Opening Day
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Opening Day
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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- PK_
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Re: Opening Day
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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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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No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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Re: Opening Day
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
Ahh I missed that part. Yes I have seen plenty of mature bucks after shooting light on opening morning.
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No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Opening Day
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!
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
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Re: Opening Day
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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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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Work hard, stay humble, be kind.
- jbone23
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Re: Opening Day
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.
- slowpoke69
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Re: Opening Day
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
I never hunt mornings early in the year. Especially opening morning on public. Maybe mid-week after everything settles down.
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It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
- headgear
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Re: Opening Day
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
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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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
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!
- PUBLICbowhunter
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Re: Opening Day
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
- Abishai
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Re: Opening Day
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.
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.
“If you consider an unsuccessful hunt to be a waste of time, then the true meaning of the chase eludes you all together.”– Fred Bear
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