I always loved the outdoors. I can remember reading Outdoorlife and Field and Stream and seeing the ads sleep under the stars and catch your breakfast from a stream, become a forest ranger. I was 10 at the time. My brother was the first to take me hunting and it took off from there. The excitement of your first hunt the sleepless nights can't be matched. Smell the woods on 30 degree windless day. Hear the sound of deer before you see them all these things keep me coming back. When you hunt there are three things involved, yourself, nature and the deer. It's an awesome challenge that I always look forward to. People say in the Fall things start dying around them.
I think just the opposite, it's where life begins. The Fall lights my inner sole and let's me get in touch with what's important in life. All this happens on the deer stand and I would rather be no other place. As we move on in life priorities change and shooting that big buck isn't so important. Just being out there and hopefully passing on traditions to the younger generation. My best trophy wasn't that PY deer I shot but was the smile on a 14 year old boys face after he shot a button buck on his 1st bow hunt. I mentored him and will never forget the experience.....................