Cold opener

[Red Miller]

I remember that morning well...we had -10F. By *#@*$ gun didnt go off. The oil in the firing pin mechanism turned to tar. I had 3 deer go running by. Pretty comical if you were watching. I however had a few choice words! A hard lesson about gun oil that morning.

[iland99]

2003 for sure - it was the first year I hunted deer after moving back from Houston, TX that spring. Definitely wasn't used to the cold yet! Shot a doe evening of opener and couldn't wait to gut her so I could get some feeling back in my fingers.....

[toughguy]

I remember that year too. The birch trees cracking/popping as the sap and water in the wood froze and expanded. It was weird. We stay in a cabin on a small lake. The lake was open the night before and we could walk out on 2.5 inches of ice by 10:00 AM.

[Musky Buck]

Just looked at my 2003 buck picture and there was no snow in central minnesota where I was. I have pictures of his groundscrape etc and the swamp, no snow. Didn't seem to cold I'm talking 2nd weekend, brought my 4 year old nephew along to hold the leg while I took care of business, would never have brought that squirt if it was too chilly.

[bigbucks]

Not sure what part of Central MN you live in, but the Long Prairie area was like -7 or something like that in 2003. It was pretty windy too, as I remember as I decided to where my big Columbia coat & bibs that are kind of noisy, but are wind resistant. I knew it wouldn't really matter as they wouldn't be able to hear that well anyway. Shot at a doe & she took off, long shot for shotgun, figured I'd missed, sent a couple more her way. We had lots of tags, so when what I assumed was the fawn came flying through I shot at that too, 5th shot the fawn dropped. Got down to gut it & it was a 6 pointer. Then I could see where the doe, who was a fair amount larger than the buck, had gone down in the brush. There was a dusting of snow, seems like there was some snow all season that year.

Went up North to hunt with paceman sometime during the week. After a shot on a drive I told the guys I'd shot at a fox & missed. When they asked what the white spot up ahead on the ridge was I said oh just another snow patch, they bought it until at about 75 yards, they turned at me & said missed a fox huh? Okay it was the belly of the doe I'd dropped. She was right on the exit path we would have stepped on her. Shot another doe back home posting a drive that weekend, very good year.

[creepworm]

If I remember right Saturday morning was very cold, but it warmed up during Saturday and Sunday was much more tolerable. I could be wrong though.

[paceman]

I remember that year. It was the first time ever deer hunting for my brother in law. It was -17 that morning but he mad it out until about 11:00. Man was I impressed. He shot a nice 9 pointer that afternoon and has been hooked ever since.

[juniordo1]

Yeah, 2003 sounds right. It was -10 on the cabin thermometer near Grand Rapids. I sat for 3 hours and was completely frozen. Nature called so I got down to take care of business. I left my gun hanging on peg in tree (I think my brain was frozen). While on the ground, a 5 pointer walked within 25yds of me. I climbed back up and sat 2 more hours before a lone doe came to me. If I remember correctly it was windy too and I completely whiffed on her twice before taking her down. She never looked at me and never took a step with the first two shots.