opening day,state land 2008

sorry i have been slacking so heres a catch up on my reports

all i can say is WOW.today was one of the best opening day in a while.not alot of deer taken,but alot seen.i think someone told them where everyone was sitting,they stayed just out of range.there was a few deer taken today.ne of my friends who hunts private land next to state land took a nice doe,and wild bill took a skipper,second one for him.he was a little dissapointed on the size.he didnt realize how small it was.but hey you dont need a knife for this one

what a difference a day makes.this morn was quiet as a church.no wind.sat in the stand from 6-11am.around 830 i heard a bunch of noise,thought it was some squirles running around.no it was 5 deer flying down the hill.if it wasnt cloudy,i wouldnt have seen them.i dont know what got them going.i had no shot.after i got out of my stand i,took a walk up the hill to look around,found the tracks from the 5 running,they were about 150 yds from me.i also found a nice doe dead,and well bloated.she was about 60 yds from where wild bill sat yesterday.it was a low gut shot,very small entry and exit,either a bow hunter or landowner got her.going to give it hell again fri.even planning on hitting privat land

well i was planning on going today BUT,i got a plone call at 4:00 am to go to work on a emergency call,a broken water main.so when i got home i had a half hour left.sat. i am giving it extra hell.something got to go down

this morn i got up looking forward to a good hunt on state land.i was planning on other hunter both on state land and private land.were my tree stand is,i reley on pushers or other hunters.very rarly do deer walk by me,i am on an escape route.well to start off i get a phone call from one of my buddies.he isnt going because his hip is acting up.that was no problem,he is only 76 years old,i would be luck to be alive at his age,never mind hunting.i get in my tree stand at 6.15,my other buddy shows up,radios me.i tell him what happening,so he decieds to do a still hunt and slowly work towards me.by 11 nothing,he saw 6 tails no shots, anywhere,very strange for there.when i got back to the truck,i decieded to take a cruise aroud the upperside to see how may cars were there.not one,we were the only 2 on the state land.
when i got home i wanted to finish working on the wifes jimmy,changeing the wheel bearing hub assembly.i already did one side thursday.it only takes 1 hour to do,then i will get back out.i get everything back together,and take it for a test drive to make sure everything is ok.i get down the rd to the stop sign,put my foot on the brake.right to the floor,great.i get home start looking for the break in the line.found it.the steel line that goes by the gas tank.now i am in a foul mood it is almost 3pm.screw it i am going back in the woods.i head over to private land.i get to my spot.i can see my truck and garage from where i am sitting.about 45 min.i see the homeowner going to the garage.then i see a deer run from the front of my truck,down the hill.the homeowner yells to let me know something was comming,it run to a clearing and stops.it was all done.it is a doe about 120 lbs.it was a great ending to a bad day.i get to the check in station,closed,so i will have to do it monday.i get home to hand it,go into the barn to get things all set,there is another deer hanging.wild bill got a nice spike.he redemed himself from the skippy he got.the meat locker is getting full,time to start makeing steaks

last nite we set up a hunt on state land,it was all set mike and i would get into the woods by 6:30,joe would show up alittle after 7,to still hunt around us.i got to scotland at 6am.sat in the truck a few min.to finish my coffee.then got out and got dressed and made sure i had everything.by this time it was 6:20,no mike.so i called him,he said he was walking out the door.so i told him that i was heading into the woods.well he showed up at 7:15..so he finally got to where he was going to sit.it was going to be where wild bill sat opening day.around 9am i spot a shadow moveing in a thicket(this i wouldn't see if the clouds didnt come over).not sure what it is,so i am stareing at it.then i see a head move,its a deer.it keep looking back,then the nose to the ground,takes a few steps,does the same thing.i kept picking up my gun to see if i could find a shot.no shot.so i started looking for windows ahead of it,found one.it was the only one i had and it was very small.by this time i noticed it had a rack,but couldnt tell what it was.so we walked into my window and stopped.the sweet spot was right on the edge of the tree,great.so i aimed as close to the tree as i could and let one go..he made 2 small bounds and stopped.shot again which was very questionable.radioed mike to let him know he was comming his way.and took one more,which i knew it would reach him,but it would have pushed him to mike.a few mins later,mike radioed me,that it was down.so i told him i was staying in the stand untill joe showed up.about 20 min later,joe came to my stand,i got out and told him what had happened.mike radioed me and told me that the deer was down and knew where it was,so no sense looking for a blood trail.we walked up about where he went,mike stayed where he was sitting and directed us to him.funny thing was that the buck walked up to mike,he could see it,but had no shot.he went behind a large rock,and stood there.all he had to do was walk out from there and mike had a shot.but he didnt,he dropped instead.
joe told us that he would tag it,because he couldnt hunt the rest of the week,

Looks like you and the boys are doing alot better than last year. Congrads on the deer and it's great Bill could redeem himself.

that for sure,been seeing alot of deer too.i am glad was able to get a decient one.being the second year out,and the skippy being the second deer he shot,he hasnt gotten use to judgeing size in the scope.he was pritty hard on himself when he walked up to it

after stuffing myself on thanksgiving dinner

i woke up still feeling the same.so i was undecieded if i was going to go out in the morn.i knew mike wasnt going,as we left it on thursday he was going on private.so at 6 am i am looking out the window,still very dark,at 6:15 the same.by 6:25 i am starting to see the outline of the trees.by now the coffee is kicking in,and i am feeling more of myself.so i throw on my boots and coat,kiss the wife and told her i was going out,and headed out.i get down the road an 8 pt jumps out in front of me and crosses the road.(this is the one thats been hanging around the fields at my house.)he stops just on the other side,i stop,roll down the window to try to get a pic.he snorts and spins around and flip me the tail.i think he was telling me something.so off i go mumbling to myself.
i get to state, land walk in.it was perfect conditions,leaves were not noisey,no breeze,dead silent.i walked up to my stand,and look around,then decide that i am going up the hill more where i saw more sign the day before.i get up there,and find a comfy rock on the stone wall with a group of trees on both sides of me.i sit down,get out the doe can and wait.i sat for 20 min.then gave the can a shot,waited another 20 min did it again.about 15 min later i here rusling of the leaves like a bunch of squirles,then up over the hill comes a doe dead run,right behind her was a buck grunting up a storm.i pick up the gun,the doe spots me,stops and spins around.and runs back towards the buck.the buck stops and faces directly at me.i turn on him and fired,perfect neck shot.the doe hung around a bit then snorted and off she went.i waited for a while before i head toward him.while i was sitting to give him time i noticed some branches of a bush i shot through were debarked,so i went to look at it,my wading was stuck in the branches

and poor mike,he got a monkey on his back,he didnt see anything on private land. then went to state.he saw a nice 8 pt that was walking along a stone wall about 180 yds away,so he got buck fever and tried to get close,and did some dumb things he got spooked and ran.
around430 pm i was getting ready to go to walmart to pick up vacume seal bags.the phone rings,it was bill he got a nice doe behind his house,needed the truck.the newbe is doing good
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Lady luck is in your corner this year. Looks like Bill has the same. The pilgrum has done well this year. LOL Freezer must be getting full by now.

its been a unreal season for sure,i have one more tag to fill,and 3 for blackpowder.my freezer has pleanty of room,lol

Congrats on a great season so far. Very nice!
Interesting year around here with no acorns. Not that I hunted this year, my yard is normally loaded, I think I saw 3 acorns in the yard this year.

thanks,thats 3 more acorns more than i have seen.i have been all over eastern ct. its been the same everywhere.i guess the wet season did a toll on them

got to ashford and in the woods by 6;20.it was a little dark,but with the light snow covering you could see fairly well.made it to the stand and when i reached for the ladder 4 of them jumped up and ran.they were bedded down in a thicket about 90 yds from the stand.jim went to a lower stand,he didnt see anything untill 9 when 4 does came walking uphill from the mount hope river.he let of 5 shots.missed every one.shortly after a lange group of turkeys came up by,something to watch,they milled around,fighting each other ect.we were out by 12.00 came home put the plow on the tractor,then found out,no snow storm.
i met the guy who built the trestands on the property he did a very nice job.one of the most comforable stands i have been in

thursday nite we planned to go out on state land at 12;00.so i needed to get my muzzleloader in order,tags and gear.also get my shotgun gear out of the truck.so instead of breaking down the gun i just ran a brush down the barrel,dumped out any debris,and we out to the garage and used the air compreser to blow out anything from the nipple.
so today bill,mike and i head out,i go down the hill to a stonewall near and edge of a thicket,bill is up the hill near a field and swamp,mike it still hunting around us.i get to my spot and find a comfy rock.5 min later i spot a tail heading down hill,never saw where it came from,afew min later a 6 point buck comes from behind me on my left side.he stops, i pick up the gun,snap,he looks around,i recap,snap again,this time he is looking around and trots off.i am about to wrap it around my own neck.twenty min later 3 does come out of the swamp but had no shot.so i get home take it apart the breach plug still had crap in it.i dont know why i did this,i know better than that.i was in a rush and tried cutting corners,which never works for me,it always kicks me in the butt later on.i am working sat,so i hope to get out sometime next week

we hit state land this morn.bill mike and me.(i didnt have to go to work)we met at 8 on the top of state land where we were yesterday.i put bill where i was,i went closer to the field and swamp and mike did the still hunt.he hates to sit still.on the way in mike jumps 9 they all ran down toward us.i didnt see any,but bill caught sight of a couple,no shot.around 11 mike has made it below us and is working his way back up on our left side.he reaches the lower edge of the swamp and pushed out 6.they ran down hill,mike got a shot off,hit a tree,bill got a shot off missed.they were over a ridge from me.so after looking around for sign we decieded to go to the bottom where we hunt shotgun,i headed to my stand,bill went where he sat ,and mike did the still hunt.he makes his way up to the swamp above us.a shot rang out,mikes on the radio telling bill its comming down behind him.bill see it and went to take a shot,ended up with a hang fire.he radios us and thinks he hit it in the leg,and it in the swamp just above me.so i get out of the stand and walk up to the edge.i can see bill above ,and mike made it down to the left side.i walk a straight line towards bill.the deer ended up in front of mike and he takes it.a nice spike.it did have a broken leg,but it was an old wound.when we got it home and hung it we notice a hole in the opposite front shoulder,someone shot it during shotgun season.but mike finally got one