How are we doing so far ?

[Northcountryman]

Ok , so 2nd day into rifle season ; how are we doing so far ? Currently a big goose egg For me and everyone in my club , but the seasons still young !! Yesterday I didn’t see shit in my stand , so , around 9 , climbed down and did a little still hunting for awhile . I managed to completely surprise 3 does , 2 very nice , but don’t have a tag for 3A so had to let her walk . Today , nothing but 1 small doe ; where all the bucks I’m wondering ?! 

[Splitear]

I haven’t seen anything but squirrels and birds. I’m changing spots tomorrow, hopefully I see something. My saving grace is that we aren’t going to Illinois for the holidays this year, and I have vacation time I need to burn before I lose it. Hopefully I can put eyes on something soon. Good luck everyone!

[Bionic]

Just my honest opinion, but I think that when all these guys you hear sighting in their guns the weekend prior to the opener, alert deer that bad times are coming...and that the deer that are experienced  for the most part lay low.  I am sure that I will catch flack for this, but I notice that where I hunt deer sightings drop immensely near gun opener, but I also feel like gun opener is always near the mid, to end of rut anyways.
 

I saw one nice buck yesterday pass by twice, that I let go.  It was a great experience 

Edited November 23, 2020 by Bionic

[Team Hoyt]

9 minutes ago, Bionic said:

Just my honest opinion, but I think that when all these guys you hear sighting in there guns the weekend prior to the opener, alert deer that bad times are coming...and that the deer that are experienced  for the most part lay low.  I am sure that I will catch flack for this, but I notice that where I hunt deer sightings drop immensely near gun opener, but I also feel like gun opener is always near the mid, to end of rut anyways.
 

I saw one nice buck yesterday pass by twice, that I let go.  It was a great experience 

Agreed

[luberhill]

I stay out and let the guys get impatient and start moving them .. I don’t see anything yesterday until about 10 when 6 does came thru, I took the biggest one and dragged it an hour uphill to my truck.

I didn’t go out today..7:30 got a pic of a decent buck behind my ground blind 

 

[G-Man]

Opening day had 4 guys miss 2 buck and 2 doe, today has one guy shoot his buck and doe, another a button ad another a very good 8pt . Including archery that is 6 buck and 3 doe off the land this year or about half our yearly average, lots of good buck left i have had on camera so lots of hunting.left to do.

[Nomad]

It’s rare that I shoot a buck OD , I, pretty much give them up to, sit with my daughter who hunts a few hours a year . Could have shot a slammer yesterday , waiting for her to get on him .

Its deer hunting , a mild distraction from every day life . Or as my hunting partner Joe says, “ if I have  to hunt for my meat, ive  for bigger problems in life . “ 

[BowmanMike]

Doing great personally. I got a buck with the bow and my best ever on opening day with the gun. Not common to get two bucks for me,usually it's a couple of does. I am focusing on work for the next week or two and then i will leisurely go after another doe,probably with the bow. Or i may join some friends on doing drives if the schedule jives.

I find that in these super heavy acorn years it isn't easy to get on deer since they could be about anywhere. I saw a group of nine in early October walking by single file out of range. Nine deer together leaves a good section of woods empty.

[fr0styk1ng]

4H, saw a single doe each day so far. Didnt have a tag for them and didnt even have time to get a shot off if I did. Hunting on a public land is turning out to be a game of patience, hard work, and luck for me especially since a broke college student like myself cant afford to get a tree stand so I spend my time sitting against a tree or in holes in the ground. OD I did get to hunt with a fellow classmate got to get to know him better and he gained my respect for his hunting skills. Hey, a bad day hunting is better than a bad day at work like my late grandfather would say! Ill be back at it this week in between classes and rain storms, maybe even during!

[Lawdwaz]

2 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

 Yesterday I didn’t see shit in my stand , so , around 9 , climbed down and did a little still hunting for awhile .

You stuck it out till 9am then went for a walk?

How about sit tight till closing time, it'll pay off in spades.  It's Opening Day for goodness sake, let the deer move on their own. 

Patience my friend!

[Hock3y24]

I’ve been seeing nothing but bucks till today. 

[wolc123]

A typical opening day for me, in my southern zone swamp-edge stand.  Three deer seen, one killed, same as last two years. I saw the first, a doe, at 10:00, and I could not get a clear shot at her.  A smaller deer walked by with her,  a little farther away, and I could not see the head. 

15 minutes later, a third deer walked the same path.  I was ready this time, and it had a small rack.  It passed by too quick for me to get a good look, or a clear shot. I gave a couple of grunts, as it disappeared.  

That turned it around, and it walked directly towards me.  When I saw that it had 3 points on a side (at about 40 yards), I put a 12 ga slug into its "shirt pocket".   

That, coupled with some leftover from last season, will give us almost enough meat for the year.  I don't expect to hunt nearly as hard from here on out for that reason, so I don't know how likely it will be that I will see many more deer.

Doe really don't excite me at all, unless our meat supply is lacking.  I still have 4 dmps for the local area, so I will keep at it, but not take any risks or hunt uncomfortable conditions. I butcher my own, so dealing with more than one deer at a time is a pain.  I spent a few hours in a blind this afternoon, seeing nothing.

I will get out next for a couple hours Thanksgoving morning, then drive up to the northern zone for the rest of the long weekend. I might try a little bear and grouse hunting up there. 

After that, I will make a half hearted attempt at filling a dmp or two at home, over the next couple weekends.

What excites me most now, is heading back up north when late ML opens and I can chase bucks again.  I also have an antlerless tag I can use up there then.  I saw a big buck up there on the northern zone gun opener, and I would love to get another crack at him. I was not quick enough to get off a shot the first time.  Snow will give me a huge afvantage.

Also, there are always so many does around my spot up there, when there is snow around, that it is almost harder to not get one, than to come home with one.  I don't think having plenty of meat this year will be a problem.  Getting a doe around my southern zone spots is difficult on opening day, and much tougher later.

  

 

Edited November 23, 2020 by wolc123

[Northcountryman]

12 hours ago, BowmanMike said:

Doing great personally. I got a buck with the bow and my best ever on opening day with the gun. Not common to get two bucks for me,usually it's a couple of does. I am focusing on work for the next week or two and then i will leisurely go after another doe,probably with the bow. Or i may join some friends on doing drives if the schedule jives.

I find that in these super heavy acorn years it isn't easy to get on deer since they could be about anywhere. I saw a group of nine in early October walking by single file out of range. Nine deer together leaves a good section of woods empty.

Wow , yes , you did great!! Congrats!! What region do you hunt in btw ? 

[Northcountryman]

12 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

You stuck it out till 9am then went for a walk?

How about sit tight till closing time, it'll pay off in spades.  It's Opening Day for goodness sake, let the deer move on their own. 

Patience my friend!

Yes , I hear what you’re saying And  usually do but , when I got out and moved around , I found lots of sign ( bedding areas, cross trails Going to and fro , scat , etc.) about 200-300 yards behind me and to the south so , I’m thinking I need to move it now . I’m too far up north and facing away so, I’m not seeing them . However , it’s the season now , so , I won’t be moving a ladder stand now , too noisy. What I will do though is slip my climber near that bedding area and see if I can catch em comin back 

[BowmanMike]

4 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

Wow , yes , you did great!! Congrats!! What region do you hunt in btw ? 

4F,cooperstown area

[diplomat019]

Hunted 4s this weekend.   I saw a small spike and kicked up a couple deer walking in for my afternoon hunt.  Out of 5 guys we saw 5 deer all weekend.   Slowest weekend I can remember.  

[UWShunter]

Got a buck with my bow on the 19th and buck on opening day rifle with my 270.

What a difference a year makes. Lost the biggest buck of my life last season and plenty of misses & missed opportunities. Losing my mother at the beginning of last season didn’t help.

But it just proves, some years ya got it & some years ya don’t.
Bottom line this will be one of my favorite hunting seasons of my life.

To those who are having a rough season, I’ve been there - keep your head up & best of luck!

[Catskills54]

Opening day in Beaver Meadow State Forest 7M, saw two doe run by me at 30 yards at my 9 o'clock just after legal light. Took a shot at one of them at 70 yards with shotgun when they stopped. Disappointing miss...

Thought that would be it with all the noise (must have heard a dozen shots in first half hour of opening), but saw a large doe run about a half hour later. No chance for a shot though.

Going to try Stewart soon. Any advice?