OPENING WEEKEND 2009

  Let me put my own frustration and disappointment aside and focus on the comraderie, good will, and success of other......ah fuck it! I've never hunted so hard and seen so few deer. The rut has come and gone and day after day I come up empty. If I was hunting for food I'd starve. On Friday (last day of bow) I told Shewho I would take a doe if I could. Then, heading to the stand behind the shack, I jumped a nice buck. So much for taking that doe. I saw nothing for the rest of the afternoon. Typical. This has been the way it's been going. I see deer from my bath tub, from the car, in people's front yards. But when I'm in the stand....the action ceases. I feel like spitting.

  There, I feel better. I had to get that off my chest. Opening night Bird and Ginger had a great get together. Old timers Danny Schaffer, Vic and Georgie, my folks, joined Savage Lynch, Milawyer, Waders, Bummer, Marge, Laurie, Lil' Bro Crissy, Betheroo, June Bug, Uncle Jimmy, Jaime, Shewho and I for a feast and recap of opening day. But, let Savage tell it.

SAVAGE LYNCH'S BEAR AND DEER REPORT: Mibrother (Milawyer) and I went up to Cragsmoor at dawn. About 7:30am I saw a doe and a four right on her tail. Then I heard Mibro shoot. I saw a deer take three steps and disappear. By the time i got to it Mibro was already standing over a nice nine pointer. I helped him get the deer down the mountain and went back in the stand. Later that afternoon I saw something black on the gut pile. I pulled the glasses up. It was two bear cubs and a small mother. Eventually they moved off and not 20 minutes later another two cubs and a bigger mother appeared on the guts. One of the cubs scurried off with the deers penis and ball sack dangling from its mouth.

  On Sunday I went back and had five bucks, ranging from a spike to a nine point chasing one hot doe under my stand. The eight was nice, but will be a slammer next year. I let them all walk. I gotta go to bed. Two days in the stand with a bad head cold is killing me.

Editor's note: I would've shot even a decent six at this point. But SL is a deer hunting guru and as usual he has the big buck stank on. I just ran into RNButch and he told me he shot a nice 8 on Saturday behind the cemetery. He forgot it was opening day, so he didn't get into the stand until 4pm and had the deer on the ground by 4:20. Now you see why I'm frustrated? As for me I'm ready to shoot that doe. My freezer is empty and if I don't put a bullet in something soon I'm gonna go nuts.