This is deer hunting?

[ctom]

Daytime highs nearing the 60 degree mark. No full moon? Winds of around 20 mph sustained and gusts to the 35-40 mph range? And hardly anyone else in the field?

Ya, we are seeing deer, but nothing worth shooting yet. The weekend was more for suntan addicts than deer hunting.

I swore last year that I was going to hang it up but things haven't gotten any worse health-wise so I have been scaling the mountain I hunt on again each morning and have spent the last couple days in the tree stand all day. By 9AM each day I have had to shuck the outer layers of warm clothes to keep from getting too darned warm. The chickadees, nuthatches and downy and hairy woodpeckers hang around a tray of sunflower seed I bring along and keep me company while I read, so I can't say the time is not well spent. Today I am taking a break from the hill as its supposed to get downright hot [for this time of the year anyway] and I'll get back to it tomorrow since Weds is supposed to be showing up with changing weather. The deer will be moving on Tuesday ahead of this change.

Its amazing when I think of the decline in the number of people who are afield during this early season. Five years ago the opening weekend would sound like a firing range for most of each day. Over the past weekend I don't think we heard more than 50 shots in both days combined all day. We're thinking that most people today are opting for the second season which runs over Thanksgiving week and has many more people to push the critters around.

I'm going to enjoy the time in the woods deer or no deer in the end. I'm past the need to kill something and just enjoy being out there to soak up the sun when I can and really relax. I'll have to go tomorrow to refresh the sunflower seed anyway so I may as well play the part of the hunter and haul the gun up with me. 

[Muskygary]

Good Luck!

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Tom that sound like enjoyable way to spend some time in the woods. Hope you see the one you want.

[Mike J]

Tom I think there all bow hunting in Iowa. Haha seems to be people everywhere here.

[ctom]

I'm seeing quite a few orphaned fawns. Dumb ones. I can still see faint spots on some of these. Either it a vehicle or an arrow that's done in the mother. The area I hunt is one deer and done this year and I think a lot of the bow hunters are taking an easy doe and not registering them so they can still hunt the gun season.. I'd love to catch them doing that. Our TIP line number is in my phone as are the numbers of the CO's for the area I hunt.

The trash hunters have to go. Bow hunters are everywhere but those where I am hunting don't seem to have much ethic and they carry that along with their guns too.

[Mike J]

I hear you Tom I'm teaching my 12 year old to bow hunt this year and ethics are #1 priority in my book. There seems to be a lack everywhere not just in hunting.

[ctom]

I know you bow hunt Mike and I hope you didn't think my comments were in any way aimed at you. Just that portion who have no ethics and simply don't care about anything beyond their own wants. As you said, the issue is everywhere. I see it on the water up here all the time.

[Mike J]

No problem Tom. I myself love to eat deer but mostly bow hunt for the up close challenge and a nice quiet day in the woods to watch all wildlife. This warm weather isn't helping the deer hunting much but the sandhill cranes have been a lot of fun to watch!

[kevin]

Mrs. Brown fell down last night.. now I am after Mr. Brown..  boy can't wait for the meat
https://promail.ptd.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=234674&part=2

[ctom]

Congrats Kevin. I'm just getting ready to head out hoping for the same myself tonight.