PA archery opener

[Razorhead]

The PA archery opener found me in my stand at 5:55 AM, a good 45 minutes before it would be light enough to shoot. It was a really nice morning, chilly and partly cloudy but a little bit on the breezy side. A little before 7AM I spotted a lone doe crossing below my stand that just kind of melted into the landscape never to be seen again. Roughly an hour later I heard the disturbance of deer running below me from the west. I spotted several deer that appeared to have been spooked by something crossing 40+ yards below me. There were three deer running together, all three were basket rack bucks. They turned and went up a small gully about 50 yards to my east. As they dissapeared I heard yet another deer coming from the same original direction. It was another buck and appeared to be the best buck in the group. It was about 30 yards below me and on the move. I grunted and the buck locked up but it was in a spot where there was no possibility of a shot due to some heavy vegetation. The buck continued on in the direction of the first three without any shot opportunities.

I sat back in my stand reflecting back on what just happened and was very pleased with the action early on this opening day. About an hour later, I was sitting on the seat of lock on stand and the breeze was picking up a bit in intensity making the hearing somewhat challenging. I heard a snap and glanced over my left shoulder as a group of three deer with a nice size adult doe in the lead closing in on my stand already within 10 yards. I slowly reached over and picked the bow off the hook as she passed my stand in the wide open at 5 yards. Sitting on my seat, bow in hand and release was on the string the doe looked up and totally picked me out of the double maple tree. I didn't move a muscle and she finally passed me off and put her head down and continued a few more steps directly above my stand. As she entered some understory vegetation I drew my bow. She stopped at eight yards quartering away and I was right on her with a small hole in the brush right on her vitals. A couple of last minute mental reminders: "pick a spot" and "lower the pin". I touched the shot off and three blade Rage broadhead hit true right in the crease behind her shoulder. It was a clean pass through and a solid double lung hit. She only went about 60 yards and piled up in the bottom of a small gully to my west.

It was a very memorable morning hunt and a great start to the PA archery season for me. Filling a doe tag and putting some venison in the freezer early was very satisfying for me. I feel very blessed to have the chance to harvest her and make a good clean, quick kill. Hopefully I'll get a chance to get after some of those bucks in the next couple of weeks.

[RidgeReaper]

Awesome! Cool story. Congrats on opening day success!

[<DK>]

Congrats on a fun, successful hunt! Good job making a perfect clean shot. Got any pics? This group gets weird when we dont get our fix!

[Jonny]

Congrats on a fun, successful hunt! Good job making a perfect clean shot. Got any pics? This group gets weird when we dont get our fix!

Hey I need something to look at instead of studying for my exams

But seriously, nice job on the kill!

[<DK>]

Congrats on a fun, successful hunt! Good job making a perfect clean shot. Got any pics? This group gets weird when we dont get our fix!

Hey I need something to look at instead of studying for my exams

But seriously, nice job on the kill!

Admit it you just wanted to use the smilies!

[Wlog]

Congrats!

[JoeRE]

Congrats!

[yungbuck]

Way to go! Congrats

[hunter_mike]

Congrats!

[muddy]

Congrats

[Uncle Lou]

Congrats

[Buckshot20]

Good job on the kill. We still need a pic

[Jackson Marsh]

Congrats!