The season opened statewide today. It was a great morning to hunt. After yesterday’s washout, it was a pleasant relief to hunt on a cool, calm morning. Dad hunted with me today. I was certain that we would see deer, but we didn’t see a thing.
It seems that most of my friends saw deer today and had some luck, too. Smitty killed a really nice 8-pointer, and Brian shot a doe. Smitty did a good job with his cameras, allowing himself to be set up in the right place to get a great opportunity and capitalize on it.
As I sat in the stand today, I listened to a few flocks of geese heading south. It brought me back to a time when I did the same thing in the same piece of woods 34 years ago. My father had built a tree stand for me, and I sat in it on opening day. On that morning, I listened to geese for the better half of the time I spent in the stand. It’s one of those day that I will remember for as long as I live. After years of waiting, I was finally able to join my father in the woods while he went one day to hunt and I went in a different direction. He came back to get me, and we walked out of the woods together.
This morning made it seem like that day happened a few years ago. I’ve learned a lot about many different things, including life, in the time I’ve spent in the woods after being introduced to bow hunting when I was 14. I’m hoping for many more great days of hunting with Dad this season. Although we didn’t see any deer today, I had a great time.