Awesome Opening Day, but...

[fishlips]

I missed my chance. Hunting the usual spot we hunt for gun season I scouted out a spot that is a tangle to get in and out of. It's in a cedar swamp and from what I could tell not many people make it back in there. It was a spot I found last year and had set up a ground spot, but did not hunt it. Anyway, headed out to my stand at 4 am, which was about a half hour later than I needed. Set up by 5:15 and then waited for light. Had a buck cruise by at first light, but did not get a good glimpse of him. Then around 7:30 heard what sounded like an army tank coming through the thicket I had my back to. Had a doe pop out and then heard grunting following it. A nice 8 pointer jumped out behind her and she instantly jumped back in the thick stuff with him following before I could get a shot. About 20 minutes later, another dandy buck popped out from where the doe had just came through. I had him lined up and he hit the small window I had to shoot through and kaboom...I just flat out missed. I think I shot right over his back. To add insult to injury, another dandy buck walked right under my stand while I was looking for blood. He stopped right by a deadfall and I had a glimpse of his head and that was it. I didn't want to shoot him in the head, so I waited for a better shot that never happened.

It was the best day I have ever had in a stand. Three really nice bucks were seen. Also saw a 4 pointer later, but then things died off when the wind kicked up.

One question on this though. I believe the reason why I had so much deer movement was that I got kind of lucky and had a doe that was coming into estrous bed right by me. The reason I picked this spot is because it is a small clearing between two super thick areas where I know deer bed. I came across it when I was actually scouting an area that I thought would be good, but found sign of hunters in there so I pushed al ittle further and found this. My question is for future sits in this spot do you think it will be worth sitting, or did I catch lightning in a bottle by having a doe coming into estrous bed by me?

[dan]

Future hunts may or may not be productive. That doe bedding there may have been the ticket, but it might also be a great area... Jump back in there and find out.

[fishlips]

My initial reaction to the whole sit was that it is a good spot, but it was great because the doe was there drawing everything in. I plan on digging into it after the season a bit more and really get to know the area. The spot that was to my back is so thick even my dog hates to go through it when I am out scouting (he is usually my helper when I get into the thick stuff because he can find the deer trails a lot better than I can), but the deer obviously use it.

Man, it was a hike in there though. My GPS said it was about a mile and half in through blow downs and thick brush. It was well worth it though to have a sit like that. Never experienced anything near that.

This whole hunting bedding areas thing has a lot of merit to it. A lot more than any other tactic I have tried to employ. Just gotta say thanks for maintaining an awesome site and for putting those videos out. I have seen more big bucks in the past two season that I had in the previous 13 years I have hunted, mainly because I have finally started to understand what I should be looking for when I get out in the woods. Am still learning a lot, but feel like I am starting to build confidence in the areas I am choosing to sit now, which makes me a lot more attentive when I am on stand. Thanks again.