Well, it's bow season and I'm ready. I won't be out tomorrow for opening weekend because I have a fun family range day planned, but I will be out next week in the mornings when I get off of work.

I'm looking forward to a great hunting season this year as Pam will be hunting with me. It's great when you can get the family together for a day in the woods. 

I hope to have a great season and hope all of y'all do too. Later y'all.

Opening Weekend Muzzle loader-2011

Wow! What a morning. I got the truck loaded up last night and ready for this morning. It is opening weekend for the Muzzle loader season here in Tennessee and I was ready to rock.

I got up early this morning but not early enough for the time change last night. I was running behind all morning so it was not off to a good start. I got to the woods a lot later than I had planned and my daddy-in-law was there ready and waiting on me. Needless to say, I took some good ribbing for being late and taking so long to get ready to go into the woods. 

I got to my tree  and climbed up. I got settled in about 0730. It was cool and the wind was blowing pretty hard. The tree I was in was rocking in a nice steady rhythm and I was having trouble staying awake but I did. Lol. I started hearing a lot of shots from the dove field on the WMA I was hunting and figured it would be a slow, dead morning. 

I made a few posts on Facebook about my morning and responded to several comments about my inability to close the deal in years past. All in good fun from my hunting buddies but at least I still have all my shirt tails. Lol. I texted a buddy of mine to see if he was in the woods and having any luck.

Now a little history on my buddy Sam and our texting from the field. For the last three years, during turkey season, we will text in the field and exchange strategies and just general chit chat to pass the time. Every year, while I am texting him, turkey always decide to come out in the field; always just out of range. So, with this information, you can figure out what happened this morning.

Okay, back to the story. While doing all of this, I heard a shot from the direction of my daddy-in-law and sent him a text to see if he had one down. He said no and that the shot was to my right but in front of him. I got this text while sending one to Sam, so when I got through typing and sending to Sam, I replied to my daddy-in-law. It was now about 0815.

I had just dropped my phone back into my vest pocket and caught something out of the corner of my eye to my left. I slowly looked over and down and there was this little what I thought was a spike. Now being in the middle of a good long dry spell and being on public land and caring more about meat than antlers, my decision was easy.

I eased my muzzle loader up, got him in the scope and readied for the shot. I flipped the safety off and he stepped behind a tree. I'm thinking, "Holy crap, not again", as this has happened before. It happened twice last year with not shot ever presenting itself. But I stayed on him and then it happened, he stepped out. He was about 15 yards away. I placed the cross hairs right behind his shoulder, he dropped his head to eat and I squeezed the trigger. 

I waited for the smoke to clear and he was running like crazy and stumbling all over the place. He ran to the right and circled back to the left. He was about 20 yards away and made a hard cut back to the right and that was his last turn. I watched him hit the ground and flip about 10 feet and not move again. 

I reloaded and kept my eye on him to see if a follow up shot would be needed. I sat there for what seemed like forever but was only about 10 mins. Then my phone vibrated and brought me back to reality. It was Lloyd asking if I had meat and I said "yep". I then said he was on his way.

When he got to my stand, we both started slowly walking to where the deer was laying, looking and ready for anything. He never moved again and when we got to him I realized it was a forked horn spike.

It may be small but it ends my dry spell and is meat in the freezer. I sent out a few text messages and took the good-natured ribbing about the size along with congrats all around. I got him field dressed and carted out to the truck. Then took him out to Lloyd's and got him processed, vacuum packed and in the freezer. We had dinner and came home.  

Not a bad day in the woods but over too quick, but sometimes that's how we like it. He may not be a Booner but he eats just the same. I fried up the tenderloins and a few other bits and it was just as good as any other deer I have eaten. I enjoyed being out in the woods and I'm thankful to live in a place where I can do that and I always enjoy spending time with Lloyd, my daddy-in-law and hunting buddy. 

In the end, it's always about the memories we make in the field and the people we share them with. Good luck and God Bless.

*On a footnote, while I was waiting on Lloyd to return with the cart, I had a doe bust me. What a morning it would have been to have two deer on the ground. Lol.

Tennessee’s Wild Side celebrates the outdoors. Now playing on Tennessee’s Public Television Stations.

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TWRA GIS - Wildlife Management Area Index

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Clarification Made Concerning Archery Turkey Harvest

Released on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 - 8:27 am under 

• Wildlife Resources

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is making a clarification as there have been several inquiries concerning the harvest of wild turkeys in counties that have a fall turkey gun season.

 

Archers are allowed to harvest one turkey during the archery-only deer season in each of the counties listed that have a fall turkey gun season. (A list of counties that have a fall turkey season is located on page 40 of the 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide).

 

The TWRA suggests all archery hunters obtain a 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guides are available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.

---TWRA---

 

Archery Opener

It's opening weekend of the archery season in Tennessee. I didn't get to go yesterday (Sat) because of other obligations. But I'm out here today and ready to rock.

Didn't see anything but turkeys this morning and busted about a dozen in the middle of the trail coming in this afternoon. I'm sitting back in the woods off the edge of a bean field and pond. It's a little warmer than expected today but should be a good spot.

I am setup facing a well used trail that leads to the field. The wind is in my face and it is a perfect setup. I have high hopes for a close encounter of the venison kind.

The wind is really blowing hard. Looks like I'll be keeping my shots close if I get one. There are a bunch of crows raising cane in the field. With all of the noise, I won't be able to hear anything coming. This front was supposed to be gone by now. Oh well, that's hunting. Lol.

The end of the day:
Well the day is over. I didn't have any luck but did see a lot more turkeys. It would be nice if they would stay where they are until the spring but it never happens that way.

I did find a few more stand locations and I'm set up pretty good for the rest of the season. I feel like this year is gonna be a good year.

I also found out I'm no longer alone during bow season anymore. I guess that since the farms around the management area have changed from pasture to soybeans this year, it is becoming a little more popular. It's still good that most people don't like to walk and it's about a mile to my stand so I shouldn't run inti too many people.

Well there's always through the week and there are plenty more weekends and the season is just getting started. So here's to a great season and plenty of meat in the freezer. Later y'all.

Archery 2011

Deer season is finally here. My archery season opens this Saturday the 24th and I am ready. I have a couple new spots to hunt and might have a shot at a turkey in the process. My buddy Billy and I will be out there bright and early Saturday morning, sitting on a field edge, waiting for some magic to happen. 


My season is getting started a week later than normal. I wasn't able to make my yearly pre-season draw hunt due to other obligations but that's how it goes sometimes. The weather is supposed to be good for the weekend and there is a front moving out on Thursday and another one moving in on Saturday. Temps are going to be very nice so there should be some good activity.


So here's to the beginning of what hopes to be a great season and lots of great memories to add to seasons past. Good luck to everybody else who is already in the field or getting ready to start their season. Aim small, miss small, shoot straight and may your arrow always find it's mark.

Turkey Season-'11

From the field:

2:30 pm-
Well, it's Sunday afternoon and I'm set up and ready to rock. The weather was too bad yesterday morning to get out and I got busy in the afternoon so my original plan didn't quite work out.

After watching the birds here, I decided to wait until this afternoon and not this morning to come out. I'm trying something a little different today. I'm set up at an ambush point with no decoys or anything. I am sitting just inside the woods off the edge of a field they like to feed in. I'm in a back corner where they generally come to in the evenings. I can see them across the field but they seem to be quiet so I'm just gonna sit and wait quietly for them to come this way.

It's pretty warm but at least there is a light breeze to keep things tolerable. The skies are clear and the sun is beating down on my little clear spot in the woods. Everything is quiet for the most part like the woods are taking a collective nap, but I know from experience how quickly it can wake up in the afternoon and evenings. For now I'm gonna sit back and enjoying the beauty and tranquility of nature and give thanks and respect for these gifts.

4:00 pm-
Well, I just had either a couple of dogs or coyotes come out in the field between me and the birds. I'm not sure which because I just found out I forgot to put my binos in my vest. (Note to self: double check gear every time.) The birds went into the woods but have since returned to the field since the intruders went back in the woods. They are about 150-200 yds out in the field now.

It's 4:30 and I just had three big jakes come in from my right, quiet and unseen until the last moment. I leveled on the closest one and dropped the hammer but didn't drop the bird. I know my shotgun is good to 50 yards but I was pushing it. It was gonna be a good hit or a clean miss and it was the latter. I may have misjudged the yardage too since it was a quick shot. I did call after the shot and they paused at the edge of the woods. I'm gonna sit tight until dark and see what happens.

5:15 pm-
Now there there are some deer feeding at the edge of the field about 40 yards from me. Why can't this happen when deer season rolls around. Lol! I wish I could move and get a picture but I'm sitting in a blow down and using it as a natural ground blind. If I move they will be gone. This 2500 acres is really a great hunting spot, not heavily hunted and full of wildlife and it's only about 10 minutes from the house. It just doesn't get better than this.

6:00 pm-
It's starting to get dark in the woods so I'm gonna head out. It's time to go home and fire the grill up for supper. I think I have a better plan for next weekend and hopefully it will work out so I can go in the morning and make a day of it and do some running and gunning. They may have won today but I'll be back hopefully wiser and luckier. Good luck y'all and God Bless.

P.S.
I get back to the truck and find this. Fresh deer tracks 3 feet from the truck. Unbelievable, LOL!

Turkey Season-'11

We have had severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and high winds all day today. I went to check out my spot this evening to see what I would be facing in the morning and two dozen birds were in the fields, about 200 yds. out, and heading for the corner I'll be set up in. If I had my gear when I went, I would probably have a bird in the freezer. I can't wait for morning. Gonna Get 'Em, Rain or Shine!

Turkey Season-'11

Well, it's been two weekends since turkey season opened. I missed opening day due to ball practice so I went Sunday. The turkeys were gobbling hard since it had been raining and storming for several days prior. When I got to the woods, two other hunters were already there and set-up. I knew who they were because I have ran into them on previous seasons and we are pretty much the only ones who hunt this area during turkey season. I know where they set up so I knew where to go.

As soon as I got out of the truck I heard the long beards hammering and then, BOOM! I figured there was a bird down and that they were working them good and hard so I held up on going in for a bit as to not bust their set-up. A few minutes later, one of the guys came walking down the gravel road with a very nice jake who got a little too curious. 

I congratulated him on a nice bird and confirmed where him and his buddy were set up. I let a few yelps go from my K&H Slate Hammer and some started hammering in the opposite direction of where his buddy was. I was getting ready to go down the road and circle around in the woods and maybe push the birds to his buddy when another BOOM! rang out. The other guy came out with another very nice jake.

More congratulations were in order then they left and I headed into the woods for my turn. The birds were still hammering but they were moving the opposite direction. I moved trying to get in front of them but it just didn't work. I had to cut my day short due to my wife and oldest daughter going to Nashville so I headed out and left them for another time.

The other guys and I had made plans to meet up this past weekend and triple team them but I had to work on Saturday and was tied up on Sunday so I'll be there this weekend early and staying late and hoping to get the first one out of the way with my shotgun and then go for one with my bow and hopefully have a good story to tell.

Good luck y'all and keep on putting 'em down. God Bless. 

Off Season-'11

Howdy ya'll. It's been a quiet off season as far as hunting goes but it's fixing to pick up. Work has been crazy and I have been working a lot of overtime so I haven't had much time for very many hunting related activities. I did get a new truck and it will get it's first hunting use when turkey season opens up next month.


I'm gonna try to get out next week and start checking on the local turkey groups and see where they are at and start roosting them in the evenings. One group I hunt has some new agriculture in the fields around where they stay so I have very high hopes for that area. I am so ready for opening day and getting back in the woods and so is my gear. I'm still looking for my first archery bird and hope it works out this year.


I am coaching my daughter's softball team this year. They don't usually play many games on the weekends so I shouldn't lose many full weekends and if we do play on Saturday, there is always Sunday. I may have to skip my Prentice Cooper turkey hunt but it's not a big deal. It's an open hunt and not a draw hunt.


After spring turkey is spring squirrel then it's time to get ready for deer season and my Prentice Cooper draw hunt. A buddy is supposed to go with me this year and it will be his first trip and hopefully not his last. I'm really looking forward to it more than the last couple of years. I hope to have some good stories this year and I look forward to sharing them with ya'll.


Good luck to everybody in the upcoming seasons and God Bless.

Opening Day Rifle Season-2010

Well, the rifle opener has come and gone. I sat in the stand for 11 out of 12 hours again. About 7 am I saw three deer moving through the woods but didn't have a shot. I thought about moving so I could see farther down the trail but didn't at the moment. Then an hour later six more came through on the same trail. That was it. I was moving. I changed trees and set up where I could see up and down the trail for about 100 yards each direction.


All was quiet except for some squirrels and a couple of foxes. I texted my buddy and my daddy-in-law to see if they brought something to eat. I packed some food in my pack and had planned on staying all day on stand. They hadn't so we came out about 11 for lunch.


I came back in to my stand about 1 pm and shimmied up the tree. I had just pulled my rifle up and noticed something moving in the woods. I turned and saw a big, old 10 pointer stand up. He was bedded 50 yards from me and about 25 yards from where I walked by on the trail. I slowly turned and got ready for him to cross the trail. He moved slowly to the trail and then stepped out, broadsided and stopped to look at me and see what I was. I placed the cross-hairs of my 30-06 right behind his shoulder and squeezed one off.


I saw him through the scope rear upon his back legs and fall over backwards. He hit the ground and started flailing, kicking and bawling. I stood there watching him and he suddenly stopped. Then I got excited. I new I had him. I think it was the big one my buddy and I had seen during Archery season. My buddy texted and said he heard the bawling and my daddy-in-law texted and asked if I was the one who shot. I relayed what had happened and started to come down.


Now it gets interesting. When I got to the bottom of the tree, he jumped up and took off. He ran about 25 yds. and fell over again. I grabbed my rifle and watched and waited again. He didn't get up. Well not until I hit the ground that is. As soon as I jumped out of my stand and hit the ground, he jumped up and headed for the next county. He was gone so fast I didn't have a chance to shoulder my rifle.


I went to the spot where I had initially shot him and there was no blood, no hair no nothing. I then went to where he fell again and there was nothing there either. I walked for quite a ways in the direction he had ran and never found anything. I even jumped a smaller buck in the process. After about three hours, just after sunset, I gave up and headed out. (Note: The general consensus is that it was a gut shot.) 


I just don't know how I missed unless it had to do with my scope being on 9x for a 45 yd shot. It had gotten moved when I was cleaning some mud off of it and I didn't notice it. I am going to the range to find out where it hits on 9x at 50 yds.


It has been eventful so far to say the least. Two deer missed with two rifles that are dead on out to 100 yds. It just makes me wonder what I did to deserve this. I'm going back out in the morning (the 28th) and see if I can finally close the deal. I just can't take all of these misses anymore. Three this year and one last year. I've never had that happen before. Oh well, we live and we learn. I guess I need to learn what I'm doing and fix it. Later y'all.

Opening Day Muzzle loader-2010

Muzzle loader season opens tomorrow and my daddy-in-law and I will be out there bright and early. My archery season didn't go too well so I am hoping things get better. We went today and marked our trees and found a great spot to hunt that we have never been before. It is a huge stand of pines about a mile from any road or atv trail; too deep for most people to walk. It has thick bedding cover on one side and ag fields on the other. There is a lot of sign and a rub that stretches across three saplings about 23" apart. I'm hoping it's the bruiser I saw during archery season. 


A front has been moving through for a couple of days and it has been rainy. The temps will be in the 20's in the morning with the front moving out late tonight or early in the morning. My gear is ready, my lunch is packed for an all day sit and I am pumped. All I need to do now is go to bed and get up, get dressed and head out.


It's gonna be hard to sleep thinking about the bruiser I know is out there but that's how it should be. LOL! Well, off to bed and sweet dreams of grilled backstrap and fried tenderloin. I hope to have a great story to post tomorrow. Nite y'all.


Opening day:
I got up this morning and headed out. It was a little chilly but I have some mid-weight base layers and was very cozy without my coveralls on. I sat in the stand 11 out of 12 hours. I came down for lunch and my daddy-in-law moved to a tree down from me because someone came in late morning and set up too close to him.


The day was fairly uneventful. I saw a couple on the private property next to me but that was it. I came down and we headed out that evening and the action started. We were walking back out and jumped a doe right under the tree my daddy-in-law was in that morning. 


She took off and we kept walking. We came up on her again where the trail turns to go back to the truck. It was last light but I could make her out through the scope. I had my treestand on my back and was trying to counter the weight of it and steady my aim on a 75 yd. off hand shot.


She stepped out into the trail, broadside and I let it fly. I couldn't see anything but smoke but my daddy-in-law said it looked good. We got up to where she was at and nothing. I guess the treestand was pulling me back and I missed. It was an intense moment nonetheless. Now I'll wait until gun season and see what happens. Later y'all.

Prentice Cooper 2010: Day 4 and Wrap Up

I got up this morning and headed out to another field for a quick morning hunt. I set up and kicked back to enjoy my last day in the woods for a week. I watched the squirrels and chipmunks play and listened to an owl calling in the distance. Turkeys were gobbling and birds were singing. It was a beautiful morning. I sat there until almost noon with no action other than the normal everyday commotion of nature.

I came down and loaded my gear up. I went back to camp and got ready to pack up. I noticed my buddies across from me didn't make it out. They overslept after another movie night. LOL!!! I changed out of my hunting clothes and into my street clothes and started breaking camp. for some reason it seems like it doesn't take as long to tear down as it does to set up. I tore down camp and loaded the truck in less than 30 minutes. It took me about an hour to set up.

I made my way around camp to the regulars and bid my farewells. I wished them all luck for the remaining of the day and the season and told them I couldn't wait until next year. I got a few phone numbers and some invites to some hunting leases and other hunting trips for later in the season. Some of us even made plans to get together for the muzzle loader hunt at Prentice Cooper in November. I got in the truck and got on the road headed home.

I got home and unloaded in about 15 minutes. (it's get quicker as I go, lol) Fueled the truck up, hit the car wash and then took the truck back to my mom and got my car. I came home and took a nice, looooong, hotttttt, shower, shaved and started looking human again. I called my wife at work and let her know I was home and that I missed her. Now i'm just resting and relaxing while waiting to pick the kids up from school. Then I have a meeting tonight and then slide into my comfortable bed, next to my wife and get ready for back to work tomorrow.

Wrap-up:

Even though this year was like many others on this hunt as far as bringing something home, it was still a great weekend in the woods with great friends and acquaintances that I only get to see once a year. I have drawn this hunt for 6 years now and always bring home some very wonderful and cherished memories even if I don't bring home a deer. Sometimes there are times when the hunt, the experience, the fellowship, the friendships and memories made are greater and worth more that any amount of meat in the freezer or bone on the wall. 

Always cherish time spent with family and close friends in the great outdoors and never let the pursuit of your game diminish the experience gained and the memories made while gathered together with your fellow sportsmen and women in the great outdoors. Happy hunting y'all.

Prentice Cooper 2010: Day 3

Morning:
Another 3 am morning after a long night. I watched a movie with the guys across from me. One of them brought their laptop. So it was later than planned when I finally crashed out.   There are two different time zones up here so they run everything on eastern time so I have to get up and hour earlier than normal. It was cool this morning but was supposed to be hot again and it was. I grabbed my hydration pack and headed out.

I bumped four deer on the way in to my stand in the dark. I didn't figure my day would be good after that. I got set up and settled in and took a little stand nap. I slept until the turkeys woke me up flying down and working towards the corn field. I was hoping the deer wouldn't be far behind. Apparently they weren't because the guy set up in the field next to me got a doe and the rest scattered. He recovered her and I decided to stay on stand to see if they would come back.

The action was slow and the woods were quiet. I did see a couple of does come across the end of the draw from the direction of the other guys stand where he shot his doe. They went up and over the ridge away from me. It was getting hot and I was sweating something fierce. It was noon so I decided to come down and get some more water and eat. I moved my stand closer to the edge of the field and headed out.

Afternoon:
My Sunday afternoon ended up like they all have in the past. There is an old man named Wayne that comes up here every year. I call him the Storyteller. He is in his 60's, farms, owns his own business and has hunted all over this country and a few others. He has hunted since he was young and has enough proof for most people to back his stories up. I didn't think he was here this year because he always camps across from me and he wasn't there by Friday evening. He got here late Friday so he was in a different spot.

I saw him on my way in and stopped to talk. He remembered me from years past and we started catching up. He had a buddy with him this year, made the introductions and started telling stories like always. Every time he tells a story, it leads to another and another and so on. Also, if somebody else tells a story it leads into one of his. It is really great. He has probably taken more game than most people will ever see in their lifetime. I gave him the title of " The most interesting hunter in the world" after the dos equis beer commercials. My buddies across from me came into camp and stopped at Wayne's camp to see what I was up to and within 30 mins. we were all sitting around listening to his stories.

It is a really special part of my trip up here every year to find Wayne and listen to his stories and adventures. He tells them with such detail and so vividly, that you can picture everything in your mind as if you are there. I think he enjoys it just as much as we do. It was hot so we all decided to sit there and talk until later in the evening when it started cooling off.

We all headed out about 4 pm for about 3 hours of hunting before dark. I didn't get in my stand. Instead I opted to sit in a hedgerow along the edge of the field right in the corner. There wasn't a good tree there so I brought my blind and stool and figured I would wait and see.

About 5:30, two does came out about 40 yds. down. They were picking at the corn on the edge and moving towards me. I couldn't take a head on shot so I waited. Then they jumped into the corn and milled around some. I was watching where they went in at and was watching the corn move and thought they were coming back out. So I clipped on my release and got to full draw. One of them stuck their head out but went back in so I let  my bow down to rest and relax. They stuck their heads back out and I drew back again. Then one jumped from the corn to just inside the edge of the woods. I told my self that the other one was probably going to do the same so I held my draw and waited. The other one stuck her head out and I released about the time she jumped and watched my arrow sail right under her back legs.

They took off and when I couldn't hear them anymore, I went to get my arrow. No blood and no hair. It was a clean miss. One blade broke off the broadhead from hitting a rock. I probably shouldn't have taken the shot but I had decided it would be a clean kill or a clean miss, so I justified the chance to myself. I packed my blind up and moved my stand to the other corner in a good tree and will be back in the morning.

Evening:
One of the guys got a small doe this evening. We razzed him about it. We had a big camp dinner. We all congregated on my end of camp with everybody's stoves and food and did answer camp version of potluck. Several people had plenty of food left and some needed to be eat because it wouldn't keep much longer and couldn't be refrozen. So we lined the tables up and the stoves up and commenced to cooking. People just lined up with a plate and got what they wanted and as much as they wanted. I'll tell you, it was as good as any church picnic I have ever been too. There was a lot of great food and fellowship and so far this has been about my best year ever coming up here.

Well, it's late again. Time to tuck in and get ready for the final day and hopefully those does come back and I'll be putting one in the freezer when I get home. Happy hunting y'all.

Prentice Cooper 2010: Day 2

Morning:
This morning started about as bad as it could. I got up at 3'am and it was almost downright cold. It dipped down into the 50's last night and I left the windows open in the tent. That together with a light steady breeze really cooled it off. I finally motivated myself, got out of bed, got ready to go and did a final gear check. I had everything except the most important thing: my permit for the hunt. I looked in all my stuff, in the truck and everywhere. It was no where to be found. So I thought maybe it blew out of the truck when I got out at my spot yesterday. So I laid back down and waited on daylight. I got up, went and looked and couldn't find it. 

I called my wife and it was at home. I very sweetly asked her to bring and meet me at the interstate exit and headed out. They always have a checkpoint set up to check licenses, permits and hunters Ed cards so I figured a ticket was coming. 

They weren't set up yet but were at the checking station, so I stopped and talked to them. I told them what happened and Mr. Bailey, the game warden who checks everybody asked me to step over to his truck and give him my hunting license. I thought I was in for it. He called Crossville on the radio and verified my permit and wrote the same on my license. Of course people were coming out by then and everybody saw him writing and I got quite a bit of razzing about getting a ticket. It was all in good fun of course.

After that, I came back to camp and fixed something to eat (some good ole fried bologna), took a nap and got ready for a hot evening hunt. I also talked to some friends from past years for a little catching up. It was an enjoyable afternoon after a very rough morning. 

Afternoon:
Got up from my nap with a massive headache. I took some excedrin migraine and headed to the woods. It was hot and there wasn't much of a breeze down in the draw I was in. I did see about 30 turkeys move into the corn field and two does on the ridge across from where I was at. I just couldn't take a 60 yd. shot in the woods. 

I came down to head back and moved my set up over towards the other ridge and the other end of the field. The guy camped behind me is hunting the second field next to me on the other end, so we decided to work together and hunt the closest ends with the deer moving between us. Maybe one of us will get a shot in the morning. 

I'm fixing to eat a big bowl of camp stew from my neighbors. They asked to use my stove to heat it up and offered me some. It's got deer, potatoes, carrots and onions. It smells so good and I'm sure it will taste just as good. Then I'm gonna crash for the night and hit it again in the morning. Happy hunting y'all. 

Totals so far: Bucks-1; doe-4

Prentice Cooper 2010: Day 1

Morning:
I got up and left about 9 am this morning. I made a stop at the gas station for ice then Walmart for a couple more items and I was on my way. I arrived at camp about 10:30 am and got the truck unloaded and everything set up. Afterwards, I grabbed a bottle of water, some viennas and crackers and a peanut butter bar and kicked back for a bit. 

The weather is unseasonably warm and dry so I went to get my spot set up. It is way off the beaten path and only accessible by atv or 4 wheel drive. I am set up between two very good food plots with water and thick cover close. My buddy, Sam, has hunted here a few times and has always saw deer. He sent me the GPS coordinates so it was easy to find.  I have a good feeling and high hopes. I just hope I can navigate the terrain well in the dark in the morning. 

I'm back at camp now eating some lunch and relaxing. I may even take a nap. I just wish I had brought my hammock. Oh well. I always seem to forget something and if that's all I forgot then I'm doing good. 

Afternoon/Evening:
I took a nap (a big thank you to whoever invented the air mattress) and now I'm roaming seeing who is here from past years and who isn't. So far the guys that usually camp next to me haven't showed up. I have only seen a couple of people that I have seen or met before. So far there aren't very many people here. There are a lot of empty campsites which is very unusual. It is a 500 hunter quota and there are usually almost that many here on Fri. 

I did talk to Clint and Joel, the game wardens who live here and saw some pictures of some very nice deer that were harvested last year on the first gun hunt. The was a 14 pointer, several nice 8's one of which dressed at 185 lbs. and a crazy looking non-typical 10 with a full double beam on one side. It wasn't wide but all three beams were tall with long G2's and G3's. 

Maybe this weekend will hold some good luck, a lot of fun and help restock my freezer. Time to settle down and settle in for the night. I'm having mac and cheese with spam chunks for dinner. It's really good and an old favorite from my backpacking days. I'm gonna do a little star gazing and then hit the sack and get ready for 4 am in the morning. Happy hunting all.

Prentice Cooper 2010: Preparation.

Well, I have the truck packed and ready to head out in the morning. I keep everything pretty organized so it didn't take long. I keep my hunting gear and camping gear in totes so all I have to do is grab a tote and go. My food and cooking supplies were already boxed up so all I had to do was load it up. All I have to do is pack my camp clothes in the morning and I'm on my way. I always carry clothed just for wearing in camp so I can keep my hunting clothed scent free. I will take a scent free shower tonight and another one in the morning before I leave. I will also take my scent free soap to clean up with. 

One of the best investments I have made was a 7 gallon water jug. It gives me plenty of water to wash up with, do dishes and spare water to drink if needed. After many years in the scouts, the military and camping and hunting, I have found you can't be too prepared. Also, over the years, it's seems the one thing people never have enough of is water. They seem to think of everything else but never seem to have enough fluids especially water.

Right now I'm enjoying time with my wife and getting ready for my shower and bed. I will post daily updates throughout the weekend. Goodnight y'all and see you tomorrow.