How was your opening weekend?

[fr0sty]

I hunted 6 hours on some public land close to home. I was the only joker on that land. Saw some fresh tracks, but no deer were spotted. Was going to head out again Sunday, but other things came up.

How you did you all do?

[Wes Ellis]

Sat on stand Saturday from 6:30am to 10;00 Didnt see a thing, Saturday afternoon 2:00 to 5:00 Nothing.

Sunday morning did not go out. Sunday after noon from 2:00 to 5:00

at 3;30 a big red fox came out.Not close enough though. Then 4;00a doe and a fawn,4;30 another doe and fawn.

We are in bucks only!

Got some pictures of bucks but after dark

One was at 5;00 the earliest.

[leechlake]

we have found and I'd assume it's the rule especially when you're hunting in woods is that you will see less deer on stand during muzzy season than you did during rifle season, if you hunted it. I'm sure there are some individuals who have a different experience but for most of us Joe Smoes that's how it is.

We do some hunting during muzzy season but have more fun and see more deer by walking. 2-3 guys and we don't "drive" the deer in any respect but we walk swamps and other thick stuff and attempt to intercept the deer. We have enough land and nobody is around stand hunting that we bother.

Our expectations are low but if we get to attempt to out strategize a deer or two we've accomplished our goal. It usually does not work but it's more fun for us then sitting on a stand knowing most deer are coming out at complete dark or in the last 30 minutes and usually does and fawns.

[Mr Special]

was busy most of the wkend but got out for a few hrs yesterday afternoon on Public land as well. did see a thing but it was nice tobe out in the woods again. a lil brisk tho lol

[Willard_J]

Saturday afternoon watched 7 does and a buck walk out into a field 1/4 mile away just before end of shooting. Drove around the section I was in when I left and counted 40 deer from the road, only 2 bucks.

Sunday only saw 1 silhouetted on a hilltop as I was walking out after shooting hours. Drove around the section again and didn't see a thing. I think the weather might've had something to do with it.

[lawdog]

Saturday it was 50 degrees here. Sat out with my six year old and we saw ONE doe. There were however 8-10 in the field behind me under a hill across the road according to the guy hunting the other end looking in our direction.

Sunday was 10 degrees, strong NW wind and I saw about 30 deer. 25 of which I bumped out going in to sit for the evening. One real good buck and three smaller ones who didn't come back with the one 1 1/2 year old buck and 20 does that all walked right past me back into the thicket I bumped them out of.

[O.T.C.]

Doe and fawn was it sat. sun. mon., not liking the warmer forecast, a key to the 3 muzzy bucks I've ever taken is it was below zero wind chill days, they stayed out a little to long in the field those mornings and I was able to get in behind them, warmer they are loaded with fat so laying around possibly even longer but who knows, need a hot fawn lol !

[O.T.C.]

Hang on a minute I just hunted this last cold weekend hard and saw nearly nothing so my theory failed, colder didn't make them risk their life getting back later to bed, I think a boatload of luck is the ingredient lol. My gun can't take a scope but I'm softening on scopes for muzzleloaders, my fingers from using binoculars and focusing them in etc. are still numb from this wkd lol and I didn't have much to look at, bald eagles, geese, cars driving by lol, so my opening weekend in a nutshell was............I'm getting too darn old to hunt without a heater when it's minus wind chill. My metal ladder stands were a bit chilly.

[O.T.C.]

OK, did some recon last night in zone 1, I drove 7.8 miles to scout for deer during legal shooting light, I saw 59 deer, yes I repeat I counted 59 there was likely more than that !!! What's up with that ? Most were digging up beans vs. moving toward a large standing cornfield. Half of these deer were within 300 yards of my truck. If I go to area 240 I'd never ever see 59 deer this time of year b4 shooting light ends. Hard to say buck wise as I didn't binoc any what for really. Think that I need to talk to some of these places for future years as I saw 0 blaze orange or hunters out, might give me a muzzy place, I was really surprised how many I saw with my daughter last night, all she'd say was daddy they're hungry so they're eating lol. Didn't see any deer near the 3 or so standing cornfields but the tracks heading in and out were thick and if they aint edged out I wouldn't see em anyway. But why aren't more of the others heading toward these cornfields or is it a variety diet and they eventually get there and back in the night ?

[fr0sty]

59? Dang, I would shart my underoos if I saw 59 at one time !

[dairyman]

my opener was the best ever for me-----------I was back to the house in less then an hour------------got a nice doe.

[Archtek]

My nephew and I hunt up by Isabella and saw nothing at all. There was lots of sign, but we saw no deer. It was the same thing during rifle season. We spent a lot more time walking new areas because we are pretty sure loggers are coming into the area we have hunted for the last 15 or so years; there are orange spray painted X's on about half the trees.

I feel somewhat guilty now because for the first time in almost 50 years of deer hunting, I wimped out and stayed in the cabin Monday morning. The temperature on the thermometer was -17 and 10 MPH winds were predicted. I blame it on old age.

[O.T.C.]

Frosty took the drive again last night 47 counted and finally some in front of my stand once again, one thing for sure is I can't say any were bucks honestly, maybe some yearling types out there but it's doe fawn city. Little girl loves that run so now it's becoming routine. I'm looking for a Boone and Crockett buck 180" typical yes I know that's a monster and he is, he survived rifle season and people I work with see him with frequency how you ask, the dude owns a 1/2 section and allows no hunting and polices his ground daily, everyone and their brother are up there watching the deer and looking for the giant, I kid readers not he would've dressed closer to 300 pounds then 200 pounds, never thought I'd see something like him so often, but it's been awhile. There are a few guys on here that likely know of him as I read a post recently and the guy describes the stateland area he is hunting and it's on the back side of this 1/2 section and I walked it and few if any deer are wandering on the state stuff, dozens of people tried it. I have a cell phone picture of him in velvet, most people ask is that really his rack omg.

[O.T.C.]

Now we're nearing weekend 2 guys, what if anything will the full moon do to them ? I'm curious if I'll still see these large numbers of deer early next week or not, milder, idk? I just want a picture of the horse with no velvet now, he eats in a combined 40 skinny acre beanfield with the rest of the gang, lets keep this thread going in a few days and update wkd #2 of muzzy.

[Bambito]

Me my wife and my dad hunted Saturday to Tuesday and did pretty good. We got one for three but saw a lot of deer. Monday afternoon we saw all sorts of deer out in open fields around the noon hour. When we hunted that evening though we didn't have anything come out. One thing I noticed though is they are definitely preferring beans over corn right now. Tuesday evening we had deer coming out pretty early, probably about 4 o clock. Does started piling out and I knew a buck would be coming with them. Sure enough a big eight pointer came out. Where they came out is just out of gun range but if they wander around in the corn field they get into to range. They hugged the other side though and made the trek to the bean field. One question I have though is why did we see all these deer out during the middle of the day on Monday? There were no other hunters around. And then that night we didn't have anything come out. Is it something to do with the weather that brings them out during the middle of the day? One other thing, the does have put on the winter pounds for sure as we saw a lot of fat faces but the bucks we seen and the one we got had no fat whatsoever. I do all my own butchering and when I butchered the buck I could have probably put all the thick fat he had in one hand. So if we get a cold snap we should see the bucks out early which will help us a lot. We won't be hunting till next weekend again due to work but hopefully it's a lot colder then. Good luck guys and gals!

[leechlake]

my theory on the mid day feedings that we see this time of the year is that they aren't feeding til after the sun goes down and the next meal ends up being mid day. It's just my theory and hard to figure out what time of day they really will be out there.

[Mr Special]

we'll made it out yesterday at about 130 and hunted til dark. there were alot of signs and sum trails are just beat dwn to the dirt but all i saw was a few cute squirrels. i did see more coyotes tracks that i ever have before.

"think imma have to spend evenings yote hunting later this yr =D"

thought about heading out early this morning with it being a mild day but that thing called work got in my way AGAIN lol

does seem as tho they are mainly moving after dark but im hoping to catch one that drags its butt late and comes by during legal shootin hrs

good luck gang

[DonBo]

One question I have though is why did we see all these deer out during the middle of the day on Monday? There were no other hunters around.

I think you answered your own question.

[maros91]

Tagged a small 8pt. this morning with the smoke pole.

[Mr Special]

Tagged a small 8pt. this morning with the smoke pole.

congrats

darnit i knew i shouldve went out this morning lol

[maros91]

Thanks. Wandered in about 7:40am. Nice morning out. Warm and no wind.

[ozzie]

Good Job Biff!! I hope to connect on something this weekend so I can start to concentrate on fishing!!

[O.T.C.]

You're correct Donbo, Monday was the bomb, 10:39AMish-12:09PMish had 4 bucks on trail camera, first 2 yearlings an hour apart, then a browtineless 3.5 year old and then a nice 10 pointer 3.5 year old, since then zero in shooting light.