October 1 - Opening Day

[Jackam]

For many, many years it has been my station in life to be sitting in a tree when the sun comes up on this day. I will be a few days late this year, but I have a date with an oak and hopefully a whitetail.

Here is a really cool article (http://www.alloutdoor.com/2013/09/26/science-deer-vision/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2013-10-01&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter) on the vision of deer.

Good luck to all of you that got up this morning and are pretending to be trees today!

[cmr19xx]

I'm waiting a bit this year. Weather is too hot for me right now. Good luck to all.

[mikeb32]

80 degree's forecast for today.....I'm gonna pass, being retired has it's benefits......I can wait and plan around the weather.....Blind has been out for 6 weeks now, maybe when I show up an 8 point will be bedded down in it!!!!

[cmr19xx]

80 degree's forecast for today.....I'm gonna pass, being retired has it's benefits......I can wait and plan around the weather.....Blind has been out for 6 weeks now, maybe when I show up an 8 point will be bedded down in it!!!!

Or a few other hunters :)

[mikethepike]

I'm waiting a bit this year. Weather is too hot for me right now. Good luck to all.

And still too much cover for me

[Cackler]

I haven't gotten in a tree yet either. This weekend, I am going to hopefully shooting teal and woodies before the weather turns and they head off to warmer climes.

Deer don't have wings, they will still be around and there is plenty of time to kill them.

Besides, the prospect of shooting, tracking, gutting and getting out of the woods and then skinning and getting cooled down in thisat heat sounds like no fun at all.

[Kilt Guy]

I made it out last night. Had 3 of them within 5 yards of my tree stand for about 20 minutes. They were on the small side and the season just started so I let them be.

[Jackam]

I made it out last night. Had 3 of them within 5 yards of my tree stand for about 20 minutes. They were on the small side and the season just started so I let them be.

This happens to me every year. I pass on all sorts waiting for the right buck or even, sometimes the right DAY, to shoot a deer. Then the weather turns snotty and it's windy and the deer are skittish and I am wishing that I had shot that 4 pt earlier in the season..... EVERY Year!

[Cackler]

I am wishing that I had shot that 4 pt earlier in the season..... EVERY Year!


If you pass on 4pts every year, sooner or later you are going to see a real shooter unless all your neighbors are not letting them grow.

[Jonnysea]

This is fill the freezer time for me. I took a huge doe on the second day of the early doe season and another huge doe this past wednesday morning. The freezer is full and now i can focus on the nice buck. I like hunting in the earlier part of the season. It seems that the deer arent skittish yet and i do not see any other hunters in woods. Besides, every day is a good day to enjoy mother nature. Just my :twocents:

[jemcclai]

been too warm to hunt...

[Cackler]

been too warm to hunt...

Yup, but in this heat, there may still be some teal around.

I plan to find out in the morning if there are still any north of 20.

[Jackam]

If you pass on 4pts every year, sooner or later you are going to see a real shooter unless all your neighbors are not letting them grow.

I see nice 8 points and larger every year. They just don't give me the <35 yard shot that I demand! :)

[Cackler]

First time I got in a tree last fall, an 8 point wandered by in the wide open at 15 yards.

I let him walk as it was a 1.5 year old.


Now come rifle season, things get a little different as I don't let much head to the next guy to get shot.

[cmr19xx]

I'm heading up into the thumb one day this week, but I still haven't decided which day. It's still going to be a bit warm for me, but I'm tired of waiting. Just going to do a quick trip. Head up one evening, stay at the cottage. Deer hunt in the early AM, breakfast, try to find a couple of grouse or woodcock until mid-afternoon and then back to the blind and then head home. Can't wait.

[CnA]

Lost a deer :banghead: It was the second one lost in 35 years of deer hunting.

Shot a large 6 point using the crossbow Friday evening at 6:50 pm in Gladwin. Found the broad head attached to 2" of the crossbow bolt. It started raining, then I lost light tracking it. Rained all night wiping away any blood trail. I spent all day Saturday looking in a grid back and forth on our 80 acres, but couldn't find it.

I was really bummed to lose it.

FYI, My Tracks is a great app to use on a smartphone while doing a search like this. You can see where you walked to ensure all area is covered.

[cmr19xx]

Lost a deer :banghead: It was the second one lost in 35 years of deer hunting.

Shot a large 6 point using the crossbow Friday evening at 6:50 pm in Gladwin. Found the broad head attached to 2" of the crossbow bolt. It started raining, then I lost light tracking it. Rained all night wiping away any blood trail. I spent all day Saturday looking in a grid back and forth on our 80 acres, but couldn't find it.

I was really bummed to lose it.

FYI, My Tracks is a great app to use on a smartphone while doing a search like this. You can see where you walked to ensure all area is covered.

Ugh. Sorry to hear that. That's about as frustrating as it gets. A good tracking dog really comes in handy. Although, with the rain, it probably wouldn't have made any difference.

[Cackler]

Lost a deer :banghead: It was the second one lost in 35 years of deer hunting.

Shot a large 6 point using the crossbow Friday evening at 6:50 pm in Gladwin. Found the broad head attached to 2" of the crossbow bolt. It started raining, then I lost light tracking it. Rained all night wiping away any blood trail. I spent all day Saturday looking in a grid back and forth on our 80 acres, but couldn't find it.

I was really bummed to lose it.

FYI, My Tracks is a great app to use on a smartphone while doing a search like this. You can see where you walked to ensure all area is covered.


Does your smart phone also get a weather forecast and radar? Just sayin'....

[bkglad]

I'm heading up into the thumb one day this week, but I still haven't decided which day. It's still going to be a bit warm for me, but I'm tired of waiting. Just going to do a quick trip. Head up one evening, stay at the cottage. Deer hunt in the early AM, breakfast, try to find a couple of grouse or woodcock until mid-afternoon and then back to the blind and then head home. Can't wait.

Would you be willing tell me where you are finding the grouse and woodcock in the thumb? I always have to go up the Huron national Forrest before I find those little guys

[Cackler]

Woodcock are migratory so, you just have to be in the right place at the right time when they start heading south. Some of my best hunts were south of M-20.

Grouse on the other hand are pretty much just north of 57 but I have flushed them as far south as Livingston County.

Both are a blast to hunt but, I doubt that you are going to find some smart phone app that will be of much help with that either...lol.

[Kilt Guy]

Tonight I took down a big doe. Double lung hit and she ran away from the car into some of the thickest swamp you can imagine. Had to literally use a saw to cut a path out. Now its time to hunt the big buck I saw last Thursday.

[Cackler]

Tonight I took down a big doe. Double lung hit and she ran away from the car into some of the thickest swamp you can imagine. Had to literally use a saw to cut a path out. Now its time to hunt the big buck I saw last Thursday.

Isn't that the way it always goes. Why can't deer run toward the vehicle after you whack them?

[mfytczyk]

I shot a small rack 8 point non symetrical rack but was able to use up my restricted tag sunday morning quad 400 crossbow with montech broadheads !:grin:

[mikeb32]

To warm still. Congrats on the 8 point, hope you had lots of ice!!

[mfytczyk]

2 bags of ice in it as soon as I got it to the truck then right to the proccesser to hang in the cooler for a few days before cutting up into dinner size pieces