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Post by hornzilla on Aug 30, 2016 8:07:05 GMT -5
I rarely hunt before Oct. 20th, usually later. Too hot and too many leaves for my taste. I would probably get out earlier if I had some field edges to hunt, but I don't. I hunted much more when I was younger, different job, no kids, and had more convenient places to hunt. I killed a few deer in October, but the earliest was on the 17th. I have always found Halloween to be the magic date for me. I have learned to really focus my time (and vacation days) from then until the firearms season opens. I'm right there with you on the Holloween date. I don't ever mess with early bow season. I get started about the end of October every year. The first part of the month I work the horses hard with my daughter. And with her having a new barrel horse. It will be a busy October riding.
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Post by dbd870 on Aug 30, 2016 9:29:43 GMT -5
I go out early October although if it's a heat wave I'll pass. Once JDUB gets back in town (after the 13th) we need to take him and his rifle and spend the day doing some 200 to 300yd shooting, and we just got permission to hunt a farm and that is going to take a little scouting as well so we may miss a weekend in early October. Youth Weekend is coming FAST!
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Post by trapperdave on Aug 30, 2016 9:43:42 GMT -5
Never miss an opening day! Excited about youth season this year. Hoping my son gets a shot with the 45 cal TC Hawken When the heat is on, just hunt the water sources especially mid day. If you kill one in the heat, gut right away. Put couple bags of ice in body cavity, LEAVE THE HIDE ON and wrap in a tarp. Keep out of sunlight. This will cool it down quickly and keep it fresh for a couple days if needed. Process asap. I've killed a few in 80+ heat and never lost an ounce of meat. Above info given to me by our local processor years ago.
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Post by jjas on Aug 30, 2016 14:05:58 GMT -5
Unless a pretty good cold front pushes through beforehand, I usually wait until the latter part of October to start hunting.
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Post by bill9068 on Aug 30, 2016 14:29:25 GMT -5
I guess I just can't wait since I retired, had many a day I could not hunt when I was working so I'm making those days up now. I bet last year I hunted 20 days out of every month of the season. Hot or cold didn't bother me, just wanted to be in the woods.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 30, 2016 14:41:24 GMT -5
I guess I just can't wait since I retired, had many a day I could not hunt when I was working so I'm making those days up now. I bet last year I hunted 20 days out of every month of the season. Hot or cold didn't bother me, just wanted to be in the woods. This is great Bill! Oh the joys of getting older. We can't change it so we might as well enjoy it. We go out to eat early ...just because we can. I remember going to Florida over the Thanksgiving holiday when I was young and choosing to take a one day cruise for Thanksgiving dinner. That ship was FULL of old people! We called it the geriatric cruise. Now I am one, and loving every minute of it. I just can't see a hunter passing up opening day if there's anyway to do it. I certainly don't expect to see one, but I have to try. I'm confident that I'll see more squirrels than I have all squirrel season thus far.
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Post by mjaburton on Aug 30, 2016 15:27:41 GMT -5
October 1st is like christmas to me. even though its usually 80 degrees, i enjoy getting away from all the daily chaos throughout the week. there is nothing better than getting situated before sunrise and watching/listening to the woods come alive. kill a deer or not, the overall experience is what i look forward to!!! only 31 days, but whose counting.
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