wolc123

That is what I have always done, during any gun season. I guess I will just leave the camo hat home now, and only use it during archery season. I have only hunted the crossbow portion of that since 2014. It has been a while since I have seen any other hunters, anyplace that I have hunted. The last time was opening day of early ML season, up in the nz, about 4 years ago. I found a nice spot, at the edge of a swamp, and sat down there in my tree hammock chair. I removed my orange hat and hung it in a branch, as far above my head as I could reach. I began a rattling sequence, complete with raking of leaves. Soon after, I saw a dark form rise up out of the swamp and move directly towards me. As it got closer, I thought that it may have been a large black bear, standing up on its back legs. As it continued closer, I saw the chartreuse hat. "The bear" turned out to be a neighbor, from the far north end of the lake. I had fooled him, but not any real bears or bucks. He noted my hanging orange hat, soon after I saw his yellow one. I guess that wont be legal anymore, but I saw it well before he saw my orange one, probably because he was moving. I still kid him, from time to time, about when I rattled him up out of the swamp. He thought it was a real buck fight. He is a great guy, who owns a construction outfit, in the finger lakes region. He often has that same yellow hat on, when I see him out on the lake fishing. Too bad he wont be able to wear it hunting anymore. It is way more stylish than pink or blaze orange.

You need to get yourself a deer fridge. Speaking of which, it is time to go down stairs, unplug the big freezer so it can defrost, and move my few remaining packs of venison into the little freezer on mine.

I didn't see a single deer fly but the skeeter came in a second time, and I squashed it with my camo gloves. I will be in my back truck-cap stand this evening, and in my middle two-story blind tomorrow morning. They are calling for some rain then, so I will use the covered lower level if it gets too bad. I am headed to my folks place tomorrow afternoon. After the football game, I will try out my other new blind over there until a half hour past sunset. I cant wait to try out my new chair. I will take the tree umbrella over there in case of rain. It ought to work well on the little cherry tree. I would love to get a shot at a doe from under that umbrella during the pouring rain. It is so damn loud under it, that I dont think that would be possible. I just finished a little "shop project", mounting an antique vise that I picked up at a barn sale down the road last week. This will make a good place for sharpening chain saw blades after I make some soft jaws for it. No tenderloins or bb liver so I guess it will have to be pb&j for lunch. I do have some Genny Octoberfest though, and that is pretty good this year.

I pulled the plug at 9:30. The wind picked up to about 20 mph and I dont think they will be moving much in that. I will head back out after supper, until 1/2 hour past sunset.

I just ranged our house, and it is 600 feet away. The nieghbor across the street is next closest at 900 ft. I know them well, and they are ok with me shooting. New folks just moved in next door, slightly further away, who I have not yet met. I will make sure it is ok with them, before shooting any more from our bedroom window.

Tune into the live from the woods thread. No deer action for me this morning. I have noted significant deer action, in the late afternoons over the last few weeks, as I was doing field work. I plan on sitting in a blind near where my last sighting of a doe/fawn pair was, this after noon. I am almost ready to pull the plug on the morning hunt, but it is just so damn comfortable, up here in my blind.

No doe action yet, but this new blind is pretty sweet, since I got the floor level. The 3 ft barnwood wall blocks the prevailing sw wind real good and it is very comfortable today in the 62 F , 15 mph wind wearing jeans and a light flannel. I may stick it out another hour or so. I have 20 oz of water and just finished a sea salt caramel chocolate and a small kit-cat bar that were left in my pack from spring turkey season.

Maybe that's why I have not seen a doe yet this morning. I am all legal though, 501 feet from the house, hat and back tag on:

That is correct. If you already have 2 (no 9f's or 9a's ?) then you have to wait for 11/1 to try for more. Someone else may legally transfer up to 2 to you before that though.

I took a short break, down on the ground, to throw a piss and to level the stand (removed 2x6 blocks from under the front legs). It is just about perfectly level now. I broke out my "not so secret" weapon, so maybe the doe action will start soon.

I think plenty from the first draw are available untill the end of September, they crunch the numbers in October, then plenty more are usually available after November 1. I have not filled one of those 9F dmp's since 2019 (I still have 7 vaccuum packs left in the freezer from that one in fact). I always get 4 but only used all of them a time or two.

That is why I don't mind leaving that old barn up a little longer. Hopefully, we dont get too much snow on it this winter.

First skeeter ar 6:56. Flew in, sniffed the deet on my hand, and flew off.

Nothing yet. Lots of birds but no bugs so far. I will give it another hour or so then get back on the honey do list.

5 minutes till go time and I am up in position. I heard some movement in the corn on my walk past it. Hopefully, my deet cover scent is effective but I have a favorable wind if not.

Step 2 (plug in deer fridge) check. I heard the compressor kick on so I should be all set if I need it. It has been almost 4 years since I had to plug it in. Even if I dont "need" it today for a fresh doe, i will throw my fish and last 7 packs of old venison, from the big freezer in the basement, into that little one up top so that I can thaw the big one out.

Head up to Walmart when they open. I think you can still get 9f's and 9a's over the counter. I have been seeing more action in the afternoons anyhow.

Yes, the excitement of the home opener is open us. I am up already in anticipation. Trying to decide on my apparel. I already got the orange hat picked out. I will see how deep woods off works as a cover scent. The extra 1/2 hour prior to daylight is cool. 6:20 is "go time" here in wmu 9F. My new Redfield Revolution scope is damn good in low light conditions, just like the old "illuminators". Hopefully, I will be cranking it up to 7X and verifying the absence of "spikes" soon (or the presence of buttons). It is almost like having Christmas twice when I was a little kid. I always got double the presents anyhow, because I share a birthday with the Big guy. Being a pure meat guy, this is every bit as exciting to me as the normal November gun opener, maybe even more so, because our freezer is nearly taped out of venison.

"Not until" sometime in October.

It's really not still standing all on it's own. I have a length of 5/8" wire rope attached between the back main cross beam and a big pear tree out back. It is leaning the opposite way, towards the house and my new pole barn. My plan is to finish stripping the siding, cut out a few diagonal braces, and pull it down backwards with my largest tractor and another wire rope and snatch block (to double my pull force). It should miss the house, if the rope breaks, or the pear tree uproots, but it will likely take out our favorite shade tree and the front porch of the new pole barn. The twin to it fell down on it's own while I was at work, damaging the shade tree a bit. I had to get that one out of the way first, to make room for the new barn. There is no similar urgent need to get this one down. I was hoping to do it prior to deer hunting, but this early antlerless season has thrown a wrench in those plans. I may just have to wait for the snow load to bring it down now. Stop in, on one of your many passings, and check it out over a beer. The fridge is stocked with 5 kinds of Genny.

I remember that one from when I was in school. I liked it.

My father in law sent me home with this last weekend. Sort of a new genre for me, but not bad so far:

Hiding behind it, wrapped around my tree blinds, has gotten me a few 3.5 year old bucks so far so it's worth something to me anyhow.

I am getting some good mileage out of my barn demolition project, when it comes to the honey do list. I keep telling her that she can add to the list when she looks out the back window and doesn't see anything left of my great great grandpa's old barn. Maybe I got time to pull a siding board or two yet this afternoon.

I am doing ok. I took the pool down last Wed, burned 1/2 of a vacation day taking our youngest for her road test in Buffalo last Thursday (I thank the Lord that she passed), and I took my wife up to the Adirondacks to see her folks and secured our winter's fish supply over the holiday weekend. Within the next few minutes, I should have enough packs of corn in the freezer for the winter, and I hope to begin gathering our red meat supply tommorow. Hopefully, she will be thankfull. Not much time left because pre season ends for me 1/2 hour before sunrise tommorow.