Today was my opener here in my wildlife management unit, 2B, here in PA. Here is my story and some pics form this morning's hunt.

I was hunting a friend's farm a couple miles from the house and he is wanting some doe gone and I am wanting to restock my freezer with venison. I know there are some bucks out here that I would shoot if I had the chance but I had already made up my mind that if I saw a nice lone doe without fawns that I was going to try to shoot her.

I was up in my Lone Wolf portable shortly after 6 am waiting for daylight. It was about 55 degrees here this morning and a little foggy.

This first picture shows the view from my tree about 15 feet up. That old tram road is about 15 yards in front of me and beyond it is a nasty thicket down over a hill. Behind me about a 100 yards is a corn field. Deer usually travel back and forth between the thicket and the corn.

At around 6:50 I caught movement about 70 yards to my left as a deer was making it's way up the old tram road towards me. I saw it was a nice sized doe and she was by herself. She cut off the tram road and was walking off to my right. I sat tight as I didn't have a shot and didn't want to try to turn for one. As luck would have it she turned around and headed back up to the tram road.

When she hit the opening you see in this picture at about 15 yards broadside, I shot.

The shot looks great and bolts up over the knuckle on the other side of the tram road towards the thick stuff. I can only see her for about 15 yards (a couple seconds) before she disappears over the crest. I hear what sounds like a crash right after she is out of sight.

I hang my bow back on the holder, check the time and collect myself and my thoughts. I'm not ashamed to admit that I get pretty ramped up after I shoot a deer, I hope I never lose that feeling! I figure I'll wait about 30 minutes before I start climbing down. This should put me right around 45 minutes by the time I climb down and get my stand and gear situated.

As I'm sitting there, I think I can see a red spot on the ground where she was at when I shot but I'm not 100%. I am pretty sure I got a clean pass through but I cant see my arrow from where I'm at.

After what seems like forever, I make my way carefully out of my tree. I stow my gear and walk over to where she was when I shot and where I thought I could see the red from up in the tree.

Yep, great blood at impact site!

I look just a little beyond where she was standing when I shot and I can see my arrow and I can tell it's passed clean through her.

I inspect the arrow carefully and it's soaked from tip to end. It picked up a little end on right at the wrap but no matter, it did it's job. I stash it in my quiver and look ahead and can see ample blood.

That should read that my arrow picked up a little bend at the wrap in the above post, sorry.

Keep it coming man!!!!! And congrats!

The blood is plentiful but I take my time. It gets really thick in here and it would be easy to overlook sign or even a dead deer depending on how and where it fell.

I get to the knuckle of the hill and there she is about 5 yards beyond where I caught the last glimpse of her when she took off. The crash I heard was her coming to rest here.

Looking good!

I am blessed to have killed this beautiful doe this morning!

I had to hurry a little and get her dressed and drug to the truck as the temperature was already starting to climb. She is skinned and hanging in my neighbor's walk in and I'll cut her up in a week or two.

I had to try to take a pic of myself with me, the deer and my bow to silence any skeptics LOL.

The bow is my Bear Grizzly 46# at my draw. Easton 1916 aluminums tipped with razor sharp Magnus Stinger 125 grain 2 blades. Really happy with this combo.

Happy hunting everyone!

Well done! Thanks for letting us come along.

Great start to a season! congrats !

Congratulations! Nice shooting.

Your the man that was a great shot my friend .I see some steak on the grill

Nice hunt.Great shot..

I have to throw a shout out to my good friend Frank (Nemophilist). My bow is wearing the Great Northern strap on quiver he gifted me and he's given me some great shooting advice over the years.

Thanks bro!

Congrats!! Well done Sir!

Great job Supernaut. Good to see you and the grizzly making meat.

pretty awesome! great shot too! looked like a great combination of bow and arrows etc. no other feeling like it, gotta love it!

Congrats. Nice write-up! That'll be a story to remember and mix with campfire smoke when amongst friends. You started the season in grand fashion!

That's the way to get it done Jim, congratulations. Shick

yes great story and thanks for taking us along!

Good job! Backstraps are what’s for dinner!

Congratulations! Great memories….

Great hunt!

Congratulations Jim! Glad to see the pride in your face. Well written; I could feel your excitement.

Lance

Great shot, well done, & good story telling. >>>----> Ken

Congratulations. Perfect shot placement

Way to go, a classic set-up for sure…

Great story. Congratulations on a beautiful Doe.

Congratulations, and what a great story the way you told it. That was like being there. Well done.

Well done!

Thanks for all the comments and I apologize for any misspelling or grammatical errors.

One of my favorite things to enjoy here are other folks hunting stories and pictures. I'm glad I can add to it and with any luck I'll be able to add some more.

I hope everyone has a safe and blessed season!

Congratulations! Good shot and great story. Love seeing the vintage bows still doing the job.

Congrats on a great hunt all around! Fine shooting and perfect shot placement!

My opener is next Saturday in this part of PA. You got me excited now!

Well done, and thanks for the great story.

Congrats and thanks for sharing

sweet!!

very exciting... awesome, congratulations!!!

Dang Jim you got me too excited! I should have said two weeks till our opening day here. LOL!

Congratulations, your lucky to have a walk in cooler, too hot for good deer meat

Congrats

I'm back in the same tree for this evenings sit. Hoping to get a shot at a buck.

79 degrees at the moment but I'm hunting and life is good.

Congrats.

Way to go!!

Outstanding and Congratulations!

Very nice and congrats buddy. Great pic

Congrats, way to start off the season. I was out in eastern Pa. 5C. Only saw one deer a ways off in the morning, nothing this evening.

Congrats and thanks for story and details. Getting me excited!!!

Good job

Congrats!

So I take it that Pa has different opening days for different areas?

way to go Jim!...

Doc, yeah PA has a couple WMU's (wildlife management units) that open 2 weeks before our statewide opener and stay in 2 weeks longer than the rest of the state so if you hunt in one of those units, you get an extra month of archery season.

Great Job. Splendid shot Jim. Congratulations.

Is this a bonus type tag which allows you to try for a buck still?

If so, Best of skill going after your buck; Regardless this is an outstanding hunt.

Stay Safe/Shoot Straight. MT

Thanks MT

In PA we can only kill one buck a season and different wildlife management units have different point restrictions. For instance, the WMU I hunt 2B has a point restriction of "3 UP" meaning that for a buck to be legal it has to have at least 3 points on one side of the rack not counting a brow time.

As far as doe tags they are also issued based on the WMU you wish to hunt. In a lot of units you have to apply for them by mail by a certain date to the county treasurer or you won't get a doe tag for that unit as they set limits on how many tags they issue.

In some units like the one I hunt they have an abundance of doe tags and they never seem to sell out. The county treasurer is only about 10 miles from my house so I can run up and grab a doe tag or two if I want depending on my work schedule.

I still have another doe tag but I'll likely try for a buck the rest of archery and save the other doe tag for our flint lock season that comes in after Christmas.

Congrats, doesn't get any better than that.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story! I really enjoyed following along, you did a great job!

This is my home state and area!! Congrats! I love seeing this post! Was too hot for this guy yesterday but im hoping next weekend works!

Ron, it was a warm one yesterday and I'm glad I have access to the neighbors cooler! My hunting time will be a little more limited than normal this year as I have to be on site daily for a project we are doing for the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Best of luck to you this season!

Congratulations on the doe, and a good start.

-Bones

Congratulations

Congratulations Jim, (I'm a little late opening the thread.)

Nice! Well done young man. You'll get that buck tagged I'm sure.

Well done!

Congrats and great story!

Well done, congratulations

Great day!!! I’m very happy for you my friend. Nice job! Awesome story.

Awesome! Greatly enjoyed hearing about your hunt. Congrats

Good job!

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the pics and story.

Way to go. Congrats!!!

Outstanding! Congrats on a fine doe. That’s going to be good eating. Nice shooting too!

Congrats!

Congratulations!

Great story Jim. Thanks for sharing.

Congrats

Cool, congrats

Yep, I'll shoot a doe.

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