Well, Labor Day Weekend was the season opener in Montana, and for the first time in all the years I have hunted up there I went up for the opener. Friday evening we met at Jake's place and kind of figured out where everyone was going to be, there were 7 of us. I got to go to my favorite place, the stand in the Willer Tree! Saturday morning at about 5 bells I was on my way to my stand. Shortly there after about 5:30 a very nice buck and a few does passed under the stand, and then it was quiet for a spell. About 6:30 just right barely before shootin light, I noticed a few deer lined up to cross the dike, in front of the tree. The first doe that came through was a little close, about 2 yards out from the base of the tree. In the past I have had a bad experience with deer being that close, but as this one started getting to the quartering away point the shot was looking doable. I realized that while it was light enough to clearly pick a spot, I knew I would have no chance of seein my arrow, this thought made me hesitate just a bit more. So to get to the point, I took the shot, and well, now ifin I was one of you'll Easterners the story would end here and ya'll would be hangin till the next time...............but since I only lived back there for a short time I will be polite and let you in on the rest of the story..........So I took the shot and right after takin the shot she took off like a bat out of that one place, and at that same instant, I looked over at the other deer to see what they were doin, (A very bad reflex). This time I caught myself and looked over to see what was going on with the deer I just shot. To my surprise she was standin about 35-40 yards away from where she was, and just seconds after I looked at her, she tipped over. So at just about 40 yards after shootin light I had my first deer of the season!
The next day, Sunday, my good friend from Three Forks, had a turkey opportunity lined up for me. He used to bowhunt, but has shoulder problems and can't draw a bow. So having never hunted turkeys before I really wasn't knowing what to expect. Mel, told me it would be one shot and we would be done. The first set up was one where a shot couldn't happen, and then the real guessin game started. It was figure out where they were goin and get there in front of them. Well the guessing was right on, I was just a nano second to late and the hen hadn't really spotted me but she knew something was up. So they turned and headed to another area. Well the guessin, this time with a little help from Mel's wavin hand signals, put me in the right direction, and lined me up for what looked like a great chance at a shot. Just as the birds hit the 25 yard mark they turned and headed back awayt from me and went right to where Mel was sittin, and as his luck would have it he didn't have a tag for that area. They ended up about 10 feet away from him. Back to the action, a few minutes passed and the turkeys started up the hill, in kind of a zig-zag fashion, and it appeared that lady luck was about to throw a smile my way, as one of the birds was zaggin my way. It got to about 20 yards and stopped, and I shot about a foot in front of it. The birds really didn't seem to care that arrows were headin there way as the continued to meander up the hill. I was wearin my gillie suit and they hadn't quite figured it out either. So the spot and chase started. I started gettin a little bit more aggressive in the chase, and got to with in 20 yards of another bird and shot right under her. Now I was just a bit perplexed, as the birds were startin to move but not making a real rush at it. By this time I was goin as fast as I safetly could in a gillie suit up a 50 ndegree hillside. The birds hung up one more time and I got one last shot, and keepin true to course, the short was closer, I got 12 breast feathers to show for my efforts!
It was a great opener, turkeys go to 1/1/2010, so there will be more opportunities at the turkeys, and in 10 days I will be headed up for 17 days of more huntin, most efforts will be on elk but I am sure there will be some more deer and turkey opportunities!!!!
Wow, now I am beginning to see why you Easterners spread out the story over days...........
Topic: An Opening Weekend of First (Read 277 times)
