Doemasters

This is what it' s all about & why I go back year after year:

Opening Day

As the blackness gives way to grays I can make out the silhouette of a large white oak tree directly in front of me. I' ve been listening to what sounds like rain for a half hour now. The sound is, in fact, an abundant acorn crop; a welcomed distraction after last year' s drought stricken season. I watch a busy squirrel scurry down the tree and begin gathering the plentiful wealth of winter meals lying about the forest floor. Slowly, the grays yield to yellows, oranges, & reds & I have become the centerpiece of a tapestry only God could paint. The air is crisp & clean & somehow therapeutic, as the worries of the previous week now seem less significant. I' ve waited eight long months for this morning; for this reunion. Suddenly, I hear rustling in the distant leaves. My heart races & my eyes light up. Is it a deer? Is it a buck? As the noise comes closer, my heart pounds harder to the point of bursting out of my chest. I tell myself to calm down, to take deep breaths... but it' s no use, the moment has embraced me as if to say " welcome home." This is Opening Day

Five Minute Willie

I' ve been the butt of many of the jokes of the hunters (mostly family) that share the property I hunt on. They have trouble understanding how I can let little deer or does with little ones walk by unassaulted. On many occasions I have sat and watched immature bucks spar for hours at distances shorter than 30 yards. It' s a lot of fun and you can learn a lot from them. I think that by letting them walk there is a good chance one may return in a few years with an enormous rack and give me an easy shot in return for the favor of letting them walk years before. The problem is that every other hunter (except my father) shoots anything that moves. Fortunately PA instituted a new law last year requiring a buck to have three scoreable points on one side to be considered a legal deer. Hopefully that will help improve the odds of getting the wall hanger I' m looking for.

Keep up the " good" work!

A.K.A eastwood

that was awsome. very well put.

as far as phases that hunters go through. i agree, and i think people in genral go through these types of phases in every aspect of life. ill give two senarios

dating/women/gettin some -

1st phase - magazines, day dreaming, your willing to nail anything that moves and for some of us (excluding atlasman ...just kidding..) it happens

2nd phase - youve finally honed your pick up lines and style, you know what " usually" works. its not as challenging anymore so you decide you want a hottie, and for the next few years you waste your time trying to land a " trophy/arm candy"

3rd phase - you wise up and realize that your trophys gets hit on even while your standing right beside her by the guys that are going through phase 2 and your tired of gettnig your heart ripped out of your chest tossed in the gutter.

4th phase - you begin the search for the one. obviously looks still count, but not as much. you actually listen to her talk so you can find out what kind of person she really is. who cares if she isnt a 36-24-36, she flips your switch and that all that matters.

5th phase - you finally have the one youve been looking for and realize the beauty in all women. its not just implants and big ol DSL lips, its the person inside them.

the other senario is work/jobs/careers

1st - young, gung ho, wanna take on the world. your goal is to make 60k a year by the time your 26 years old.

2nd phase - your now 26 and your still under the 50k mark and realize 47k isnt that bad. its basically the salary your father retired at. but you would stilllike to hit that 60k mark, so you start looking for a job with another company.

3rd phase - you find a job with another company for 2k more than what you wer making at your last job, but you boss is an idiot and one of the guys you work with has really bad breath, but you deal with it. your yearly review come around and its a fatty...10% salary increase. your now 30 years old you make almost 55k a year but your in another tax bracet and your about to get married. you get married nad have kids.

4th phase - you have kids, and a wife. now your major concern is just keeping your job beacuse it has GREAT benifits, you own a house and and two cars and your wife can stay at home and care for the kids. now your 33 and your just shy of 60k but your happy you have a good paying job, plenty of vacation time to hunt, great benifits and your family is happy.

Smitty_nc1

You can' t eat the horns. Maybe chew on them but they can' t be very good. As for the doe tag, have you considered giving back? What I' m talking about is donating a deer (whole or portions) to FHFH ( www.fhfh.com )? The good Lord created to wildlife for us, why not give a little back? Not trying to preach or anything just thinking about the kids that don' t have much to eat or a place to sleep.