Post by dennis on Jan 20, 2023 12:33:30 GMT -5
When I was a boy my dad was a hunter and had beagles for rabbit hunting. As young boy my dad took my older brother and I, (not at the same time), with him and we got to observe the running of the beagles and an occasional rabbit/food harvested. I recall in 5th grade @ around 1pm my teacher going to the door then coming back to me and asking aloud did I want to go with my dad hunting. All I heard from the boys in my class was ohh man. Of coarse you know my answer was let's go. Later in jr. high I took a hunter safety course I think about 1970 and after this began the hunting journey as a loner. I took a lot of rabbits a few squirrel and some pheasant and quail. I had never seen a live deer until after I got out of the army in '75. Now Here goes my (hard) learned self taught deer hunting. I was trying to hunt deer like rabbits expecting them to jump right out in front of me, I Knew nothing about deer and should have had either an experienced hunter to guide me or done a little research at the very least but as you know, I knew everything when I was that young. After several (painful) years of these type of hunts my brother next in age under me bought me a climber as a gift for helping him on a couple jobs. ( Change of direction), I started to realize that waiting for the deer to come, (within eyesight) to me, I had my best chances at harvesting an animal. My success rate has since been so much greater than the rabbit hunting method. This deer season and last I was blessed to be able to hunt with good friend Mark and both last year, with 11 deer between us in Tenn., and this season with 12 in Tenn. between us and 3in Oh. and Mark shot 3 in Ky. We have shared in this and spoken of, how could it possibly get better? I was blessed to shoot my personal best buck this year at 67yrs. old I doubt I will best this one but I am out for the food and the thrill of the hunt as it was instilled in me as a young boy.