Saturday morning I changed my plans last-second and decided to hunt a funnel between feeding area (early white oaks dropping) and a bedding area. Prior to shooting light, a spike slipped through about 50 yards in front of me. 5 minutes later, a shooter (???) passed through, but it was strange that all I could see were long main beams, no tines to speak of (more on that later…).  Both bucks passed below the stand where you can see the terrain sloping down towards the creek.

I was using a buddy’s Leica binoculars and WOW! Those things should be illegal. I could barely see my hand in front of my face, but those things are like flipping the light switch on. But for $2000…they ought to, right.

Anyways, about 8:20, I had a doe (and I assume another doe) come in from behind me. The only direction that wouldn’t work with wind, sure enough, they busted and that was the morning hunt.

Evening, I was headed to where dad hunted in the morning. I rounded the corner before the stand at 3:30 p.m. (big-time sucker for punishment!) and a deer kicks up out of its bed, not 10 yards from the bottom of the tree stand. Must have been some midday action with the full moon, eh?! Unfortunately that was the only whiff of a deer that I got the entire evening…slow and HOT.

Anyways, Back to the possible shooter I saw before daylight. Another friend hunted that spot in the evening (about 5 miles down the road from where we do most of our hunting) and the buck turned out to be exactly what I thought he was through my pre-dawn binocular assesment. 3.5 year old-ish buck with 17-18 inch main beams and only 1 or 2 tines that were just an inch long or so. I’m not a believer in 90% of people’s cull buck prescriptions, but this one fit the bill. No shot opportunity, maybe later for one of us.

Anyways, opening day was exciting and I’m looking forward to hunting maybe Friday, but then it is off to Kansas for an 8 day hunting trip. So stay tuned for updates…should be some good ones!