My first evening in the woods of the 2017 - 2018 season. It was a pretty good evening all and all. The spot I was in was pretty thick, like anywhere this time of year. I had a couple of decent shooting lanes and I had a decent view of an adjoining clearing. The evening started out slow, and I guess that is much of what we expect this time of year. Early in the evening around 4 or so I saw a chipmunk. Later as the clouds started to break I actually saw a turkey, which is something new the past few years. Then a whole lot of staring at trees, trying not to fall asleep.
From around 5 pm until around sunset I saw nothing and other than the birds being very loud, I probably would have fallen asleep. Then just as the sun ducked behind the trees and dark started to settle in, I saw movement. Sadly, this movement was on the other side of the clearing about 250 yards away on property I cannot hunt. First, I saw a couple yearling does, they fed in the clearing for a few minutes, then other deer started making their way out of he woods about another 50+ yards beyond the does. After about 10 minutes I watch a half dozen does and small bachelor group of bucks walk out and feed as it got too dark to see them about 300 yards way. There were a couple little bucks and a couple decent bucks in the group, it was getting hard to see but guessing the two bigger ones were decent 7 or 8 point bucks.
All told it wasn't a bad first evening in the woods. I wish those deer had been closer so I could get a better look at them and possibly a shot at one of them, but it was not meant to be. But hey, its the first of hopefully many hunts and I saw something so it's all good! 🙂
How was your opening day/opening weekend?
