Finally!!

Went out behind the Recycle Center today. It was only in the high 50's, low 60's and overcast. The wind was blowing pretty strong. I settled in around 2:45. I think I climbed too high because I was feeling really uneasy. So much so that after about an hour of sitting I had to lower myself down a bit. It was literally a foot but made me feel better. Strange, I know. At 5:00, without notice, boom...there were two deer at my stand. They were small but I really wanted to get a deer. So I stood up, drew back and the first deer gave me a clear shot at about 18 yards. I remembered to hold lower this time and I let it fly. Well, it was the perfect hight...just further back than I would like (hence, I still suck). The deer walked away, but not far. I saw it lay down. I thought, game over! But I watched it through my binos...and even though I saw the blood coming out of the entrance wound, it was still alive. After about 25 minutes, I the deer get up and try to walk...the guts were hanging out...so even though it was back, the exit was down through the belly and the guts followed the arrow out. How was he still alive?! I got my stuff together and came down the tree after about 45 minutes. I got my arrow and saw that he was still alive so I walked over to the deer and put the original arrow through his heart. I left to bring my stuff to the truck then came back to get the deer. When I started to field dress him, I noticed it was a button...damn! I brought him home and butchered him up.

Grunting, now?

I went behind my job this morning. I wanted to get in a post before going to see Daniella's double-header against Montville. I got set up by 5:45 and by 7:00 I saw nothing. Then all of a sudden a buck came hauling past me...not really running but certainly rushing. He went from my right to the field/tracks. Then I heard grunting and another buck quickly followed him, grunting. I'm surprised. About an hour later I saw a deer coming from the street side down to my left. Never came close enough for me to see what it was, but it was just a fleeting glimpse.

Nuthin...

Left work early and went to the Recycling Center. It was a beautiful 70 degrees and sunny. It was pretty breezy though. Gusty at times. Well I got set up by 2:30 and was on edge the whole night...certain that I was going to see deer. Nuthin! I guess it was just too windy for them.

I suck!

Went to the Recycling center today. Started out at the Community center but saw a guy there getting his bait together. Talked to him for a little bit and he made it really clear that he wouldn't want someone hunting right near his stand. Not that I blame him. So I got up in the stand at the Recycling center later than I would have wanted, around 4. As I got up the tree I noticed a deer coming in from the dump side. I stopped doing what I was doing and waited for the deer to appear. After about 15 minutes she never showed herself. I assumed she walked towards the houses so I finished getting ready. To my surprise she wasn't all that far from me...and proceeded to walk in towards me. She was really nervous and got about 50 yards from me...she spotted me and I think caught my scent because she darted away. Around 6, another doe came from the same spot and walked in the middle of the property and she too sort of disappeared. I kept waiting for her to show but in the meantime, two does came walking in from the bottom (the way I actually expected the deer to come). They both walked right up to me. When the second one had gone behind a tree I drew back...aimed on the shoulder and let it fly...and fly it did, right over her back!! She took off, stopped about 60 yards away...stomped a few times and was gone. I got down and saw half my arrow...it was busted clean in half. I couldn't find the front half but there was no blood anywhere. It was a clean miss. I suck!! I don't get it...I practice, on average, 4 times a week...year round and I missed!! At 20 yards!! I SUCK!!

Zoooooommmm

Seriously?! What a strange hunting season. I went to the club today for an afternoon post. The weather couldn't be better, it was about 70 and sunny with a slight breeze. Just beautiful. I sat at stand 17. I saw nothing. I did, however, listen to the drag races all night. It was SO DAMNED loud. Before getting into the stand I did go look at my ground blind...still there. Then went to 13 and saw that the feeder was upside down. Hmmmm....not sure if that's a vandal or a bear.

Tennis anyone?

Went out today to the Pool. It was a nice day...about 80, but with a nice breeze. When I pulled up I happened to notice about 6-8 old people sitting at the picnic bench near the pond. I pulled up and started to get my gear together. Just then an old lady and her dog walked up to the car next to me. She began talking to the dog, telling him that he's going to have to get in the driver's side. I told her I would move and she said she didn't want to put me out...I said that she wasn't. She came over, I pet her dog and we talked for a little bit. I left and walked into the woods. I happened to notice the old people noticed me now. I got into the woods and picked a tree and began to climb. Just then I heard three car horns that were continuously being beeped (like an alarm). I think that the old people were trying to scare the deer away! LOL.

I sat there for a while and around 5 I caught a glimpse of a deer at the top of the hill. It was a buck and never made his way down to me. I did, however, notice that around 40 yards away there was a tree stand with corn spread around. At around 5:30-6:00 two guys showed up to play tennis. I heard them start playing and apparently they had a dog too because he kept yapping like he was tied up or something. This continued the entire time that I was there. There was only about 5 minutes of light left and I saw some does coming in. They never did make it down to me though.

Trucks, trucks, trucks...

I went out today for an afternoon hunt. I went behind my office building where I saw "sleepytime buck". It was warm, 82 and sunny. There was a breeze that kept it cooler though. I sat in the stand from 3:00 until 7:40. I did see a glipse of a buck, I'm not sure if it was sleepytime or not. He was a little far away and through the brush. That was all I saw...I did, however, hear trucks the entire night. Loading, unloading, pulling in, pulling out...backing up...beeeeep, beeeep, beeeep, beeeep...I have to admit...it was pretty damned annoying!!

Amazing opening day...

It was drizzly and around 60. I started off the day behind the office. I knew I had the feeder back there so I figured that I would see something, but wasn't sure if it would be night post or morning post. At 7:45 I was starting to close my eyes...only for a minute when I opened them I had a 5 pointer at the feeder. I watched him for a half hour and he walked away. A little while later I saw a fox or a yote...it was quick so I couldn't tell. Then, at around 9ish I saw movement to my left. I 7-8 pointer walked out and went to the feeder. He fed there for a little and then walked towards me. He decided to take on a bush that was right by my stand...he won, the bush lost!

Then he walked under my stand and laid down 5 yards away and that's where he stayed. It was now getting later and I wanted him to leave. I wanted to get down, go home and dry off before I went to my evening stand. I didn't want to spook him however. I thought and thought about what I could do...then the idea came to me to shoot rubber bands at him. lmao. I had them on my wrist. I did, and hit him a few times but he didn't care. Luckily, by 11 he got up and walked away. I gave him a little bit and then left. It was amazing!!

Then, for the afternoon, it wasn't quite as amazing. I went up to the club and went to stand 17 (the big feeder). Greg, Tony and Brad were there. I got into the stand at around 2:30 and sat, in the rain. Not hard, but rain. It had stopped around 4:30 but oh my God, the mosquitos came out. There were so many of them I swore they were going to carry me away. I put my mask over my entire face and looked through it. They were still flying all around my face and I heard them...once in a while they would find a way through my defenses or bite me through my mask if my skin was against it. It was horrible...I stayed until I couldn't see through the mask, so I lowered it and stayed in the stand until I couldn't take it anymore. As I was getting out, Greg walked up to my stand. He couldn't take his skeeters anymore either. Apparently Brad had the same issue. I couldn't ask Tony because he had left before I got back to the truck.

Opening day is finally here...

Well, it's finally upon us...opening day of bow!! Of course, the excitement of opening day has been somewhat dampened by the fact that it's raining all day today and is supposed to be raining tomorrow as well. Of course that's not going to stop me from going, but it does make it somewhat less enjoyable. I also don't feel well, which is also making me less excited about it. I am going to go to the work spot in the morning, then run home to see Daniella's second softball game, then run to Gianna's first softball game, and then I'll go up to the club for the PM post. I think that if it's raining, I'll sit in the ground blind. Well, here's hoping to a safe, successful season!!

8 days out!!

I am so excited that I'm having trouble sleeping through the night. I have a few options of where to go on opening morning and it's keeping me up at night trying to figure it all out. I can break down my options into two parts, morning hunt and evening hunt. I'm not going to go for a full day because Gianna and Dani both have softball games. I want to try and see as much of them as I can. I already know that I won't be able to watch Gianna cheer at night. So, the evening part is easier. I think I'm going to go to the club at night...primarily because it's a Saturday and it's easier to get to MP during the week. So, that's the easy part. Now for the morning...if I go to the club, it would be harder to get back for the softball games. I also don't have a whole lot of luck in the morning at the club. Unless I got the first field, and there's no guarantee on that. So, that leaves MP. I could either go to Recycle, but I know that has the most bucks...so I'm thinking that I should leave that until I get my EAB doe. That brings me to my work spot. This is an untried spot, although the feeder I have is getting hit, I don't know if it's AM or PM. I think I am going to start out there however, so I don't use up the "buck spot" before I can shoot one. So...that's the plan...guaranteed to keep me up anyway because like most things, it can change on a daily basis!