The pressure is unreal here. We just can’t get away from it. However, we make the most of what we have and continue searching. We didn’t have a very eventful day, as we saw quite a few little ones first thing in the morning but not much afterward. Our boys from the South killed a nice buck today in the spot where I hung the stand for our group.
The reason I know they killed it is because Dad was headed to the stand to sit there, and he saw them while heading in. I’m glad Dad taught me the unwritten rules of hunting while growing up, and I’m glad he showed me how to respect fellow hunters. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I wish he could have been a mentor for many of the people I’ve encountered in the woods over the years. I’ve met very few people who haven’t gained a lot from Dad, especially when it comes to lessons in the outdoors. He had given so many different people an opportunity to do things they never dreamed of. He has also taught people more things about deer hunting and woodsmanship than anyone I know.
Unlike me, Dad has unlimited patience when it comes to dealing with people. He just lets things roll off his shoulders. I tend to hold on to it for a bit longer and let it eat away at me. That’s why I was surprised when I saw Dad show a little bit of emotion about what has gone on the last few days. It might be because Dad has gotten older and can’t get around as well as he used to be able to get around, which limits the spots he can hunt. It might also be because he saw all of the work we did, and now these guys are hunting in every single place we are hunting, even though here are thousands of acres of other land in the area to hunt. I’ve never seen much bother him, but he voiced his concern over this to me. He also told me to just let it go and do what I do best, which is what I did yesterday.
Dad is in the New York State Outdoorsman Hall of Fame because of his mentorship in the outdoors. He’s also there because he knows the code of ethics for hunters and outdoorsmen and has passed these on to many other hunters. Instead of driving a school bus in his retirement, maybe he should go on the road and speak about hunting ethics. I’m not sure what makes people do the things they do while hunting, but I wish I could get in others’ minds. I’m not sure if it’s because they don’t have enough confidence in their own abilities or maybe they’re just lazy and take the easy way out.
Between these clowns and everything else going on in my world right now, this trip has been very unenjoyable. I worry about Mom daily, even though she remains upbeat every time I hear from her. Even at 53, I still learn many lessons from my parents every day, week, month and year. I thank them for that.