11/21/20 Opening day of Wisconsin Gun Deer Season!
Well the dreaded get up early of opening day, which I manage to not get up one early morning during bow season.
And of course I wasn’t able to fall asleep last night
So, I was running on 4 hrs. of sleep
Marcus may have gotten a tad bit more sleep than me but not much
You do know that there are very special deer opening day of gun season right
More special than deer any other day??? 😊
The walk in was fine, with the usually rushed feeling making sure to get to the blind before it gets light
We had plenty of time to spare, but you don’t know that when you’re walking in, no matter how much time you leave yourself
We got in and settled to hear gun shots in the distance many minutes before opening
I anxiously waited that opening minute, gun in hand ready to see the “BIG GUY”
step from the cover, well shoot he never did, as he usually doesn’t, no matter how much you play the scene over in your head.
I didn’t hold out much hope as the deer movement the last week or so had drastically decreased.
We always play this game when a close gunshot goes off, what neighbor shot it and what bucks was it.
I had to laugh occasionally at the amount of gun shots heard around us
I even joked at some point and asked are there any deer even alive anymore?
I tried to soak in the beauty around me
As the white frost had clung to every inch of the earth
The crystals sparkle so pretty
And with this white pretty frost came complete silence.
I caught myself a few times with a smile on my face recognizing how beautiful this morning was
I found the fog from the ground jumping high into the air very magical and found it fitting for the 1st day of gun season
I was warm enough but usually I always am, I pretty much always over dress
Marcus on the other hand thought it would be cool to just wear a t-shirt under his big orange hunting jacket
Yup caught him a few times shivering
A little doe had come out to the food plot to eat
She strategically hid behind the bush so I couldn’t see her all the time
The birds happen to be busy as the sun start to shine through the clouds
We decided last minute to sit all day
I have not ever done a sit all day
It wasn’t as bad as I thought
Glad I had some water and snacks to hold us over and the company of my man
I choose this man to sit in silence with 10 plus hours in a day, any and every day
It was a long afternoon
As there was little to no movement
Marcus has no problem falling asleep anywhere, any time and got a few cat naps in
I am sure my head hit the floor a few times as well
Around 330 we had some action with a little fella coming into the small food plot
He was such a little buck but so proud
When I look at these little bucks…I think of all the life they have to live and all the fun they have yet to have chasing girls.
He didn’t want anything to do with us, as if he were on a mission
A short while later a 4 pointer came into the food plot
This time this one came within 20 yards, and actually worked the scrape stick we have set up near by
I love watching deer so close in their natural habitat
It was so cool to see him working the branch
He never did spook and just got bored
About 15 minutes later a doe, 2 fawns and a small buck
Are nearby, pretty sure one was a hot doe
I figured they knew something was up when they looked over in our direction,
And did a quick slide under the radar move
You know how them old doe’s are so smart
About 5 to 10 minutes from close we hear close by gun shots
Well one of the girls in our hunting party, Sierra had taken a shot or 2
A small buck, there was potential that this buck might double back and come our way
Well just about a minute before close I have a deer to my left and in front of me, it ducks for cover into the bushes
I could not make out what gender, and it was moving slow but didn’t look injured.
Well its closing and we head back to the Mud Duck
The party had found blood
So, Sierra did get a shot to stick, I am happy for her and say a little prayer that they find her deer
Not knowing if the deer I had seen was the deer they were looking for
I told them where I had seen the deer last go in and to my surprise, what do ya know there he was
They walked right where I told them I had seen the deer and there it was
Glad I was able to help them find it
It was Sierra’s 1st deer/buck and I was happy for her
It was a good 1st day
Weather was nice, sun was out
I had 2 opportunities within shooting range to harvest a small buck.
But we all have the gut feeling, that ah ha moment, that moment in time where we say he’s mine
When I see this deer, I will to take my shot.
In the memory books it shall go as my 1st time sitting all day.
Only 8 more days to go, as I try to remind myself that this 9 day gun season goes pretty fast, so live in the moment.