Starting to think about hunting

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Quality over Quantity
I am not an avid hunter, but I love getting out in the woods with my son and deer hunting. At the age of 64 and 6 years of hunting, I took my first deer last year. I had several opportunities over those years, but never saw anything I wanted to shoot until a really old buck stepped out.

So, being about 4 months away from firearm deer season I find myself thinking about preparing and being ready to go when the time comes.

Anyone else getting the bug to hit the woods? Deer, turkey, Elk, moose, squirrel, rabbit, quail, dove, pheasant, coyotes, fox, bear? Make no difference IMO. It's all about getting out with friends and family and sharing the experience, along with hopefully getting some organic meat for the winter.

Anyone else starting to think about it and making plans?
 
When I was a kid, I loved to hunt. But when I went to college, I had to work (usually two jobs) and didn't have the time. I lost interest. Occasionally I get the urge to go out, but then I think about all the planning and work that goes into it - not to mention getting up at 4am...and I change my mind.
 
I am physically unable to stomp the woods as I did as a kid and a young man. My favorite of all was dove and duck hunting. The most memorable was bow hunting squirrels with a quiver full of hand made florescent orange Flu-Flu arrows that I made myself. I never killed many squirrels but I had a great time in the woods. If I could find a good place to sit for doves I could definitely do that, but I know no land owners. I live on 2 1/2 acre of ground surrounded by the Withlacoochee State forest. We have deer, hog and turkeys that visit our property. They are more fun to watch than to hunt. Last Summer we had two fawn that used our property as a playground. They had a blast and so did we, watching them.
 
IMG_2615.JPG I hear what you guys are saying. In my life hunting was something way down the list of importance. But as I have gotten older and have more free time, deer hunting is something I love doing with my oldest son. It is much more than killing a deer and enjoying the meat in the freezer. It's extreme quality time with my son. The deer I shot was an old guy and several people that saw him said I probably did him a favor. Just what I wanted for a first deer.
 
My father-in-law is an avid deer hunter and has taken his two deer every season since 1974.

I'm far from a bleeding heart type, but every time I've gone out, esp during snowfall, I always just end up soaking up the scenery and passing on the opportunities.

I did pass on this one in 1999 and my mother-in-law took it the following season. Her first and only deer which at the time was the 88th largest taken according the Boone and Crockett.

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Pffttt,.. to the 4am cold coffee trudge into the woods.
My ground squirrel blind has hot and cold running water, flushing toilets, television, beds, all the comforts of home, because its out on my patio.
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The gallery (in part):
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Does it work?
see attached image.
Warning:
If you don't want to see a dead, destructive rodent, don't open the image.

adding,...
This started as a utilitarian effort to remove an abundant rodent population, but, has become so much more.
 

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Went to the range today to make sure my deer rifle is still sighted in well. 3 shots later at 100 yds and I think it's close enough.
 
Go for deer with my sister - love every minute of it. Have to miss turkey this year because there's only 10 days left and I can't fit it in with who I was supposed to go with unfortunately as I am preparing for a move. But I'm about to prepare some homegrown turkeys before the move so I will have to settle, lol.

Love waterfowl and pheasant but haven't since losing my GSP. It was so much fun training and working with him. Hopefully someday I will get to do it again.
 
I'm not against hunting at all.... that said, I hope you guys are at least responsible about it.

Out my way, we get (what I've heard some call) "slob hunters". I don't know if that is a derragatory hunting term or just something someone used.

We get the obligatory trespassers "oh, I didn't know where the border was" (interesting how 100% of the people I speak with when they are on the OTHER side of the boarder, are very quick to point out they know EXACTLY where the border is and they're on the correct side)

We've had theft

We've had someone gut their deer not near, not next to but ON our driveway

Some SOB shot two of my dogs, one being a puppy. Had I been there and caught him, someone was going to be in a world of pain (to be fair, it might have been ME but I'd gone down fighting)

We've been within 12" of being BLOCKED from going through our driveway for all the vehicles (trucks) parked haphazardly down by the lake on the first day of open season.

Had someone SO bent on driving to their location (verses walking I suppose) they pulled a tree laying along the road (put there by TVA to be a barrier against entry into the woods in a vehicle) and the (insert derratory comment) idiots moved the tree to BLOCK the road on our side (other side of the tree could come & go as long as they were turning into woods). That was nice to find at 6:30 a.m. as I was leaving for work. To add insult to their being jerks, TVA installed not one, but TWO parking lots, just for them but they still have to park everywhere on a small county road that is only about 12/15 feet wide (total).

As a Sheriff once told me after they shot my dogs.... "I'm guessing they've made it personal"

Yep.
 
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