Opening Day!

Deer season is here again finally! Anybody see anything? I know it's hot and all that but trying to get a feel for how the season might shape up. So far seems like hogs by the dozen any time of day around here. A few nice deer on the cameras but I recognize them all so far.

Scouting areas when I return home in 28 days.

Looks like Managment areas south of ponchatoula are over run with hogs.

Looks like the hog population has exploded in alot of places in Tangipahoa Parish. I hunt a lease in the Robert area, seen a few on camera last year on one side of the lease. Now have herds everywhere, as soon as you step in the woods all you see is hog sign. We did trap 4 last week, and a buddy stuck one yesterday.

10/1 morning hunt: saw 3 does but they didn't get close enough to poke.
10/1 evening hunt: saw one spike way off yonder between my naps.
10/4 evening: I didn't see anything; stung by a red wasp.
10/5 morning: Had a sexy (large) doe walking towards me then ducked off the trail about 75 yards away.
10/7 (opening day in Pearl): Hog stalked for 3 hours, saw nothing except a large otter having a blast in a large mud puddle swimming and eating crawfish. Had to watch him for a while. Took a neat video.

I'm seeing lots of action but my knives are still sharp and clean.

This is my first season to bow hunt and, dang, it's tougher than I thought. I've got scent control under control and understand hunting the wind. Next up: How the heck do I bring the deer in closer when they are out of bow range? My limit is 35 yards as I'm new to a compound bow. If this were rifle season I'd have my season limit already! Do you call them in? But how do you do that without moving?

Seems there is a rule change only 3 deer in zone 4

The 3-deer change is pretty tough. Word around the water cooler is that DWF thinks not enough people in Zone 4 are calling in their tags, so they decided to punish everyone. Wonderful.

Went on another evening then morning deer hunt on the lease. Saw nothing except 26 turkeys. Yeah. No deer or hogs, but turkeys as far as the eye can see. Some of the lease was recently logged, so the turkey in that area have been pushed out into the woods that were not logged. Gunna be a fun turkey season if they stay where they are now. I've never hunted turkey so should be fun. They spotted me in my tree stand pretty easily.

Went to Pearl WMA after work yesterday for a quick hog stalk. Mosquitoes ended my trip early (didn't have Thermocell with me). Lots of fresh sign. Since opening weekend had nearly no hunters due to the hurricane, I suspect hunting in Pearl will be great this year. Last year I heard 1000+ gun shots all day long. This year opening day I heard 13 shotgun blasts. Quite a difference. Should keep those deer and hogs coming out during the day for longer than most seasons. Gunna see if I can stalk a hog tomorrow. It's just too hot to sit in a tree stand trying to bow a deer -- just no scent control at all when you start to sweat. Would rather hog stalk when morning dew has the leaves quiet.

Turkeys... never fails. I go deer hunting and all I see is turkeys. Go turkey hunting and I am up to my butt in deer. Thought it was just me!