Opening Day Rifle

Hi,

My opening day of the rifle season was interesting and frustrating.

I have already taken a nice doe and an 8 point buck with my muzzle loader this year.  I decided to hunt for another nice buck.  On my way to the stand I came across not one but two 8 pointer's grazing at the edge of the field.  Here I am in the woods with very crunchy leaves! What to do?
I had some thick brush between me and the deer, and a distance of 135 yards per my range finder. I did not want to make any noise trying to get closer.  And with my 7mm-08 Remington rifle I did not need to get closer. (it's sighted in at 200 yards)  I started to raise my rifle.  I was going to wait for the deer to move into a clear opening.  Unfortunately, the first buck started prancing around and trotted off, away from me.  Of course the second buck had to follow. They disappeared over a small knoll. I never even had a chance to pick one of them up in my scope.

I thought, since I did not spook them that maybe they went off a short distance and stopped.  I tried to quietly move through the woods in the direction they ran up the edge of the field.  This took some time because I had to walk very carefully in the crunchy leaves.  I got to the top of the knoll, and wouldn't you know it, there was one of the bucks eating acorns at the edge of the field.  I ranged it at about 150 yards.  I was nowhere near a tree that I could use as a rest.  I had to get closer to a tree. Once I got near a small tree, I had to wait for the deer to move out into a clearing.  I waited, and waited. The buck was milling around, but not giving me any kind of a clear shot.  It took him about 10 minutes to move, but it was in the wrong direction.  He made it to the neighbors property, where I do not have permission to hunt.  Drat!

I walked over and got up into the tree stand, and hoped that the bucks would come back my way.  They did not, but from my stand I saw 6 does and one small spike buck.  We are letting the spikes and 4 pointers walk.  That will be good for future hunts, but it was difficult to control myself not to shoot.  As for the doe's, I am looking for a 1 1/2 year old deer. The doe's I saw today were this years.   I have a friend that want's the meat, so I do not want to shoot a small deer.

As for the others that hunted with me today, my husband saw one small doe.  That was it for him.  My father-in-law did not see anything but squirrels, lots and lots of squirrels.

We'll be back out on Tuesday.
Take care,  good hunting and good shooting
M.