature. I would have to agree.

 

[contender]

Yep,, every day in the woods is a day in God's church.

 

[Hvymax]

I started deer hunting with a firearm at age 11. It took me until I was 16 to bag my first deer. (That was 50 years ago.) And in these last 50 years,, there have been very, very few opening days that I was NOT in the woods first thing.

Tradition.

Well, today,, I had to run a USPSA match on my range,, so,,, no early hunting. But once the match was over,, I went home,, changed clothes,, grabbed my Contender,, and to the woods I went. I didn't have time to go very deep in my area due to time. So,, I went to a stand near the gun range.
I'm allowed (2) antlered deer per season,, and (4) does. And having cameras all around my property,, I have a decent idea of what I may see here. Well, about 5:40 pm,, I caught silent movement,, and a young, but nice 7 pointer slipped into an opening. Not huge, but classically good looking. Gave me the kind of poses that we see in magazines. Upright, alert,, and picture perfect.
Knowing I have at least (4) other bucks bigger,, and actually hoping for a doe,, I just enjoyed watching him slip around & feed a little. It got dark soon enough,, and giving him plenty of time to be on his way,, I quietly slipped away myself.

It was a good day!

Been there done that more often than not. I'll sit there and watch 1-3 passing by thinking The Big One might be following them etc. I remember 50 years ago Deer were almost endangered and shooting anything without horn could get you arrested. Now you have to shoot 2 does before you can shoot another buck. My how times have changed!!! I'm not really pressed about "Opening Day" anymore. I usually wait till it's cold enough for me to hang them in the barn. I also gave up on early season when I dropped one that was so covered with fleas, ticks and all kinds of crawly things I wouldn't touch it till I emptied a can of repellent on it!!!