Bud looks forward to making more memories in his 60th hunting season
As usual, I have been marking off days on my calendar in the den. I started using a Scripto marking pen back in January when the deer season closed. Every morning, when I got up, I would mark off another day, and mornings in September were no different. I put on a pot of coffee and then grabbed the Scripto to cross off another day.
Why did I do this? Very simply, each day makes it closer to deer season, and now we are here!
I consider every deer season special because I love heading for the woods and anticipating another deer season. This is year is maybe extra special because it is my 60th deer season. I started deer hunting with a bow and shotgun back in 1964, and as luck would have it, I shot the first deer I saw on Opening Day at the Winamac Game Preserve.
I can't claim skill, but I got cold and was heading for my buddy's station wagon to warm up. I will admit, I was heading in the wrong direction, walking down the fire lane when I heard a noise. I looked up, and here came a big doe running directly toward me. Some other hunter had spooked that deer.
I dropped to my knee like I had seen in hunting movies, and I drew the bow back. I was shaking so bad from nerves. I released the bowstring, and I saw the arrow strike the deer. It jumped a couple times and ran off, and I saw it drop. That situation created a fire in me that still remains.
I am not ashamed to admit, even at my age today, (almost 80) I am still excited and have trouble sleeping the night before any hunt. I have made so many memories, met so many people, made so many friends, and been to so many places during my hunting career. I have also enjoyed more success than many other hunters.
If you are a truly dedicated hunter, you understand completely. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a hunter, and I do not apologize to anyone. I do not expect you to explain to me what you enjoy doing to make your life more enjoyable. I understand that hunting is not for everyone, but neither is bowling, playing golf, pitching horseshoes, or whatever.
I have several mounted deer heads in my den, and they are not for stroking my ego. I can look at each animal, and I can recall the year it was taken, where it was taken, the hunting buddies who were with me, and the hard work that was involved in the preparation of the hunt, the shot execution, and the effort of trailing the animal to the recovery.
There is a lot of work and effort involved in being a successful deer hunter, and even when I am asked, "What deer are you most proud of?" I quickly answer, "Every one of them."
Not all of my deer harvests were big bucks. Sure, I have taken some dandy bucks, but I have also taken some pretty respectable mature does. I have several hundred photos of me proudly posing with a big doe, and I was proud of every one of them. They filled my freezer and fed my family. I considered that more important than mounted deer.
Many people might question why and how I consider this deer season a milestone. Well, I know a lot of my hunting buddies I had the pleasure of hunting with are no longer with us. We never know when the sands of the hourglass will run out on us, but I plan to make the most of it.
I would be delighted if I could have another 60 years of hunting, but that is impossible. All the cold, wet mornings spent sitting 20 feet up in a tree, hoping to see deer activity and hoping for the opportunity to take a deer, are as important to me as any memory I have. All the great hours spent in deer camp with the guys will never be forgotten.
All I can do is take each day, each hunt, and enjoy them as long as possible. To the younger generation of hunters that I have been fortunate enough to introduce to hunting. I just hope they can relate to how much enjoyment I had over the years.
I admit to being frustrated many times, but that just encouraged me more to keep going forward and convincing myself early on in my hunting career that memories are the most important trophies you can have.