Indiana Opener

[laxbowman]

How did everyone do in indiana today? I didnt get to go out til the evening due to class.  No kills but what a great day to be out!  The morning was an absolutely gorgeous crisp fall morning. At least thats how it was here in the northern part of the state.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

It was nice here in the southern part, ain't got to getout but I took my little girl out for the youth weekend last week and a bruiser walked out from the area I bow hunt.
Maybe I'll get a shot at him maybe not but it was worth it just to see the look on my girls face.

[SlowBowke]

Wasnt too bad here in the North Central part.

I basically moved from ground stand to ground stand slowly looking at sign. Not much buck sign around yet other than in the thickets so doing more looking than hunting.

DID find a sleeper spot of a stand on the ground. Looks to be the best yet in this new hunting area. Lots of shot possibilities but they come in there from all directions. Wind is gonna give me away there some so waiting for the best wind direction.

New area so I'm not in tune with it like my old one and taking my time. The other "problem" is I can tell you where 8 tree stands are, none of them mine, so I'm patterning more than whitetail.      :rolleyes:    

A buddy passed on a small 8 point at 15 yards in the AM.

I didnt go out in the PM in the rain. Still fighting whatever bug is going around and getting wet just yet didn't sound like a good plan.

Weather here is supposed to break Sunday, for a few days.

I REALLY NEED a NORTH WIND, lol. SE or SW makes it less than smart to sit where I want.

I can still go but sitting on the downwind side with current wind directions of where I THINK they will come out either makes for a LONG shot or just sit crossing my fingers that they feed my way but sign indicates that isn't often.

Not getting too excited till around "All Hollow's Eve"!!

Good luck, all!

[John Scifres]

I spent the morning running kids around to different schools, then worked all day and then had a church meeting in the evening.  Oh, you meant hunting.  Not til next week for me man.  Any word from your Dad yet?

[varmint101]

I had a blast!  I suck, but had a blast.  A little after 8 I had about 30 turkeys fly down in front of me.  I had a big hen start working her way toward me and then start working back towards the group.  I thought she was up on the flat where I was, but I was wrong.  Turned out she was down the slight grade hill.  Planned for about a 30 yard shot and it was perfect, but fell short.  Walked it off and she was 45yds out!  I can't judge downhill for anything.

Walked around a bit and stalked to about 20yds of what I thought was a blonde dog, but wasn't quite sure.  Should have been ready as it was a blonde coyote! It looked up and I realized what it was and shot too quick and it zipped right over his neck.

I suck, but great morning!!!  Be back att'm Saturday.  My heart about came out of my chest with the turkeys!

[laxbowman]

Next weekend should be great at the Bowhunt.  I havnt heard form them yet on any hunting details.  They arived last night after a 14.5 hour drive and pretty much got their stuff ready and went to bed.  They are primarily hunting deer today but i think they both want to hunt  hogs for the most part.  ill keep you posted

[b.glass]

I couldn't get out due to work but it was a beautiful day and I was eating my heart out! I'm going out in just a little while though, wind and all. Can wait to see what this place produces! May not see it tonight, maybe it's first of the year optimsisim, but I'm excited!

        Bona

[JEFF B]

well i have not heard from my buddy james yet so i hope he is doing ok.

[TroyH]

Got a small buck this morning 10/2.  Saw absolute beasts yesterday morning but they didn't come my way.

[varmint101]

Got any pics Pastor?
Size doesn't matter, congrats on the buck!

[scrub-buster]

I missed a 2 1/2 year old buck opening morning.  I shot just underneath his chest.  I went out twice since and didn't see anything.  I have the next 3 days off work so hopefully I will get my first trad deer.

Switzerland Co.

[8888blk]

Sat in my favorite early season stand tonight, overlooking clover and corn. Did'nt see a deer and was really at a loss till I got down to leave and spotted 2 big coyotes that were also hunting the field!

[Billy]

I was on the road for the opener..John and I shared a bit of CO-miserating and a few chuckles...

Hope some of you get out to Jackson Washington Forest for the "week late opener"..          

[SlowBowke]

Could be worse, guys.
Could be like me and stupid. lol

Five deer (two singles and a doe and twins later)in within an hour of getting in the "stand".

Pass the little buck, a dink. Too early for him, lol.
Had the second one, a 1.5 yr old doe (I think) within 5 yards after coming in straight at me behind some treees but at full draw she had to take ONE more step past a 3 inch tree but sprang straight away instead when winding me. (At five yards, well YEAH)

She walked behind a brush pile (I'm still at full draw) and out the other side. She is DANG near straight down wind and I am standing beside a bush hunting from the ground.

I should have NEVER shot. 15 yards and right when I let go she spooked. Arrow hit low as intended but APPEARED way too far back, but angled forward a tad. She bounded off like nothing happened. No hunched up run, or flat out run like a double lung. Just ran off tail flagging.

I waited, collected my arrow, a pass through. Blood end to end, no green crud, don't smell like paunch but still,TOO FAR BACK so I backed out after about an hour till this AM. Hoping it was at least a liver shot, bad as that is in itself.

SHOULD be my 62nd whitetail and hopefully not my first one LOST!!! Half sick all night.

Hoping and praying it was angled forward more than I think and death took her quickly.

A lesson I knew, but didn't abide by... DON'T shoot at a spooked deer! Once at full draw when she was on top of me, I think my brain shut down!

I sat there thinking about how STUPID that was to shoot at a spooked deer and had the big doe and twins walk up to 12 yards behind me in a bean field. I was too busy being honked at myself to be in hunting mode.

Good night seeing deer, bad night due to lack of brain activity.

A bud and I are going out at 9. There is a grown up pond 150 yards away. My bet is that she is there somewhere. It's all beans, fence rows, and one dinky woods in this area.

I know things happen yet it doesn't make them easier to endure.

Wish me luck.

A very disgruntled, Slowbowke

[Billy]

C'mon Slowbowke..you can do it!!  

[SlowBowke]

Still very upset with taking the shot but this is a prime example of HOW MUCH a deer can move at the shot.

Good news is the deer died 75 yards past where I saw it and we found it this AM.

Viewing the hit, anyone would swear this deer was shot from a treestand. I was dumbfounded. NEVER has a hit been so far from where I SWEAR I saw it go. Yish!

Obviously the flash of yellow I saw low and far back was existing??? Dont ask me, I'd have bet the farm I saw it hit low and too far back.

It DID hit 1/3 of the way down from the spine through the third rib from the back and existed after passing though the VERY back of one lung and the liver with an exit hole WAY down close to bottom. No, not a happy camper with that shot and a lesson is learned..IN SPADES!

Shooting at an almost broadside deer at 15 yards from the ground......WOW! I'd have bet money that shot angle was all but impossible! It also makes ME look like some goof but this is hardly my first bowkill or first time watching an arrow hit. Far from it!

The deer ran 75 yards in view, looking normal bounding along and died at the bottom of that same hill.

VERY thankful it didn't suffer through the night like I thought yet there will be NO MORE shots at spooked deer for this old phart!

43lb 1968 Super K, Grizzly head, about 300 grains up front total and 575 grains total that passed through the spinning deer and ended up about 8 yards past where the hit occured.

My first with a Grizzly head. I've them on GT 400s and Abowyer heads on Grizzlystiks.
The arrow did a better job than the guy shooting, I know that much.    

WILL try for a better job on the next one.
Coming SOON I hope.

No pictures, camera is deader than an ex wife's promise. No clue why, batteries are new but working on that for the next one.

Wishing a better shot and shorter time tracking than I had......for each and every one of you, AND ME TOO!  

[Billy]

Perfection is an unrealistic,worthy goal.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing.