Who's excited!!!!

Man, I am so excited for this weekend, I can't take it! I invited a good buddy of mine to come hunting with me this weekend. He doesn't have a place this year, and he and I have bow hunted elk, pigs, deer, you name it, for many, many years together. I was talking to him this morning and we were giggling like little school girls about this weekend. This is my Christmas time! I feel so excited about this time of year, like Christmas morning was when I was a kid! Who else is pumped!!!

Everyone might want to stay on stand a little longer in the morning.
We just got back from feeding and we had deer out eating our feed off the road and it was 10:15.
Might pay to sit longer in the a.m.

Me too brotha!! Picking my best friend and life long hunting buddy up at his place at 1500 and we're headed west! This will be our 25th opening day together!!

Oh buddy, I am pumped. been dreaming about hunting deer for a long time now, tomorrow can't come soon enough. Unfortunately, I only get to hit the evening hunt tomorrow, but I am hoping either my son or I can hit our first with arrows. Next weekend will have a bit more time on stand but it will be my daughters turn and trying to get her first deer period. Just hoping it turns into some really good memories. Can't wait to see the deer coming into the stand.

The wife and I are headed to public land in the morning. Cant wait!

According to the solunar tables, opening day this year is the best day of the month. The AM minor time is 6:51-9:01 and the PM MAJOR time is 12:56-3:58. Sounds like a great day to be in the woods ALL DAY!!

And I've been dreaming of sugarplums all this week. LOL

Man, I wish I had a hunting bud like that. Most of my buds have moved away. But I still get to hunt every year with my 83 year old dad and occasionally with my sons. But tomorrow I'm by myself.

Just finished packing the truck. I'm headed to bed for a fitful nights sleep. Even after all these years, I don't sleep well the night before opening day.

I'm here , ready to rock

I'm excited for everyone. I won't get to go for another couple weeks. This time of year is just awesome!

Had one doe and a 2 year old 6 point come in so far.

Two does passed me just out of range. I didn't sleep a lot last night so I'm gonna take a nap and hit it again this afternoon.

Ended up seeing 7 bucks and two doe.

Not a bad morning

It was really a nice morning. No skeeters, and just cool enough to feel like it was really hunting season. Saw several deer, nothing big but my hunting partner took down a nice spike so I at least got my hands dirty, and he got some meat for the freezer.

Came home to clean up a bit and eat something and head back out for the evening hunt. Only 20 minutes from my lease!

We saw several does, a few small bucks, and Sunday morning had 2 bachelor bucks come in. One was a very pretty 8 point, but not shooter worthy yet.

Seen 3 bucks and a doe w/fawn so far and a hog

Hog did not offer a shot, feeder just went off for the second time so we will see if anything new comes in

On our lease the acorns are pretty heavy and very few deer or hogs are coming to the feeder.
All the action is in the nearby oak trees as I see deer walking around feeding on the acorns. Must have been ten bucks and several does and one shooter buck high and wide, but I've got his number and moved my popup. My next sit should be interesting.

I am not as excited today...it was 94 degrees at 3pm today and still 93. But I am stubborn and going to get in the sweatbox...I mean haybale blind that is in the shade. It is about 40 yards from a water trough that I can't see but the deer hit both usually. Can't kill one from the house right now.

Got to my stand around 4:30 this evening and yes, it was hot. I wasn't too much into hunting but more into sipping down some iced tea I had brought along. That seemed to make the wait until the sun reached the tops of the trees a little more tolerable.
It just seemed like it was going to be one of those evenings with little to no breeze and then dead still.
Finally saw a doe and fawn come out right as the sun was setting. The started making their way toward me and suddenly stopped and stood alert looking into the brush. I thought good, there are more deer going to appear.....wrong, two coyotes came out and crossed about fifty yards behind the doe and fawn and she turned and proceeded to head toward the coyotes, and with the fawn behind her she went off in the same direction as she came.
That was it!

I waited till later to go. I got my gear in the blind and then parked the Ranger at 6:12. I was in the blind at 6:15 and a doe and her fawn in front of my at 6:18. It was hot and they stayed till 6:45 then walked off. Around 7:05 4 bucks came in and something they saw spooked them causing them to ease off. Then around 7:30 another buck came in. Much better hunt than I had thought it would be. I think the 10+mph breeze helped out a lot.

Only reason we got out when we did was we had seen the deer moving earlier on our place and hitting the acorns under the oaks pretty heavy, but that was last Sunday evening. Those two coyotes probably didn't help being in the area.
I'm eagerly waiting for this weekend with some cooler weather predicted!