Opening day rifle season observations

[MUP]

I made it out to my place for the opening day rifle hunt and I have to say that it was probably the slowest opening day that I've ever "heard" in all my years of opening days. I may have heard 4 shots all morning long, including my shot at a coyote running thru the woods about 130 yards out. Clean miss btw. Saw several deer, just spikes and 4 points along with 3 does. Was it just that cold that kept hunters home?

 

[CliffordN]

I heard a few shots, but not what I was expecting. Surely it was not the weather.

 

[PossumSlayer]

Was muzzle loader harvest higher this year for Tennessee?

 

[MUP]

Was muzzle loader harvest higher this year for Tennessee?

Dunno, I only got to go twice myself, but that was just life in general not letting me get out there.

 

[Tweeter]

Was muzzle loader harvest higher this year for Tennessee?

No way low

 

[duckriver]

We only heard about 5 before she shot which was at 8:30. Some years I've heard over 30 shots by then

 

[UCStandSitter]

Two fellas hunted my spot yesterday. Neither saw anything. Odd

 

[backyardtndeer]

I believe that here in CWD zone, that many have already been rifle hunting, for us opening day was Oct 31. I was fully expecting the new peeps on the property behind me to come in on top of my line yesterday morning but never heard them come in to that spot. I did hear someone dragging a trailer on that farm when I was getting ready to walk to my stand. I have seen as many as 3 trucks in the past parked at the barn on that property. They have to come over a mile to get back to my line.

I was done pretty early but I think I only heard one shot aside from mine.

 

[TboneD]

The cold definitely didn't help. Mainly because heavy weight winter outerwear is just that, heavy, I think it causes a lot of guys who typically tote a climber in to hunt the ground, which in a lot of cases causes them not to have as much confidence. But this is more from a public ground perspective.

 

[MUP]

I should clarify that this is in East TN where I hunt

 

[wsm]

I think I heard maybe 10 shots all day . Very slow where I was .

 

[TboneD]

Another thing is that although we typically think of too many acorns being a bad thing in regards to deer movement, little or no acorns left may have left a lot of guy's traditional oak flats and ridges devoid of deer.

I was in a spot I ALWAYS see deer and saw absolutely nothing from daylight to noon yesterday when just Monday I saw plenty, including my buck. I think the does finally have figured out it's not worth the calories spent looking for the last few acorns left, so they were mainly in fields and right of ways, etc, seeking sun and green browse.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I should clarify that this is in East TN where I hunt

Maybe the drought has been a factor? Food plots that didn't work out... I know our bean plots were a bust. I cannot say for others, but we usually do a fair a amount of hunting our plots. Would seem though that deer would be moving around more for food, especially if acorn crop was poor.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Most folks here were road hunting due to the temp. Actually true.

 

[Jcalder]

I seen the deer in the middle of the day. I shot mine at 1230.

 

[MUP]

I seen the deer in the middle of the day. I shot mine at 1230.

They were moving late at my place as well. I don't have any food plots, just hunting the hardwoods on my place, but the does were feeding all the way up and past me, until the 4 pt came thru and busted one out of the group and chased her back under my stand a couple of times before giving up moving on. Good movement but just no older bucks.

 

[bigtex]

I think it was a little slower around here than in years past. I didn't hear the first shot till way after daylight. Only heard maybe 10 shots all day and some of those were distant.
As far as my hunt went........sat all day, saw my first action around 9:30, doe and her twin fawns, little while later, single doe. Around 3:00 ish another doe and twins, could of been the same ones I saw earlier but I don't think so.
Didn't see anything else till right at dark when I heard that unmistakable sound of a single deer slowly making it's way down the ridge. It hung up at the edge of the food plot right in the tree line, finally stepped out in the open..........dang Doe!!!
Anyway, 8 deer seen, not an inch of antler, but it was a fun hunt, couldn't of asked for better weather. God is good!!

 

[woodyard]

I was out for the first time this year. I wanted one more sunrise from the stand. I noticed there wasn't the pre daylight traffic on the highway I live on. Used too, it would have been constant from 4:00 am till daylight. Then there were only a handful of shots through the morning. Probably been fewer every year for the last few years. Years ago it was like a small war going on. I wasn't aware of anyone hunting on land joining me, usually I hear the atvs or the shooting. The cold and the cwd threat may have put a damper on hunting. I have heard few shots during muzzleloader when I was out early.

I have had no desire this fall to hunt. Finally, Friday night decided that I would go. Wife was after me to get one. Saw five different bucks and several does, not any fire in me to shoot any till the last buck. Thought my hunting days were about over when looking at the first four. Then the last one got my heart pounding a little though. Never got the good shot opportunity I wanted. Now I have a little desire to get out there some , so may hunt some if my body don't give too much trouble, groin pull some four weeks ago still lingering on. Seems to be something all the time.

Only went one time last year, had a knee sprain that was not healed and aggravating still going on at season time. Decided I would shoot the first thing I saw after getting into the stand. Did that with a nice buck , and then got through the rest and processing, and said I wasn't going back.

Hunt all you can while your body allows it , guys. It gets harder and does not take much to put out the fire as you get older.

 

[SSlater]

I made it out to my place for the opening day rifle hunt and I have to say that it was probably the slowest opening day that I've ever "heard" in all my years of opening days. I may have heard 4 shots all morning long, including my shot at a coyote running thru the woods about 130 yards out. Clean miss btw. Saw several deer, just spikes and 4 points along with 3 does. Was it just that cold that kept hunters home?

I only heard about 3 shots besides mine. I have heard several shots around here during ML season so that may explain some of it.

 

[RobbyW]

I only heard 4 shots. 1 well before shooting light and 3 after