Post by dougl on Nov 30, 2020 15:17:23 GMT -5
Having no buck tags,we're fortunate to live in a part of the state where we have an abundance of DMAP'd land open so we can still tote rifles around on opening day.We started off hunting a 4 year old shelterwood cut about 2 miles from home that was loaded with acorns.Jordan was in a ladder stand in one of the lone oaks and I waited til daybreak to get upwind of him and just walk the outside edge.Right at 8:00am a doe decided it didn't like the way I smelled and made the fatal mistake to run past jordan who dropped it in it's tracks.We ran home,skinned that one and hit DMAP area 2.Jordan put the first little push on for me and I managed to miss a pretty easy shot on that little drive.I figured I didn't deserve a second chance so I put a couple more drives on for him and put over 30 different deer past him but he was picky about the shots and never squeezed the trigger.I on the other hand,got caught up in the moment and shot a big doe just as she stood up from her bed.As soon as I squeezed the tigger,I knew I made a mistake because this was not the best place to kill a doe.It was around 2:00pm and about a mile back in some thick,steep inhospitable crap.We hiked back to the truck and I got a pack and Jordan decided to swap rifles and grabbed the 300 wsm.I went back,quartered the doe up and Jordan decided to watch another clearcut until dark.Just when I got back to the truck,I heard a big boom off in the distance and Jordan made a 230 yard shot to drop a cow of a doe in her tracks.I was ready to drop after getting back and had to go back in to get deer number three for the day out.I carried the rifle and he hauled that one out.All told,I think I saw 12 or so deer,including at least two legal bucks and Jordan saw over 45 with at least several being bucks.I saw two other hunters and only heard two other shots the entire day.Jordan only saw one other hunter.Yesterday,we went back out around noon and got completely skunked where we'd seen a few dozen the day before.He decided to call it quits around 2 PM but I figured I'd go sit in the stand he killed one the morning before.I got out of my truck,loaded the .308 and started climbing the draw to where the stand was.I didn't get two steps up the draw when a lone doe stood up from her bed underneath a pine tree and hesitated just long enough for me to roll her down the hill.I was good weekend.We made some well-executed,one man drives and Jordan did some fancy shooting.It felt weird though for some reason.I'm grateful for the extra opportunity but it did not feel like opening day.
