Opening Day In Illinois

[Ron S]

I'm worse than a kid on X-Mas morning! It's 3:00am,and I'm up,on here and making sure I've got everything loaded for the hunt. You would think after deer hunting for 40+ years this would wear off,but the excitement (the only excitement,according to the wife) is still there! I'll have my popup blind set up about a hour before daylight,then the magic moment of dawn will come,and I'll be all eyes,and ears. Then by 9:00am I'll be hungry munching on snack food I brought along,and drinking hot coffee out of the thermos. By 10:00am I'll prouably be asleep in my folding chair,snoring(my now famous Buck call) At noon the younger guy's I hunt with,will come over to the blind to "check in on the O'l man" and I'll wake up and say I didn't see a thing all morning! They will grin,knowing that they seen at least 3 deer within range of my blind,wondering what that strange noise was inside! I wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything. I remember back in the day,I was the young pup. Watching over the O'l man in our hunts,I learned alot from them, many of them have since passed on. Now the rolls have reversed. My family thinks I'm too old to hunt the big woods alone anymore,maybe their right? I'm not the hunter I once was,but the O'l Dog still likes to go on the hunt. Good times,great friends,and God's great creatures,and outdoors. It can't get any better than this! Ron

 

[Anonymous]

( AMEN ) I WILL SECOND THAT , KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN SOUNDS LIKE MOST OF MY HUNTS ANYMORE.

I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK TODAY !!!!!

AND MAY ALL THE OLD HUNTERS THAT HAVE PASSED ON BE WATCHING OVER YOU TO KEEP YOU SAFE.

OURS OPENS IN THE MORNING HERE IN INDIANA.


RON G.
LUNGBUSTER1

 

[choc-dog]

So true Ron, thankfully there is a younger generation to help us get our deer ( if we are awake) out of the woods for us as we did for the generation that preceded us.

Chocdog

 

[Patrick White]

Good luck Ron.

 

[Critter]

I know the feeling. Yesterday was my 21st opener and I still can't sleep the night before. We got to the woods way too early but it was neat because my niece and nephew were there. They are both old enough to hunt but she wasn't hunting, just filming. I get to take my kids and maybe even my wife with me this weekend, I can't wait.

 

[Cajun]

Good luck Ron! That was a nice write up to start opening morning. I can't wait to read your report later and hear all about it.

 

[cayuga]

Good luck Ron. Nice write up. By the way,

I checked my pop up outhouse blind this morning, the trails leading to it. and my rubber maid lawn chair with the heat seat cushion on it. All looks good for tomorrow as well here.

Shoot a big one and let them young kids know you still can get er done!

 

[Ron S]

Seen 6 deer today,none withing range. Maybe tomorrow will be better. There should be more hunters in the woods moving the deer. I did see the big buck,that my dog found the sheds from,he's a brusier,but about 700yds. away,walking a ridge. You guy's post how your hunt went/goes tomorrow,and we all can do a little reading. Ron

 

[Paints-n-cows]

I took a seven point buck at 75 yds at 8:15. He actually walked by me at 7:30 on the wrong side of the hedge row, went completely around the 80 acre field, walked within range and never left.

This morning, a fork horn passed on the same trail and 5 does took a route further north.

Not a whole lot of shots heard but my cousin shot a 12 point buck standing in his cow lot behind the house last night at 4:30 pm.

The shots around me this morning were mostly before 8:30 with 8 shots between 7:08 and 7:10. They were all in different directions and all single fired rounds.

Sure has been a great couple or mornings with the weather. It's hard to explain to the unindoctrinated what it is like to hear the world wake up to a beautiful morning.

 

[Ron S]

No deer sighted this morning,seen one doe late this evening,no shot! None of the other hunter have had any luck today! Maybe tomorrow. Ron

 

[Underclocked]

Ron, I didn't go out this morning as my son and his family are coming in from SC and I didn't know what time they were going to arrive (turns out I had plenty of time to go though). I've sat in my blind for about 32 hours over the previous 8 days of season and have onlly seen one deer, a unicorn that I was glad just to watch at extremely close range. (He only had a spike on the right side.).

That blind is located where it has been for the past several years and it has been productive. I'll keep trying. Not such a big deal if I don't harvest a deer, but I sure hate to see the local herd in such poor shape.

 

[Ron S]

Yeah,UC! The O'l Dog finally found a bone! He was across the field looking in our direction(wife was in the blind also). She lazered him @162yds. I knew he wasn't going to give me a better shot,so I held the First ring(Omega scope) a little high on his chest,and squeezed it off! After the smoke cleared my wife asked if I hit him. I replied the shot felt good,and we would go see in a little while. When we got there there was a huge blood trail,a blind man could follow(that would be me ). He went 20yds into the woods,and piled up. He was a big buck,but not really the one I was after. I thought it was the big one,and after seeing how tall he stood,I didn't look at the rack anymore. The Shock Wave hit him dead center in the front chest,destroyed the heart,and both lungs. I found the copper jacket of the Shock Wave, while field dressing him,but the lead core had seperated. Apprently the 150gr. 3 pellet load was still cooki'n at 162yds. Ron

 

[Anonymous]

NICE BUCK RON " COGRAT'S "

RON G.

LB1

 

[Ron S]

Thanks,LB1! Ron

 

[cayuga]

That's a great buck and a heck of a shot. Way to go there.

 

[choc-dog]

Ron,

Glad you shot your buck..congratulations.

Greg

 

[Ron S]

Thanks,Guy's! Today was the last day of the first season,I was in the blind with my wife,and she had a nice buck run across the cornfield this evening. It stopped broadside at 100yds,but before she could get into position to shoot,it spotted a hunter "still hunting" in the North end of the field,and took off running. Maybe she will get another crack at one in the second season (one week away). This was her first year to hunt out of a blind. She had allways hunted out of a tree stand,but I think she's a convert now! Ron

 

[goosehunt2]

Ron, Great story to start with. Then you have the story book ending. Congrats. on the hunt. :yeah:

 

[rks1949]

Thanks,Robbie! Have ya done any good sofar? Ron

 

[goosehunt2]

Ron, So far I have not seen a deer. It was just way to warm out this first season for us. The deer never came down to the creek bottom where I was set up. I still have 7 more days. I hope to harvest something with the muzzleloader. It will be my first deer with one if I get lucky.