Opening Weekends

How many out there take there deer on opening weekend then hang it up?
I stretch my season from archery to end of general season and am very patient on what I shoot. I'll take one early if it's a really good one and don't think I'll see it again or if I'm on an invite to another place, but if the stars don't line up right I will hunt to the last day without shooting a deer off my place. How many just hunt opening days of other seasons and then wait for something else to open? I want to see just how big of a hunting addiction I have is why I ask. My biggest excuse to get to my place is "I still have a lot of work out there, baby. Come on go with me I could use the help."

If a big mature buck walks out opening morning, I'll fill that tag. Then I'll hunt pigs the rest of the season.

One year I killed four deer the morning of the last day of doe-spike season. I live to hunt WT and will go anytime during the season. I often wonder why guys lease only go two, maybe three times a year. If I was paying that kind of money I'd be there a bunch! I realize life gets busy but when you lay out that kind of scratch and only hunt 6 days a year it seems like a waste.

When I was in high school and lived on the place I hunted at least 3-4 evenings a week and usually most of the weekends depending on fence work, stock work, etc.

I was just wondering. I went on a cull hunt and was told to shoot what ever I wanted from mature 9 points to does. They had hunters leasing the place for $10,000 a spot and and no one was shooting does or culls. The biologist told them they needed to take 45 does and cull the inferior and old bucks out to balance the herd. There was one guy who had 2 spots and only went 4 days in 2 years. Others only shoot the one big buck and then they leave til the next season. I do enjoy a meat hunt for sure and some of the culls are trophies in my neck of the woods. I got 2 good does with a bow and was invited back to cull some bucks with my rifle. I can't wait for that one!

I have years where I hunt a ton and years where I don't hunt near as much.

I like to hunt with family and friends so my schedule is someone what dictated by their availability. For instance, I can hunt the family place whenever I want but won't go there by myself, if my uncle, cousin or gf can't go I'm gonna do something else. Just not exciting to me. Places close to home I'll hunt a day here or there but not into making weekend trips alone

I've gotten to where I like to take a 3-5 day trip rather than marathon weekends, the "adventure" style is more my speed these days.

Good thread.. Think each will have various reasons... A lease tis an investment & i enjoy the out doors..

I leave the buck shooting to the boys, unless there is a good spike to take out. Opening weekend is a good time for a doe shoot. My problem this year, only had bucks coming around...go figure. We get down there almost every weekend, so we aren't pressed to shoot the first thing that comes along. I've finally got the others to work on the does while they're waiting for their 'big buck' to come along.

In a perfect world I would tag out a sunset on the final day of the season. I like to hunt as long as I can but when I see what I like, I kill it. Now days I still take my camera and continue "hunting" after I tag out.

I've done this at one place before. I shot two deer one afternoon and three the next morning and the ranch manager was still handing me tags. Looks like I may be doing this at a new place this year as well. When leases can afford to spend thousands of dollars many of them don't care about doe or less than stellar bucks. When it's your own land or property you're managing it's a different story.

I myself don't usually kill anything until late November

I hunt most every weekend, if I take a good deer opening weekend I still hunt for pigs and a cull buck. Just being in the woods makes me happy.

Hunting with a camera is just as exciting as hunting with a gun unless your after a big boy.

Plus you can "shoot" a lot of non-game species as well