'14 season

[VaRedneck]

Nov 1st..ish.

My ML opening day started early. The rumor of snow had me out of bed before the alarm...psych...low 50's and light rain. Well...I'll be quiet getting to the stand anyway...dark out too. Low clouds took care of the moon. The rain dropping from the leaves made a static, white noise. A herd of bison coulda walked by me and I never woulda heard or seen anything different. As dawn broke, the misty drizzle built up to light rain. Started to worry about my powder. I didn't wear my gloves because it was so warm....mistake. It's warm enough when you don't have to touch cold wet steel...but when you do? Ah well.

A coupla years back I took a spill and busted my azz. That little bruise lit an arthritis fire in my hip. Well...for some reason this mornin...I couldn't sit still for two minutes. Getting old...I can see this putting and end to my hunting faster than anything else....anyway...

The light rain eased up and quit..then the wind started. Steady 10-15mph mostly outa the north. As cold as it's been lately here...the Beech haven't even turned yellow...let alone dropped any leaves. Visibility sucked on 2 of 3 new shootin lanes I started early this year.

Long about noon I saw a rack go past a tree 70yds to my front. Then I made out the doe in front of him. I put the scope on a break in the trees and watched her. She wasn't runnin...she was leadin him on. I jumped ahead to a spot that in the past I've hung scent drippers on...none this year...forgot. She cruised on thru lookin back to make sure ol' studly was still there. When he showed up....I could tell he wasn't a wall hanger...an 8pt basket rack...almost touching. He dropped where I hit him....a lil high and behind the shoulder....both lungs...didn't hit the spine...but he never moved his hind legs. She circled around him for the next 10min...wondering why romeo was taking a nap...then eased back into the mt laurel.

dressed out at a bit under 165lbs. and a decent start to my '14 season.