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Opening Day.

I will be on the family farm for the 5th consecutive season, I will be spending it with my grandfather, I pray. His health has been failing since before I was even born, but he has fought everything thrown at him. I have enjoyed many mornings with him, it's become a tradition for us hunting together on the opening day and I know he would never want anything to change. Here is a pic of the shanty we will be hunting in.

The view is pretty good too, lots to see on an opening day here in PA.

So where will you be when the season starts?

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Permalink Reply by johnny twoshoes on November 29, 2011 at 9:44

Well, with my deer now quartered and in the fridge I decided to join my uncle John for the evening hunt. He had been out all day so an extra set of eyes let him get a little needed sleep. We quietly talked about the day and all that had happened. An hour passed and that left us with an hour of light. I had been scanning the woods line looking for any movement, but nothing showed. I turned to look at my uncle when I caught site of a deer running through a field about a mile away. It was on the neighbors property so I wasn't sure about it arriving here. With a look through the binoculars we could tell it was a good shooter buck. But, just as he appeared he disappeared. We started talking about how it would be awesome if he kept his pace up and made it to our field with good light left. It was a pipe dream at best, we had never had such a perfect season.

With a half hour of good shooting light left we prepared for deer movement. The evening was quiet so I could here a car go down the road, right on the other side of the pines. I told my uncle that I thought maybe that would get the deer moving into the field. I was glassing a wood patch to the left when my uncle said, "here he comes". I thought he was joking, but the gun was up and the safety off. That beautiful buck from a mile off was headed right for the stand, something had spooked him out be cause he wasn't sticking around long.

My uncles safety was now off and the deer jogged in, closing the distance in seconds. The first shout was out at 200 yards, the deer was untouched, but he was moving out. The second shot was at 150 yards, the deer started to turn towards us, the third shot from my uncles browning stopped the deer, but he was still untouched. So here a good deer stands, facing us and not moving. My uncle's last round connected, that little 243 win. dropped the deer in his tracks. My uncle has killed a few deer and he usually isn't visibly shaken, but this hunt gave me a great memory.

I turned and looked at him, we just were shaking our heads in disbelief, the season had ended for 5 people in one day. He was shaking as he unloaded his rifle. The look of excitement on his face was one I was proud to see. We practically ran down to the deer, which is something that never happens with my uncle. 8 points were counted, it wasn't the biggest buck point wise that my uncle had shot, but it was a beauty. The spread was 17'' inside, out side it sit at 19''. It was one of the best hunts I had been on, it was great to see someone so excited. I can't wait to see Ethan get a deer like John did.

So, for the farm we set a record, 5 buck in one opening day. I think that record will stand for a while, but we will see. It's another season from being tried, so this one may take a while to beat.

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on November 30, 2011 at 8:32