Opening Day on Monday!

For those of you who don't like hunting stories, let me apologize in advance for much of what you will be reading on this blog over the next three months. Because this is the time of year that I obsess over hunting - deer hunting mostly. And on Monday, October 1 the pursuit begins again.

Here is a picture my spycam shot in our back woods from late July...I wonder what this buck looks like now that he has peeled his velvet and put on a few pounds? He may not be one for the record books, but I am sure hoping to meet up with him at some point during this season (in fact, Monday would do nicely).

My plans for opening day are to hunt my woods in the morning, and then move over to another property I have been given permission to hunt in the evening (thanks Keith). I head out of town first thing the next morning for work, so that will be all for a few days. Here are some other things I've got cooking for this season:

1. Nettie Bay is next weekend. We will hunt duck, goose, grouse, and woodcock - this is always a great trip with a fun bunch of guys.

2. Looks like I will be getting some limited access to 80 acres near Clare and over 100 acres in Standish. My uncle Chuck has invited me to do some hunting with him this fall and I am hoping to join him 2 or 3 times during the season. I think I will hunt the firearm opener at my own place with my Dad and Grant (I hear my brother may even join us this year, that would be great!) and then catch up with Chuck for a few days near Clare.

3. I have been invited for a pheasant hunt in South Dakota in early December. Not sure about this one yet, many details yet to be worked out.

4. I will hunt turkey again this fall, probably local (I have lots of birds on my property this time of year, just saw a few jakes the other day...)

Another blessing came my way this weekend as a good friend gave me some very nice binoculars, good rain gear, a Whisker Biscuit, and 6 top-of-the-line carbon arrows. Most of my hunting gear has come from this same friend, and all of it has been either free or at prices so low you would think I did all my shopping at the dollar store (OK, so I do most of my Christmas shopping at the dollar store, that is not the same thing). This is the same friend that got me into hunting in the first place - thanks Jimmy! (Eventhough you are younger than me you are the big brother I never had when it comes to introducing me to the joy of the hunting...you are the man!)

All I have left to do now is reset my sight to the new arrows, test out my new mechanical broad heads (I am trying out "Rage" mechanicals this year, switching over from fixed "Thunder Heads"). I should have plenty of time to do all of that on Sunday if I plan my day carefully.

Hopefully my next picture I share will be of a nice deer and a few smiling faces.