I've waived the white flag after putting some miles on the boots. Bring on the deep snow for late season bow.
Well stated and I agree.I dang near cried when shooting light faded yesterday. I have evolved over the years. I used to hate to see gun season coming, hated it because it signaled the end, or at the least a change, to bow hunting. I also always had misgivings that every deer in the woods was shot dead and in someone's freezer. Things have changed. Relative to what it was years ago, gun season is a very laid back thing today. I no longer see every dude with a pickup truck out trying to kill deer. I haven't seen a hillside covered with orange dots in years. It no longer sounds like a war at first light, the shots I hear these days are few and far between relative to what it once was. Now, I look at gun season as a time to swing the odds in my favor. I can sneak through those bedding areas I have avoided for 2 months. I can keep the wind in my face or ear, keep my steps light and slow, and walk right up on deer that before I had only hoped would leave their beds before sundown. My butt does not get tired of sitting. My feet may get chilly, but I'm not going to let them go numb. I don't have to have a harness tied on to keep me from plummeting to my death. If I get up late and the sun is over the eastern horizon, all the better... you can't shoot 'em when you can't see 'em! There is no "wait till tomorrow" if you suspect you haven't made the ideal shot...just follow 'em and shoot 'em again. Wait for a good angle? Nah, aim for exit. When you do take a shot, half the time the deer doesn't take a step!
The tradition of it all is what I like the most, even if those traditions only mean something in my mind. I love the smell of a freshly oiled gun. I like the rattle of 12 gauge shells in my pocket. I like the way blaze orange looks hanging on the back of our kitchen chairs the night before season. I like a Stanley thermos sitting on the table beside those orange-clad chairs. Sharpened knives, and touching the edge just to see... I like it all!
With my perspective being now clear, I gotta ask TOO, what is not to like about gun season? 51 weeks from now, I'll be as excited as a school boy again.
The same can be said regardless of implement used.I don't like the weekend warriors, some who don't even know where their guns are hitting before they hunt. Another deer got wounded on the best farm I bow hunt. His dad wounded a huge buck with his crossbow back in November. I also don't like the Amish, that is all.
I don't like the weekend warriors, some who don't even know where their guns are hitting before they hunt. Another deer got wounded on the best farm I bow hunt. His dad wounded a huge buck with his crossbow back in November. I also don't like the Amish, that is all.
The same can be said regardless of implement used.