Opening Day Rifle Experience
Jake Sines
Staff Writers
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@js1nes
My opening day experience started way before opening weekend. I started on Thanksgiving Day setting up my trail cams and putting fresh SD cards in them. Once I did that I made sure all of the stands were up and in the right positions.
After I made sure all of the stands are all squared away I cleaned my gun and made sure it would not jam when I would try to shoot.
Once I had my gun and stands ready to go I texted my dad and uncle to ask what stand they were going to sit in. We have 8 stands total on a 250 acre piece of property. Out of those eight stands we have three huts, one blind, and four regular tree stands. I sat in the first hut on the property while my dad sat in the blind and my uncle sat in the second hut.
November 24, Friday morning. I made sure all of my clothes were ready and would keep me warm. All day Friday I hung out with my family because I wouldn’t see them much over the weekend. Friday night I double checked everything and went to bed early because I had to wake up early.
On Saturday, November 25, I woke up around 5 a.m. and got dressed and headed out the door. I got to my hut around 5:50 a.m. It was a relatively slow morning, and around at one hour into sitting, I started to see some doe. I did not see any bucks opening day morning.
I left the stand after a few hours of sitting and went back home to eat lunch. I relaxed for a bit then went back out.
The first thing I saw was a small four point. I did not shoot because I wanted a bigger buck. After that it was a slow night.
The second morning was very interesting. Walking in I spooked some deer and did not see them but I did hear them. After that all I saw was a spike and a few doe. Once again I left and went back in to eat lunch.
The second night I did not see anything, not even a squirrel. I went home the next day. Although I did not get a deer I still had a great time.
That was my opening weekend experience.