# Opening day worries



## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Every year I always get nervous that opening day I get to my tree that I have picked out and someone else is already there or in the area. I use a climber now so there really isn't a way of marking the area to let others know you're there. It's private land and there are some other hunters but the only trouble I usually have is someone walking under... but one year someone who thought they were a caretaker (enforcer) that squirrel hunted took my treesteps out and took to the owner. He left a note that said they will call sheriff's when I already had permission. LOL Talk about a bad morning. I guess ever since then I always worry that something is going to go wrong with someone else in the area.

Anyone else have any bad luck stories with opening day treestand location or someone in it?


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

Mu area is prety much shot. Between the farmer having a kill permit and shooting them all summer and unregulated hunting I am just bird, goose and rabbit hunting the land. I am going to try to hunt another area that is against a park that can not be hunted. Maybe gun hunt the other land. Fishing this weekend anyhow. I like to hunt after the first frost.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

I hardly ever hunt w/temps up like this.You don't make a perfect shot and/or have to let one lay you pretty much shot it for nothing.Its no good.Not my thing.Late October I'll go out and get one rattling.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

I'm lucky to have private property to hunt on all to myself, close to 40 acres, beans to the south and swamps and hardwoods to the north , have two ladders out and put my ground blind out last week near the bean field where some deer have been coming out to feed, hunted the grand river area yrs ago and had surprise hunters roaming past me while on stand, or once at la due had the city workers cutting trees close by.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

It happened to me on opening morning of shot gun one season. I was in my stand and it was still dark out when I heard two guys talking and I saw a flashlight. I was down ayt the bottom of a ravine and they were at the top of it looking down on me. I shined my flashlight at them to let them know I was down there, I heard them talking for a few minutes and then they split up. Each one of them came down about halfway down the hill and got on each side of me. One to my right and the other to my left. They set up about 50 yards on each side of me and stayed there the whole day. One guy shot a nice buck around 9 and then spent the rest of the day cleaning and dragging up the hill all the time about 50 yards from me. I never saw a deer that day. Thats public land for you.


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## pipefitter42 (Nov 30, 2013)

Last year opening weekend I shot a doe on private land. Between waiting and tracking I found what was left of her a couple hours later....a gut pile right underneath someone else's tree stand on the adjacent property.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I hope to be out on Saturday morning, Mr. Big has been hanging around, I have seen him in the beans several times, as have other hunters.
I have had to evict raccoons from my stand 2 different years on opening day. One year they just could not figure out what was going on, they had a nest on the ladder stand platform. I came in when they were out feeding, I watched them come out of the field and start to climb up the tree I was in. I had to beat them with my ball cap and they went down on the ground and just stare up at me, then I moved a bit and they ran.
I like a few guys out walking around a bit it seems to move the deer around for me. I have deer hunted for many years and have had guys walk up on me several times. Don't let it bother you, just another day.
What is your alternative plan if that happens this year, Probably bitch, then tell us how you have been wronged.
But rest assured that one other hunter has permission for the same ground you have and is also planning on having a great year. Better off to work out a plan with others than to make an ass of yourself, then the property is poison to ya.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

Cajunsaugeye said:


> I hardly ever hunt w/temps up like this.You don't make a perfect shot and/or have to let one lay you pretty much shot it for nothing.Its no good.Not my thing.Late October I'll go out and get one rattling.


Many southern states start Sept 1st. Do you think people in S. Carolina don't hunt because its in the 90s?


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## CatfishWilly (Dec 30, 2007)

I actually got a late start to setting my spot up on my girlfriends parents land. Went out yesterday to throw up my blind, find someone already had thrown a blind in the exact spot I was planing to, thrown out corn, Cut out a nice path to the spot. All on her parents land. At first we were a bit upset, but after talking to neighbors we tracked down who had set it up. It was a lady hunter (good looking too) and she had misunderstood where the property lines were. Anyways, we just kinda made a deal to alternate weekends and she sent us off with a bunch of peppers from her garden. I wish everyone was that cool about it. Even shared some info about when she had seen them coming in.


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## Sanders (Dec 13, 2014)

Kayak as for letting other hunts know where you are set up at in your climber, About 2 years ago I was out on public land and was looking for a tree to climb, I turned a bend on a nice trail and seen a bright hunter orange strap about 4 inches wide wrapped around the base of a tree. I looked up the tree and there sat a man in a climber. I thought this was an awesome idea, I spotted the orange from about 75 yards away, I waved and turned around.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

miked913 said:


> Many southern states start Sept 1st. Do you think people in S. Carolina don't hunt because its in the 90s?


 No I don't.But,I also KNOW we get cooler weather and soon after "opening day" so I don't take the chance of burning a tag and having nothing.In 30yrs of hunting I've never wounded a deer or had to leave one lay,but that doesn't mean it can't happen.I'm also not the type to just find it later and not tag it since its no good either.So,I just wait.Is that somehow a problem for you?


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree with cajun. To each his own, but deer are easy to kill and I'm not hard up enough to sweat over killing one. I don't like scraping fly eggs off of my meat. Haha 

I'll fish until October, then duck hunt for a bit, then try to kill a deer or two, then back to ducks and setting traps. 

Good luck to all who brave the heat though. Summer pattern bucks are a lot of fun.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

I don't have a problem. I was merely stating that many deer hunters would never hunt if they waited for cool weather. Many people won't eat crappies once water warms either. I myself work on my deer herd & hunting 12 months out of the year and I will be out no matter the weather. Everyone has their own beliefs and skill levels. Good luck


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

miked913 said:


> Many southern states start Sept 1st. Do you think people in S. Carolina don't hunt because its in the 90s?


Read the response again. The point he made was *His* *choice* not to hunt in this warm weather due to the potential of losing the meat if the shot was not perfect and the deer had to be left all night to die and then spoil. There is always the chance that the shot may not fly true due to may variables.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks for all the stories everyone and best of luck to you whichever day you choose! Happy Hunting


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

Cajunsaugeye said:


> I hardly ever hunt w/temps up like this.You don't make a perfect shot and/or have to let one lay you pretty much shot it for nothing.Its no good.Not my thing.Late October I'll go out and get one rattling.



I am with you cajun. I never go out bow hunting until the nights are down in the 30's and highs in the 50's at most. I just don't like ticks. lol
I always take a week off in early November for some rut hunting. There has been many times we were bowing hunting in the 70 degree range during that week. But we always had some good cold weather before then to get rid of those nasty ticks.... I hate hunting in that warm of weather. But that is just me. I have many friends who will be hunting tomorrow. I would rather go fishing when it is this warm....


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I also have the same attitude as cajun. For me it's not hunting season until I can feel some cooler air. I won't be going out tomorrow morning. I understand southern hunters going out because the temps are what they are down there. That's not necessarily the case here. We know it's going to get colder, and then it's on!


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## brian jones (Jul 31, 2015)

Opening morning I had 3 people walk right underneath our treestands and It sucked. Moved locations and had another crossbow hunter walk right under that stand as well!! Good luck brother!


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