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Bestul: Let It Begin!
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September 17, 2010
Bestul: Let It Begin!
By Scott Bestul
Tomorrow is the opening day for archery seasons in the two states where I do most of my deer hunting; Minnesota and Wisconsin. I’m well into my third decade as a bowhunter, and I guess this should be “old hat” for a guy with faded camo and grey in his sideburns, but it’s not. I’ve been a certified mess this week; lousy concentration at work, easily distracted in conversation, restless while falling asleep…
The daydreaming jags responsible for all this would make more sense, I believe, if there weren’t 100 days of hunting ahead. As a youngster, I remember dad and I prepping for a long weekend of gun hunting on our family farm that would be our only safari of the year. Now I can sneak out my backdoor and sit in a tree almost any time a break in work and family duties allows. Yet the feeling—that keen sense of anticipation and excitement—is virtually the same.
I guess Life just seems better to me when deer season is open. Many years ago I was a teacher, and a couple of colleagues and I would share bowhunting stories each day in the teacher’s lounge. There was a non-hunting teacher who would listen to our tales, which would almost never include the shooting of a deer. One day he leaned forward in his chair and said “I have finally figured you guys out. At first I thought you were blowing smoke when you said you passed a shot because the deer wasn’t close enough, big enough, or standing at the wrong angle. But I get it now…You don’t shoot because you don’t want the season to end.”
We all laughed at that, and what he said was partially true; in that time and place, you got one deer tag, and when you punched it you were done hunting. But these many seasons later, I see the wisdom in that man’s words. I don’t hunt so much to tag something as I do to just be out there, observing the rituals of whitetails and the creatures I see each fall. Opening Day is tomorrow. And already I don’t want the season to end.
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Comments (17)
Nothing is as good as opening day. You have so many expectations for the season. The weather has been perfect here in Wisconsin and I can't wait for tomorrow to get here!
12 more days till Arkansas bow opener, then only 2 weeks of peacefull bowhunting before the orange jackets flood the woods with their muzzleloading 30-30's n 06's.
Tomorrow's the anterless archery opener in my county. I'm obviously browsing this page and not focused very much on what I should be doing. BTW, I can't see a deer in that picture, is it behind the backlit sycamore tree in the left foreground?
We're waiting for October 1 here in Michigan, the acorns are on the ground, the deer are eating like hogs and I am just as excited about the opener as I was 33 years ago! Good Luck Scott.
October 1st here in OK, and I can't stand it! Good luck Scott, have a safe season.
Our opener was Wednesday, last night was the first chance I had to get out. Saw ~9 deer, mostly does and small (fork and spike) bucks, but 2 I think were 8 points. I got one of them to come within 50 yards, but it wasn't the best angle for me or the deer and little bit far for me to shoot. They might not have been huge like the one in your picture but I would have been thrilled to get either one. It's only my 4th season bowhunting, but man it is exciting! Good luck guys, and it's too bad some of you still have to wait.
Levi,
Nice work! What were you using to bring them in this early in the season?
Where in Ok, ckR?
I'm near Lawton!
Bubba
I just grunted, I had to get a little loud and do it a few times before they came over, I guess they didn't hear me at first, but they weren't much over 100 yards away. I'm not sure that they were looking for a fight, maybe just curious as to who was making all the noise.
Its my first hunt ever tomorrow and I must admit I haven't done anything at work all week. Just researching as much as I can; can't wait to hop in a stand tomorrow and hopefully get something!
It never gets old if it does then it'l be time to quit! Good Luck To everyone!!!
de ja vue (spelling?) My buddy and i were driven today and we were discussing tomorrow going through what we would shoot if the chance was given. Its scary to thing what im going to do if i tag out tomorrow lol. I duck hunt and and do alot of small game but still ill kick myself if a nice buck shows up on my trial cam and i don't have a reason to hunt the rut. Even though i really would like to finally get a shot at a buck with my bow. I went shining last night and got my blood pressure rising seeing several nice bucks. i am giddy right now with excitement. Good luck
Good Luck Scott. Have 2 more weeks to wait myself. We have a saying at the end of every season..."Hard to believe it's over already."
The Minnesota opener couldnt have been any better. 50 degree and calm, NW wind, perfect by and definition. I didnt seena any deer but there's one less coyote to worry about!
wow you guys are lucky I still have to wait 4 weeks! God luck.
I too am in the same boat as your "non-hunting" teacher friend described. Our season opens up this next weekend, and I can't wait....for it to be a long season. Since I was 15, I am 24 now, my mother always would say "Good luck, but i'm sure you won't shoot anything until the last day of season." It is true, I can't wait to get a chance to get close to a beautiful deer, but I will probably spend most of the days never picking up my bow to shoot at a deer. Good luck to everyone this season!
Our season in Ohio opens this saturday, but being a football coach puts a serious time constraint on my hunting time. Getting up at 5:30 on saturday morning and going to the lockerroom to game plan for the upcoming week is just torture when I all I really want is to be in my deer stand. Hopefully I will get to be out some during the rest of the season.
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Nothing is as good as opening day. You have so many expectations for the season. The weather has been perfect here in Wisconsin and I can't wait for tomorrow to get here!
12 more days till Arkansas bow opener, then only 2 weeks of peacefull bowhunting before the orange jackets flood the woods with their muzzleloading 30-30's n 06's.
Tomorrow's the anterless archery opener in my county. I'm obviously browsing this page and not focused very much on what I should be doing. BTW, I can't see a deer in that picture, is it behind the backlit sycamore tree in the left foreground?
We're waiting for October 1 here in Michigan, the acorns are on the ground, the deer are eating like hogs and I am just as excited about the opener as I was 33 years ago! Good Luck Scott.
October 1st here in OK, and I can't stand it! Good luck Scott, have a safe season.
Our opener was Wednesday, last night was the first chance I had to get out. Saw ~9 deer, mostly does and small (fork and spike) bucks, but 2 I think were 8 points. I got one of them to come within 50 yards, but it wasn't the best angle for me or the deer and little bit far for me to shoot. They might not have been huge like the one in your picture but I would have been thrilled to get either one. It's only my 4th season bowhunting, but man it is exciting! Good luck guys, and it's too bad some of you still have to wait.
Levi,
Nice work! What were you using to bring them in this early in the season?
Where in Ok, ckR?
I'm near Lawton!
Bubba
I just grunted, I had to get a little loud and do it a few times before they came over, I guess they didn't hear me at first, but they weren't much over 100 yards away. I'm not sure that they were looking for a fight, maybe just curious as to who was making all the noise.
Its my first hunt ever tomorrow and I must admit I haven't done anything at work all week. Just researching as much as I can; can't wait to hop in a stand tomorrow and hopefully get something!
It never gets old if it does then it'l be time to quit! Good Luck To everyone!!!
de ja vue (spelling?) My buddy and i were driven today and we were discussing tomorrow going through what we would shoot if the chance was given. Its scary to thing what im going to do if i tag out tomorrow lol. I duck hunt and and do alot of small game but still ill kick myself if a nice buck shows up on my trial cam and i don't have a reason to hunt the rut. Even though i really would like to finally get a shot at a buck with my bow. I went shining last night and got my blood pressure rising seeing several nice bucks. i am giddy right now with excitement. Good luck
Good Luck Scott. Have 2 more weeks to wait myself. We have a saying at the end of every season..."Hard to believe it's over already."
The Minnesota opener couldnt have been any better. 50 degree and calm, NW wind, perfect by and definition. I didnt seena any deer but there's one less coyote to worry about!
wow you guys are lucky I still have to wait 4 weeks! God luck.
I too am in the same boat as your "non-hunting" teacher friend described. Our season opens up this next weekend, and I can't wait....for it to be a long season. Since I was 15, I am 24 now, my mother always would say "Good luck, but i'm sure you won't shoot anything until the last day of season." It is true, I can't wait to get a chance to get close to a beautiful deer, but I will probably spend most of the days never picking up my bow to shoot at a deer. Good luck to everyone this season!
Our season in Ohio opens this saturday, but being a football coach puts a serious time constraint on my hunting time. Getting up at 5:30 on saturday morning and going to the lockerroom to game plan for the upcoming week is just torture when I all I really want is to be in my deer stand. Hopefully I will get to be out some during the rest of the season.
Post a Comment