Pa Opener...finally!

[tukudu]

Good luck Craig....time is on your side. Tom

[monkeyball]

Hey Tommy, I tried to call you today,we were traveling past your old stomping grounds on the way up from Bedford. Hope you are doing well buddy. Take care.
                                       Good Hunting,
                                                       Craig

[monkeyball]

Vacation started today and I got out this evening for a few hours.

 Put a scent line down and had a nice buck show up at 6:15 right on the trail he was suppose to. He would come no closer than 30 yds though. He didn't get that rack by being stupid.

 Got home and my wife told me she had a surprise for me. What a lady!  Check out the box!  I think it should be nominated the "Beverage of Traditional Archers"!

 
                                             Good Hunting,
                                                                Craig

[monkeyball]

Mid to high 70's yesterday. Raining and 58 this morning. Looks like conditions should be good for tonight though. Good luck to all.

                                                        Good hunting,
                                                                        Craig

[Longbow58]

My vacation starts 11/3 can't wait looks like the weather should be fine. Very excited! Got a few days off the last week also. Maybe this year is the year for the Slammer I bought from Leon... I know it is a turkey killer! Saw some small bucks bumping the doe around last Saturday. Good luck, be safe.

[monkeyball]

Well,  this looked to be the last morning that I would be able to go out and get soaking wet in 50 degree temps. so I tried to dodge the showers looking at the radar. Didn't dodge fast enough,it only takes about 30 min. to get really wet in a steady "shower".

 Should be getting pretty interesting by next week John. I am off next week also. Hope that Stewart does well for you.

                                 Good Hunting,
                                                  Craig

[monkeyball]

Last night was  a good evening to be out in the woods. After the showers we had for the better part of the day were over the woods smelled unreal. That musty,leafy smell. The sun peeked out around 5:00 Wind was suppose to be out of the N-NW.


 

[monkeyball]

There is a set of scrapes over in the direction just above my knee.

 Around 6:00 I can hear deer coming and two come running down off the hill to my left. I watch,figuring they are going to cross the creek below me. I was really surprised when they took a sharp left and ran by me at about 7 yds.

  Two yearlings whooping it up that the rain was over,looked like two kids at the playground. Sat till quit time,then packed it up.


                                                             Good Hunting,
                                                                      Craig

 

[monkeyball]

I spent the afternoon helping a buddy try to find a buck he had shot earlier in the week. Really nice afternoon even though we were unable to find  the deer.

 Came across this natural stone seat while we were looking. I am sure someone placed it there years ago,would really be interesting to know how many......

 

[monkeyball]

Pretty cool........
 

[Ron Vought]

Took off all of last week to hunt. Bucks were chasing doe and on their feet during daylight hours. Passed up some small bucks but did see a few big ones that stayed out of range. Great time in the woods last week. Looking forward to hunting the next two weeks. Should be fantastic hunting.

Ron

[shreffler]

That seat is awesome!

I'm taking Friday, Monday and Tuesday off work, so I'll be out there the 7th-11th. We're supposed to have freezing temps with high's in the mid-upper 30's, should be absolutely perfect rutting temp.

Good luck everyone!

[monkeyball]

Last week I took an afternoon and checked out some area over at my buddys. It did not take long to find some good sign.


 

[monkeyball]

Got setup there this afternoon. It was one of those nights that felt like it was going to happen....I know you know what I mean.


 

[monkeyball]

All the makings for a good hunt were there, wind was blowing right for a change, the sun was at my back, all kind of rubs below me with a brushy deep ravine for them to come out of, and a nice fresh scent line put down.


 

[monkeyball]

The deep ravine is off to the left of this photo,there were lots of rubs showing that they were coming out of there.


   

[monkeyball]

This is looking off to my right and below. It is also a nice bottleneck as the area above it is really nasty even for the deer to travel through.


 

[monkeyball]

Right down below me is where I started my scent line and ended it.    


 I drag two wicks that have been soaked in xxxxx lady killer lure
 then hang it in a tree. I also hang a scent canister with some scrape lure on it.

 

[monkeyball]

Wish I could say that it happened tonight, but it didn't.  At one point I had pesky little gnats flying around me and then at 4:30 it started sleeting. Unbelievable.

 Nobody was in the mood for love tonight, maybe tomorrow?

 

[monkeyball]

What a day this was. Got setup this morning in the blind out back and waited for daylight. Deer were moving early this morning,like before 6:00.

 Tonight was the best yet, was up on the first bench and had two Bobcats below me. The closest one was at one time probably 10 yds from me when I first startled it. It hung around a fallen log and was trying to catch a Chipmunk for quite awhile then proceeded to walk the full length of the log(about 30') then came within 12 yds of me before slipping away into the woods. The other one was further down the ravine and never came closer.

    Saw 3 doe from 3:00 to 4:00 then sat the rest of the night and enjoyed the evening. Great night.

    The only way it could have been better was if my camera would have been with me instead of at home on the kitchen table!!!!!

                                                 Good Hunting,
                                                              Craig