Thanks guys. It was a great weekend. I was up late last night skinning and deboning venison, and then just tonight got back home and got my doe all butchered and in the freezer. Now I'm busy uploading pics and video to share. When I get it uploaded, I will make sure to share. I got the coolest video footage I've ever taken yesterday, and will share here when I get it all online. Make sure to check back when you see my next update to this thread. :d
Congrats RJ, can't wait to see the video and pics. Don't you just love the iPhone? I figured out how to sign-in BTW.
Wow, what a great opening weekend in PA this weekend. Couldn't have been better. Weather was perfect, the rolling hills are just about to peak with leaf color, and the deer were certainly moving. It's amazing how refreshed you feel after a day in the woods. This post is going to be a long one, but I know a few of you will read it and I hope you enjoy! Saturday morning found Dan and I in stands on opposite sides of a hilltop food plot at my camp for the PA opener. It was VERY chilly for a PA opening day at 33 degrees. Just before first light, turkeys start purring and yelping all around me, literally birds less than 20 yards from my tree that somehow didn't spook as I climbed into the stand. Another group of birds were responding as well about 50 yards to the east of me down the bench top I was sitting on. About 30 minutes after shooting light the birds flew down and hit the ground less than 30 yards from my tree, a nice group of hens and little ones. 15 minutes after they flew down the second group flew down, a group of several (lost count around 8) longbeards. They were heading up to the food plot, and towards Dan. Half an hour later, another lone bearded hen walked by headed in the same direction as the other birds. Around 8am, I get a text from Dan on the other side of the hill letting me know that 13 long beards were all in full strut in the field he was sitting off of..........what a weird time of year to see this but I've seen it here too during October. Roughly 9:00 am, I get another text from Dan saying "Nanny Down!!" I give it a few minutes, call him on the cell, and we make a game plan to wait for a bit then I'll work my way over to him slowly to help him track the doe. This is what I see as I approached the stand Dan sat in (the Taj Mahal for those of you that have been to my camp): 17 yards from his stand we found this: Dan heard her crash and knew it was a pinwheel double lung shot, so we took up the trail to at least locate her, with plans to then come back later to recover in different clothes, and with the truck. She ran over the property line towards one of the neighbors food plots, and we found her about 60-70 yards from where Dan shot her. She was laying about 50 yards from the neighbors plots, and after finding her, exchanging a high five, and a bit of chit chat.......I'm facing the neighbors food plot and see movement behind Dan that looks like a deer. We both turn and I pull up the binocs, and I see several bodies of deer in the plot. After waiting a few minutes, we hear the crash of antlers, and I can see several animal standing there. Once they made their way to a good opening we can see through, I see not a pair........but 4 different bucks. 2x pairs, pushing each other around in the food plot only 50 yards from us totally oblivious to our presence. None of the bucks were shooters, but I believe there were 3x 1.5 y/o's, and 1x 2.5 y/o buck. It was a pretty cool experience, especially when we were just standing there talking and happened to notice them like that at around 10am in the morning. Pics of Dan with his doe taken later that morning: After a great breakfast, and setting up/brushing in a ground blind for use later this year on another of the plots, we both got another quick shower and headed afield. Here is a quick video panning through my view from the "Point Stand": While Dan had an uneventful evening, I had quite a memorable sit. I decided to sit in "the point", a small finger of woods that extends into one of my food plots, directly in front o
Rick James, Great job to both you and Dan, congrats on a job well done. Also, thanks for sharing the great pics and the awesome videos. I have to admit, Sullivan county has some of the most beautiful land PA has to offer. I get throught there often with my work, and this time of the year it's down right gorgeous. Again, congrats and thanks for sharing. Brian
Matt, truely enjoyed the story, pics, and video. Congrats on the DH and what sounds like a perfect opener to the season.
What a great night! The picture with Dan is absolutely gorgeous!! Beautiful backdrop! Great video, too... I would have loved to watch the guys spar instead of mostly listen, but I still enjoyed it. Funny, I've never even seen a camera with "night vision" capabilities... of course, I've got a six-year-old point-and-shoot Sony, too. Congratulations on an incredible evening!
