opening day

[archery bum]

Here it is a week before the opener. You decide to go pull your trail cams down, you get there and check your cameras and see 3 good bulls hanging out in the area. Not book bulls but good bulls, a couple of 5x5\'s and a small 6x6. You get back home and this is all you think about and talk about for a week. This would be by far the biggest bull you would ever put an arrow in if you got the chance. Finely opening day is here, you are on a 10 day hunt. You grab your stuff and start hiking in to the spot where your trail cams were to try and locate one of these bulls. It\'s just getting light and you are about 10 to 15 mins from the spot you are going too. You spot some movement and hunker down, it\'s a small legal bull with 4 points on one side and a couple of young cows maybe 2 years old. It\'s legal shooting time and you have a great shooting lane that they are coming into, they didn\'t see you and the wind is perfect. They are calm and relaxed just grazing into the shooting lane, this is going to be a chip shot at about 25 to 30 yards max. You are at full draw when they hit the shooting lane, this is the first few hours of opening day. DO YOU SHOOT or wait and see if you can locate one of the bulls you been thinking about for a week?

 

[cnelk]

This is a very good description if you want to be in the 10% Club or not....

 

[archery bum]

it\'s all about what you want? decisions decisions

 

[bowhunter]

No thought needed. Shoot >>>>---------->. Then spend some vacation time scouting and fishing

 

[otcWill]

No thought needed. Shoot >>>>---------->. Then spend some vacation time scouting and fishing

Well said, Terry. I have held off in similar situations before and wished I hadn\'t. I\'d rather eat a rag than a tag!

 

[Lark Bunting]

No thought needed. Shoot >>>>---------->. Then spend some vacation time scouting and fishing

This!

Easy for me to say though, I\'m taking the first legal animal I can put my sight on.

Sometimes I feel a little lucky to be a rookie at this thing. :mrgreen: I don\'t have to stress about getting a bigger bull than years past. :mrgreen:

 

[Bob Frapples]

\"Never pass on day one what you would shoot on your last day\".

Been burned by this old adage on nearly every one of my Midwest whitetail trips, I\'m more of a middle of the road trophy hunter, I\'d rather not take a small buck or bull if I solo, but if I\'ve got a buddy with me I\'d whack so we don\'t go home empty handed.

It\'s definitely a decision to ponder and decide before you get off in the woods and don\'t look back. One other thing that\'s a fact , once the bulls down, the fun is over and the work begins.

 

[Bob Frapples]

Double post somehow ?

 

[cohunter14]

I agree with everyone here...I would shoot. Spend the next 9 days learning the area better so you can take one of those bigger bulls next year! They will only be bigger by then too

 

[archery bum]

Come on people! You\'ve been thinking of these bulls for a week straight driving you crazy. Nobodies holding out, this is the first day of a 10 day hunt. One out of the 3 bulls has a good chance of still being in the area, don\'t you think?

 

[cnelk]

A week is a long time for elk to stay in one place, especially during September.

Think \'Gift Horse\' and drop the string opening morning

 

[Colorado_Lew]

As someone already posted \" Never pass on the first day, what you would shoot on the last day\".
Sound advice!

 

[elkmtngear]

Hmmm...shoot and have a little regret...or pass and possibly have huge regret when the big boys no-show. :?

If it is the public land area where I hunt...I\'m shootin\' ! :upthumb:

Shot opportunities in a Season are limited in my experience.

 

[Bullnuts]

Since I hunt with my kids in tow, someone is going to shoot that bull AND both cows if they stay still long enough to get it done! I\'d rather spend the week sleeping in, fishing, and shooting grouse than wishing I had taken the shot!

 

[Buglemaster]

OK Ab, I\'ll hold out. Let the youngster grow a few more years..that\'s what I\'ll do this fall. I even have the 10 days off on the calendar at work.Only have 1 disclaimer to this scenario ..If I don\'t pull that tag I\'ve waited on for 12 years, my arrow is already home.

 

[mainebrdr]

It all depends on why you are there!!

 

[cnelk]

Dave
In 2012, opening morning, I passed on a 6x6 that would have been a nice OTC bull.
But like you, I had waited 12 years for something bigger and I had 2 weeks.

It only took 3 morning hunts to get it done.

You could very well be done opening morning :clap:

 

[WW]

Tell you what Bum: I can tell you what I\'d do and everyone else can tell you what they\'d do. But the plain and simple fact is, when that moment of truth presents itself, you are the only one that can make the decision.

 

[archery bum]

I already know what I would do. One of them cows would be going home with me and let the bull grow up(that is if he could make it by everybody else). I\'m a meat hunter not a trophy hunter, although like I said before I like headgear just like everybody else I just like the meat more. thats one reason I don\'t own any trail cams I don\'t want to know whats out there hanging around. Makes it easier to make my decisions in the heat of the moment.