Today (09/01) was the opening day of the 2018 squirrel season & I was primed & ready to go. For years, I was fanatical about getting into the woods before sunrise but have come to the conclusion that foxes are lazy slug-a-beds so I didn’t get set-up until 07:15. It was 69, a light breeze, & high, white fluffies. As I drove back to the woods, at least 4 deer bounded across the bean field on the north side of the woods.
There were several reds up in the trees dropping nuts & generally being he PIAs they always are. At 07:53, 2 deer came in behind me within 30 yards. They saw/scented me & off they went blowing like crazy.
At 08:10, I saw a branch bouncing in a tree to my left. I saw a fox but it never gave me a shot even though it was there for about 15 minutes. I decided to walk though the SW section of woods to see if I could find a fox or 2. I hit the south edge & walked back along the edge of the woods, seeing a tree that had fallen into the field & needed to be removed. I got to my deer stand where I set-up my trail-can & then headed back to my spot.
I sat down at 09:30 & 2-3 minutes later, there was a racket coming from the shag in front of me on my left. 2 foxes came running down the tree & stopped. The .17 barked & the top bushy was as good as in the pot. The lower 1 started back up the tree & stopped 3 times in the open. The problem was that the sun was position perfectly so I couldn’t make out the squirrel except as a blob on the side of the tree so it was reprieved.
I headed in for lunch at 10:45 with the temp at 83. I got back to the woods at12:15 & broke out the chain saw. A tree had fallen across the 4-wheeler trail so I cut it up & then moved out to the tree that had fallen into the bean field on the south side of the woods cutting it up & moving all the broken limbs out of the field. Then it was back to my spot.
It was 80 when I sat down at 12:45 with a little stronger breeze & slightly overcast skies.. I put on my head set so I could listen to the OSU game. At 01:45, I saw a limb bouncing in the tree tops to my left. At 01:55 I spotted a fox in the shag in front & to my left. At 01:57, another fox started moving around in the tops behind me. At 02:02, the 1 in the shag made the mistake of showing itself & the .17 did its job once again. At 02:03, the 1 behind me started moving around again but no shot. The, at 02:05, 1 started scolding to my right. I saw it several times but, again, no shot.
At 03:20, another fox showed up to my left but disappeared. Then ,at 03:58, I looked at a sapling right next to the shag & there was a fox hanging on the trunk heading up. The .17 added that 1 to the pot as well. I decided that 3 were enough & headed to the house with the temp still at 80. The 1st & 2rd bushies were female & the 2nd a male.
Opening Day in Ohio
- HunterGKS
- Gobbler Nation
- Posts: 5554
- Joined: January 2nd, 2013, 5:12 pm
- Location: North Central Ohio
Opening Day in Ohio
George
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
Re: Opening Day
Excellent shooting and play by play analysis!
- HunterGKS
- Gobbler Nation
- Posts: 5554
- Joined: January 2nd, 2013, 5:12 pm
- Location: North Central Ohio
Re: Opening Day
George
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
- HunterGKS
- Gobbler Nation
- Posts: 5554
- Joined: January 2nd, 2013, 5:12 pm
- Location: North Central Ohio
Re: Opening Day
George
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
- HunterGKS
- Gobbler Nation
- Posts: 5554
- Joined: January 2nd, 2013, 5:12 pm
- Location: North Central Ohio
Re: Opening Day in Ohio
Thx. Offense was great but the defense needs a lot of work before we start playing the big boys.
The new QB set records for most TDs (5) & most yards (325+) for a QBs 1st start. Not sure if he'll
be as good as JT but that's a helluva start.
George
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.
.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973