Part 3:
Once again we got up and ready around 5:15 in the morning. We added some new Mike’s Magic but no deer were in the neighborhood this time. We did see some more Partridges again, been seeing a lot of them lately. A few squirrels and that was it. It’s all good though, a beautiful morning in the woods watching the sun come up with my daughter, can’t beat that. Oh, I did remember the crossbow cocking string this time…. 10 am we headed back to the house.
Since we were not going back out that night we had a few “chores” to do…. Jack’s mailbox has been the victim over the years of the local snowplow. A neighbor, a retired engineer, had designed a new mailbox post and precut most of the wood to help out. After Ned and Mitch had the post set (they started before we got back from hunting) we drove down to the neighbors place to take a look at his design and just chat a bit. After committing to memory his design we drove back to Jacks… guess what, the design did not match the precut wood we had…engineers, always trying to improve. No problem. Thirty minutes later, a new mailbox with space for a paper box on the cross posts. Jack made sure to put his 2 cents in…from the folding chair he brought out and sat in, on the edge of the road… this ain’t the city folks! Heck, a couple trucks drove by and didn’t even blink at Jack in his chair. LOL Lunch Time! Football Time! (hate roughing it! LOL). After a nice dinner of grilled chicken and pie, and a couple stories or two… it’s off to bed. Opening day is only hours away!
Opening Morning!
Well, we’re all up and moving practically before the alarm clock goes off! Coffee for Ned and orange juice for the rest of us, some toast and fresh beef bacon (if you’ve never had beef bacon you’re missing out! , but slice it very thin!) We all take care of getting ourselves ready and dressed, grab our guns (unloaded of course) and head out. It’s a nice crisp and cool morning, one perfect for some deer to be moving around. Not too many clouds in the sky which helped get the temperatures down more.
Anyways, we get to our popup blind and while CamoGirl is getting our chairs set and our gear inside, I walk about 20 yards in front and apply a liberal amount of Mikes Magic to some small trees and a scent wick. Then, it’s into the blind and zip up the door. Before we open the windows we get settled. I get the camera set up on the monopod and we load up the guns… well, we load up CamoGirl’s Marlin 30-30 since I’m only carrying my 454 as a “support” just in case and it’s already loaded (I have a CCW). Then we turn off the flashlights and open the windows just enough… I love being outside and experiencing the world waking up. I am so lucky that I get to share that with my daughter!
Once again we got up and ready around 5:15 in the morning. We added some new Mike’s Magic but no deer were in the neighborhood this time. We did see some more Partridges again, been seeing a lot of them lately. A few squirrels and that was it. It’s all good though, a beautiful morning in the woods watching the sun come up with my daughter, can’t beat that. Oh, I did remember the crossbow cocking string this time…. 10 am we headed back to the house.
Since we were not going back out that night we had a few “chores” to do…. Jack’s mailbox has been the victim over the years of the local snowplow. A neighbor, a retired engineer, had designed a new mailbox post and precut most of the wood to help out. After Ned and Mitch had the post set (they started before we got back from hunting) we drove down to the neighbors place to take a look at his design and just chat a bit. After committing to memory his design we drove back to Jacks… guess what, the design did not match the precut wood we had…engineers, always trying to improve. No problem. Thirty minutes later, a new mailbox with space for a paper box on the cross posts. Jack made sure to put his 2 cents in…from the folding chair he brought out and sat in, on the edge of the road… this ain’t the city folks! Heck, a couple trucks drove by and didn’t even blink at Jack in his chair. LOL Lunch Time! Football Time! (hate roughing it! LOL). After a nice dinner of grilled chicken and pie, and a couple stories or two… it’s off to bed. Opening day is only hours away!
Opening Morning!
Well, we’re all up and moving practically before the alarm clock goes off! Coffee for Ned and orange juice for the rest of us, some toast and fresh beef bacon (if you’ve never had beef bacon you’re missing out! , but slice it very thin!) We all take care of getting ourselves ready and dressed, grab our guns (unloaded of course) and head out. It’s a nice crisp and cool morning, one perfect for some deer to be moving around. Not too many clouds in the sky which helped get the temperatures down more.
Anyways, we get to our popup blind and while CamoGirl is getting our chairs set and our gear inside, I walk about 20 yards in front and apply a liberal amount of Mikes Magic to some small trees and a scent wick. Then, it’s into the blind and zip up the door. Before we open the windows we get settled. I get the camera set up on the monopod and we load up the guns… well, we load up CamoGirl’s Marlin 30-30 since I’m only carrying my 454 as a “support” just in case and it’s already loaded (I have a CCW). Then we turn off the flashlights and open the windows just enough… I love being outside and experiencing the world waking up. I am so lucky that I get to share that with my daughter!
It’s now around 8:20, the sun is just coming over the trees and light is streaming in through the window next to me. CamoGirl, for some reason is getting something out and has handed me the 30-30. As I’m scanning the windows I first notice a patch of white that wasn’t there a minute ago. Then I realize that patch of white is the throat of a real nice buck about 35/40 yards directly in front of the blind… watching us! It takes a couple intense whispers before CamoGirl realizes what I’m saying and then it’s an intense moment or two as we get the gun back into her hands and I’m trying to get the camera (the cold camera) going! By this time, I think the bright light coming in from my side has allowed the buck to see us (probably me) moving too much and he decides to trot off…just before CamoGirl can get the crosshairs on him! She was excited and depressed at the same time! He was definitely a shooter. I didn’t stop to count the points but his rack was at least to his ears wide with a nice long main beam. I also didn’t get the camera on him in time… Needless to say, we were ready for some more deer now! But Murphy’s rule was in effect…one chance and one chance only it seemed. It was interesting to note that normally when daylight breaks we hear literally dozens and dozens to hundreds of shots. This day, by lunch I think we’d only counted less than 60. An unusually quiet opening day. 
Do you see him?.....
........Nope, still not there.... but he was! Guess you'll just have to "imagine" him in the picture! LOLAfter a nice lunch and a quick nap (ok, a little football watching too….) the whole gang headed out for the afternoon hunt. CamoGirl and I were ready this time! So we settled in to wait for that big buck to wander back in (thanks to Mike’s Magic!)…and waited…and waited…and waited…till the sun went down. Not a thing. Ned and Mitch saw a big coyote but didn’t take a shot as it meandered past there stand. Mitch thought it was a doe at first and buy the time they realized what it was it was too late to get ready and take the shot. Oh well, we’ve got lots of stories to tell about opening day, dinner is hot and the company couldn’t be better!
1 comment:
Great story!!!
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