Deer Season 2009 Opening Weekend
August 8-9
First posted August 15, 2009 Last updated August 15, 2009
Bill, Ted, and I made it up to the Ranch on the Opening Weekend. Bill and Ted got up around 4:30 or so on Friday, after taking a few .22 shots at the groundsquirrels that are overrunning Nelson's. I had gone in just a bit earlier and had hot coffee (http://www.davidlnelson.md/cowboy_coffee.htm) ready for Bill when he drove up. We had some chips and salsa then went out cutting wood (the pile was low). When we got back from South Flat, we cleaned out the woodpile and laid a new foundation, then Bill stacked the wood. He did not feel that Ted or I were qualified enough for the job! Dinner was market steak (David), tube steak (Ted), and vension (Bill). Garlic bread and salad rounded it out. The weather was very comfortable, almost cool, with a nice breeze. You guys were missed.
On Opening Morning, David went up the road and to the upper reaches of the Van Horn, saw one snorting mini spike near Bedsprings and two does looking far down on upper North Flat. Bill went to Ronnie's Swale, saw one legal buck, forget where. Ted saw two legal bucks and lots of does, from Hummingbird, but mostly up the hill, not on Matteoni Ridge.
Breakfast was bacon, eggs, muffins, melon, coffee and orange juice. Then we went out for more firewood, have nearly a full stack now. Bill thinks it will get us through the season.
Saturday night David and Ted ate BBQ chicken with lemon-garlic sauce and Bill and Ted had tri-tip burritos with jalapinos. Two ears of roasted corn helped fill out the menu, along with salad and a side of sausage. Bill went to Hummingbird, Ted walked up the road to the top, and David went to North Flat. Bill saw little, Ted saw a buck but too far out toward SJ to identify other than legal. David made it to his blind in broad daylight, to fix it up before things got interesting at dusk, but while adding branches to the blind, three deer walked from upper North Flat toward the exclosure. The last was a buck big enough to tell it was legal at 100 yds without binocs! I scurried into my blind, the deer did not see me. The first seemed to be a doe, the second a 3-4" fork, and the last was about 7-8 " fork. I shot four times, but my hand was shaking and all the pix came out blurred:
The bigger buck was the one on the right:
This is what I can say was there, with a bit of editing:
High-ish, not wide, modest forks, no mass. Not huge, but certainly gets your heartrate going. I decided to pass on taking a shot with my .270. It is early in the season. Perhaps one of you might see him again and decide to skip the Nikon and go right to the Springfield!
Ted had to go out that night, so that left just Bill and David for the morning. However, Bill did not set the alarm clock, thinking I would wake up on my own (what was he SMOKing?!?) I woke up with the sky brightening, threw on my clothes, skipped the coffe, threw a bun into a pocket and took off in under two minutes. Bill found it hard to wake up, decided he was going to be too late anyway, and headed back to bed. (I vote to de-throne him as the Buckaroo of the Year). I saw nothing with hooves but had some fun with a dozen turkeys. They mosied down the grass along the edge of the forest, just uphill from where I was and heading toward me. A hawk swooped low (15 feet over their heads) and they all headed for the trees. The young ones (8) made some really funny sounds, but came back out to feed in 5 min. The four adults certainly kept their eyeballs skyward thereafter. They walked around my blind, eyes skyward rather than at me, and never saw me, about 8 feet from them.
We played with the Trail Cam that all the crew bought Bill a few years ago. Of the 147 frames, this shows the horns (3):
This one is even bigger than mine, certainly a keeper. I don't think many would shoot with the Nikon until after shooting with the Springfield.
Sunday turned a bit hot and Bill & I were ennervated. We had some pancakes and sausage with melon, but Ted absconded with the juice, so we were stuck with only coffee to drink. We had an extra pancake, so we threw it out for the jays and spent 2 hours watching them fight each other over the orts. Fascinating study, definite pecking order among the jays, only one pair decided to fight it out by squawking. Usually, the lower-ranked bird skeddadled when the higher-ranked bird flew down. More time was wasted guarding and chasing other birds off than eating. If they would just eat and run, they would get more.
When 4 pm rolled around, I rolled out and Bill took his .257 Roberts out to sight in (anyone want to say something about sighting in BEFORE the season?)
So, nothing shot but time and five legal bucks seen in the flesh, and there are more out there based on the Trail Cam.
Thats my story, and I am sticking to it.
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