First blood 2009 deer season?

[Marc]

Did I draw first blood in the 2009 deer season? I killed a little forkhorn yesterday in our early deer season. No pictures because I forgot the camera and I usually don't take pictures of the little ones anyway. Not with a levergun either but I haven't gotten around to working up a TSX load for the 30-30 for use here in condor country. Still and all he was a legal buck which I was happy to kill because the freezer is empty and I can't get into the area I know and usually hunt because of a big fire. That and the body is getting old and it just isn't as easy as it used to be to go the extra mile to get the big one. Besides I am going to buy a second tag and hope they put out the fire.

[Pisgah]

Mark, you've gotta be near the top of the list, at the very least! Congratulations.

The earliest gun season we have here in SC is in the Midlads section of the state -- acoording to my rule book, it started yesterday. In most of the Low Country it's Sept. 15, and here in the Piedmont it is October 1 for archery/black powder and Oct. 11 for guns.

How's the weather there this time of year? Years back, I had a friend who lived in the little Low Country town of St. George. He had hunting access to literally thousands of acres of prime private habitat, and he invited me down constantly. But in September, let me tell you, it was like hunting in the Mekong Delta, with all the heat, humidity, wet feet, and even the hard-shell, vicious moquitoes. I confess, I really prefer a crisp autumn day in the Piedmont.

[Marc]

It has been relatively cool. It was 44 degrees when I got up yesterday and got up to low 80's.
It is normally 90 to 100 or better this time of year. We don't have to deal with humidity though. Mosquitoes can be a problem in strange places. I camped on top of a ridge one time and got eaten alive. I ended up burrowing into my sleeping bag and it was hot. I have no idea where they came from since this is dry country. They had to have come some distance

[Mike D.]

Way to go, Marc. The unusually cooler weather has some bucks already sniffing around the does. On the opener we saw 17 legal bucks on the ranch, but not a shot was fired. one little forkie had some nice horns on him and would've probably gone 18". We are all "trophy hunters" at this point, though. It's gotta be bigger 3X3s, or better, before the older guys can take a shot. On Sunday, one of the guys in another canyon from us shot 4 times a "big boy", but failed to connect at 650 yds. I would not have tried a shot like that, but this guy seems to think that his .300 Weatherby is a fleeping cannon. My old steel sighted 1886 Winchesters are thought of as a waste of wood and metal by some of these guys, but I usually get my buck. I missed this weekend, but I'll be back down there next week to try again. Let's hope that the cooler weather sticks around, but I won't be countin' on it.

[rjohns94]

Mike D,

Congrats on your Emeritus status also. I just noticed Well earned sir!!!

[horsesoldier03]

Congratulations! It seems a bit early, but our season will be starting up in about a month here.

[RIHMFIRE]

Well alright....
Congrats....
Whens the BBQ

[rjohns94]

congrats, Deer season opens with archery in October here.

[kimwcook]

Congratulations. I don't recall anyone stating they've harvested an animal yet this year. Other than some of Joe's critters.

[El Chivo]

Congratulations, first trip out?

[Marc]

Yes, first trip. The second tag application is in the mailbox.

It wasn't that long ago I would have passed on this little buck, even hunting on public land. But age is catching up and he was big enough for the way I feel. I will look for horns with the next tag. If I saw an 18" fork where I hunt, he would die without hesitation.

[Les Staley]

My son took a nice fat antelope doe with his bow Sat... opening day for archery antelope here in Wyoming..

[oklahoma red]

Good evening Marc, and the rest of you fine folk in this forum.
Congrats. on your take Marc. Any legal deer, on California public land, is a good deer.

I too was able to fill a deer tag opening weekend (Sunday); but I have been luckly enough to have access to a little patch of private foothill country north of Fairfield, CA to hunt on.

Best of luck on fillin' the second tag. Hopefully before the season is over the rut will have kicked in and the big boys will start wondering about.

OkR

[Marc]

Congrats, Oklahoma. All my friends repeat that line about any buck is a "good buck". That may be true as far as it goes but there are "better bucks" out there. Looks like they have a handle on the fire. Maybe we will be able to get back into my happy hunting grounds this year. I missed a real good buck out there last year. I won't miss him this year.