Last years opening day coues

[Guest 300ultramag.]

 

 

Thursday pm-

 

4 o'clock a phone call from my good friend Clint confirming our 230 am departure to reach our spot before sun up. I eagerly hung up with him and started indexing all the bucks in my mind that we had seen while scouting.

 

530pm the day before the opener and one hour before I am scheduled to clock out my boss approaches me and says that he needed me to stay until midnight. Mind you 230a was our departing time.

 

Midnight hits- I hurry home and crash to get some sleep before 3 days of hunting.

 

230am- on the road we were met half way through our drive with hail. I attempted to sleep but the handful of bucks we had seen a giant 3x3 in velvet and a monster for breakfast kept from any shut eye.

 

 

5am- we are at the trailhead hiking in with our climbers as the sun was getting after us

 

 

After a decent climb I locate my tree,unload my gear and begin to climb and set up on a ridge over looking 2 trails and one funnel.

 

 

730a- no sign of life in the woods and i was fighting my urge to rest in the treestand. I had worked 4 12 hour shifts and the last day was a solid 18 hours. I was beginning to feel drowsy and extremely tired.

 

 

10a I catch my self nodding off.. Due to my treestand and for my own safety I opted to climb Down the mountain and catch 20 minutes of shut eye.

 

1030a I find a makeshift bed out of pine needles and I am out. 10 minutes later a text from clint.. "buck just walked by your tree" again no sleep I respond "shut it" he writes back "bro he just bedded right by your tree". I'm calling bs and catch 10 more minutes of rest. And back in my tree

 

Just after 11 I'm back in my tree.. No deer no squirrels and I'm starting to feel so tired that I feel like I'm drunk in my treestand.. I text Clint... "I'm sleeping in my stand" text me at 1300"

 

 

1430 hits still no deer no elk javelina...no sleep.. I told myself... You never kill opening day climb back Down and get some sleep..I text Clint who was on water "I'm going to climb back down the mountain and try to sleep so I can be awake for the pm hunt.

 

 

 

1530 I am back in my tree and wide awake now ready to drop any deer with eyeguards.

 

 

1600- DEER!!!!! I was facing the opposite direction and caught movement while surveying the area. Another deer!!! BUCK!!!!!! Put the binos on him... I see he's packing trash!!!! I glass up hill to see if Clint is watching this buck also... He is fast asleep... I range the buck... 53 yds. And draw.. I settled on him and let it fly... 53yds from a treestand this arrow felt like it was in flight for a full minute...

 

 

I connected!!!! I had an antelope hunt the previous year and got comfortable out to 90 yds. It paid off.. He ran 30 yds down the hill and 15 yds closer to me.. He is down.

 

 

I text Clint told him I shot a buck.."it wasn't the big one so keep hunting"

 

 

I get to my buck and my phone is dead. I run to Clint's tree he drops his phone to me.. And says quarter him out I will hunt until your ready to pack out..

 

 

I made work with my knife finally have the buck loaded up and hike back to Clint's tree and tell him I will pack out solo and told him to hunt till dark I will be back to pick him up. After I make a run into to town for some ice.. He tells me get down a buck is coming in.. I hit the forest floor and i hear him connect... Booyah 2 deer down.. His buck ran out of sight..

 

We decided to go get ice together and give his buck time to expire as he was hit back...

 

 

We looked for 2 days and never turned up his buck...

 

I got the monkey off my back for opening day and invited the wife up to come eat dinner with us and help us find Clint's deer the next day... We got poured on the next day but tracked the deer for 600 yds and lost the trail... It was a great trip and I was glad to be tha guy who tagged out opening day... For my first time

[tjhunt2]

So where's the pictures? You know better than that.

 

TJ

[Guest 300ultramag.]

Can't get it to load from my phone- I'm working on it TJ

 

It's a little guy

[Guest 300ultramag.]

Got it! Heres another

[Guest 300ultramag.]

Just before it poured down on us

[capoeirajosh]

Good buck in my book! Congrats and good luck to you this season. ; )

[GreyGhost85]

man, that buck would have been a giant in 2-3 more years. congrats on the success

[reezenhunter]

That's a beauty!!!! Congrats!! Nice deer too

[tjhunt2]

Congratulations Beau. I've shot smaller than that and I still call it a trophy. Thanks for sharing pictures. Hope you're healing alright.

 

TJ

[CouesWhitetail]

Congratulations on your deer! Neat buck!

[camoremi]

That a cool little buck. Congrats

[randyolson]

Congrats on your deer!!!

[Guest 300ultramag.]

Thanks to all- and good luck this season... be safe

 

 

TJ Im healing up well.... thanks for asking