Opening Day

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TNstalker
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Opening Day

Unread postby TNstalker » Wed Aug 24, 2016 11:27 pm

So the opening plan of attack thread got me thinking. How many of you have tried a morning sit on the first day? Even in high pressure areas. I would figure most deer haven't been bothered for a long while maybe they would come back a little late the first day. Has anyone tried it? If you have did you have any success seeing or killing the buck?

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vermonthunter16
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby vermonthunter16 » Wed Aug 24, 2016 11:41 pm

I was wondering the same thing.. This will be a good thread to follow.
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PK_
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby PK_ » Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:06 am

What age class are you looking for?

I have killed several bucks opening morning of bow but the couple I can think of were 2.5. Killed several others opening week in the am as well.

Death certificate is about the only thing that might keep me from being out opening morning.

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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby TNstalker » Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:22 am

At least 3 have no desire for a 2 year old. An like I said even if ur setup is just off to kill did u see the buck come back in enough light to shoot him.

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PK_
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby PK_ » Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:36 am

Ahh I missed that part. Yes I have seen plenty of mature bucks after shooting light on opening morning.

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Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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Tufrthnails
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:58 am

See them yes kill them no. Even before I started getting aggressive in HB tactics I would use opening morning to sit an observation stand and had really good luck at catching daylight movement to figure out which evening stand I wanted to hunt. Of course I was to far from the bedding area to kill them in the evening. Hoping to start changing that!
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Motivated
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby Motivated » Thu Aug 25, 2016 2:07 am

Last year I set up a two-man stand and an observation sit at a creek crossing area. I told Dad I wanted to sit in the stand with him and watch the sun come up on opening morning. We saw a family group come through with three does, a small 8 point buck rubbing a tree, and Dad saw the big buck who hung way back behind them. At 9:00 I left to talk with a property manager. (I should have done this prior to opening morning!)

I returned at 10:00 to find that the big buck had crossed behind dad and he missed a potential shooting opportunity. The buck busted him when he turned, but walked off quickly and jumped in the water to skirt his stand.

After that, I kept hearing him splash through the crossing earlier and earlier. He was much more careful.

Dad killed the smaller 8 point buck from the ground a few days later, just yards from that rub tree.

This year our opening morning options depend on the wind. Different area. I'm praying for a west wind, but preparing for all contingencies.

I would never want to miss an opening morning. It's a very good opportunity to hunt or observe bedding entry routes, like DaveT has discussed. I'm going to be very careful so that we don't educate this next buck however.

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jbone23
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby jbone23 » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:14 pm

Hunted opening morning last year. Had a 3 year old at 15 ft. in an oak grove. Didn't shoot because the deer was supposed to be with his bigger friend and never saw either of the deer for the rest of the season, wash. Never going to make that mistake again.
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slowpoke69
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby slowpoke69 » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:00 am

Be interesting to see what people say on this. I'll be out opening morning. The wife said she didn't expect to see me that day!

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tgreeno
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby tgreeno » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:14 am

I never hunt mornings early in the year. Especially opening morning on public. Maybe mid-week after everything settles down.
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby headgear » Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:11 am

I've seen plenty of guys shooting bucks opening weekend bow season, these aren't beast hunters they are just your average hunters. With very little pressure leading up to the bow opener I don't see any reason to not go out if you can. It's like opening day rifle season, sometimes you can just catch them by surprise.
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby TNstalker » Tue Aug 30, 2016 1:54 pm

Headgear

That's my exact thoughts no pressure sense last year I will be in over top the beds opening weekend! Just wanted to see if anyone else had the same thoughts as me.

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rbuckleyjr1
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby rbuckleyjr1 » Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:30 pm

I won't be hunting opening morning unless trail cams give me info telling me I need to. Instead, I will be driving around my different public sections seeing which areas are getting the most pressure. Opening evening it's Game On!
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PUBLICbowhunter
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby PUBLICbowhunter » Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:43 am

I'll be out, may not be the best spot but ive got a plan and enough new spots I scouted last spring it cant hurt to sit in a tree again ;)
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Abishai
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Re: Opening Day

Unread postby Abishai » Wed Sep 07, 2016 1:25 pm

I am contemplating not hunting opening morning.

I have never, in my 17 years of hunting killed a deer on opening day. The earliest I've killed a deer was 3 days in, albeit, I have passed does and dink bucks on the opener.

I may go out opening morning simply on principle. I'm ready to be back in the tree. I'm teaching a class that day which luckily, exempts me from PT that morning (which may or may not have been planned and happened on purpose), which means I can hunt for a couple of hours if I want to.

A guy down the street killed a 176 non-typical on the opening morning last year. One tag state, but he burned it and I would've too. A real part of me prefers getting to hunt some before killing. I've limited out on turkeys on day 2 of the season and it left me wanting more "hunting experiences" instead of simply killing experiences (although I do love blasting turkeys).

If an area that I have good gamecam pics of a few bucks is open next Monday and the wind is in my favor, I will probably be out posting sunrise pictures, if not kill pictures. :D
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