Today November 15 th. had to be the worst opening day, weather wise, I have ever endured. Not only today, but the last two days leading up to the gun opener were not so great either. Over the last three days I’ve battled wind, rain, snow, and more rain. In the course of those three days I saw two small doe’s, and my son-in-law saw four off in the distance. Not the kind of weather conducive to hanging meat on the pole.
It was a steady rain as we sloshed ourselves to our hunting positions, an hour before daybreak. Tony was hunting out of a tree stand, and I had a pop-up ground blind to hide in. I had a rain coat, but no pants, so they were quite wet when I arrived at my blind. I got myself situated, and then the sky’s opened up, and the wind really started to blow. Usually we have a westerly or south westerly wind, but today it was a frigid “northwester!” Of course thats the direction of my main window opening, and as soon as I unzipped the widow, in came the rain. Not only that, but the wind was trying to pick up my blind and take me to Kansas. I had to literally hang onto the inside crossbars to keep it from blowing away.
Tony and I had a rendezvous time of 10:00 o’clock, and I wasn’t sure I could stay out that long. Well at 9:00 o’clock I saw a hunter walk totally across our private property, just 120 yards in front of my blind. I thought it was Tony, but the guy disappeared into the next piece of private ground. That really ticked me off, but what could I do about it? At 10 minutes to 10:00 I start throwing things in my backpack, for my hike back to the truck, when my cell phone rings. (Should of shut it off) The voice on the other end says “hey where you at?” I reply “I’m just getting ready to go back to the truck, where are you?” Tony says “I’ve been here since 8:30 I’m soaked to the bone!” So I retied my blinds guide ropes, and hoped it wouldn’t end up blowing in the pond, located about 15 yards behind it. There was now snow mixed in with the wind driven rain, and I knew those deer were holed up in a warm bed somewhere. Tony and I decided if those deer can do so can we. We’ll come back tomorrow when the for cast is calling for “just” snow. I guess we’re just a couple of “old” fair weather hunters, but at least we’ll live another day to tell about it, and we won’t have to walk home from Kansas!
I had a great homemade blind that kept me completely dry, so I did manage to stay all day. I saw just as many deer as you did though, so the all day sit really didn’t give me any advantage. And if we’re being honest this is the first time that I have managed to sit all day.
Jeff and I were back out again this morning, but it was awful and we wrapped it up by 11 o clock and saw absolutely no deer.
I guess next weekend it is.