Surprise! Didn’t think you’d get another entry so soon, did ya. I’m known for that. (chuckle) Anyway, I just thought I’d bring my dedicated readers up to par on the events of this past weekend.

Some good friends of ours live in southern Arkansas where the wide areas of pine groves, hardwoods and country roads give whitetail deer the perfect environment to flourish. They own a patch of this hunter’s paradise and invited me down to hunt in a privately owned area where I didn’t have to pay some outlandishly expensive membership fee just for a chance at getting a deer.

Well, early Saturday morning, that chance came. I got my first deer at the age of 32. Other hunters might chuckle and wonder why it took me this long to bag my first deer. But if you don’t know the way I was brought up, then you wouldn’t know that the only hunting I’ve really done is with my grandfather and then by myself.

My dad’s not really an avid hunter. I enjoy it, though. What I know, I’ve had to either learn through instruction or on my own. I’m no seasoned pro. I know the fundamentals and I know the safety aspect, but it’s not like I was sitting on a 4-wheeler at the age of 10 with a deer draped across the back rack.

I didn’t go on my first deer hunt until I was about 17 years old. I try to go each year, though I rarely see many deer. The area I live in is over-hunted and under-stocked on deer. I have hunting clubs all around me and a wildlife refuge area located just down the road from my house. What usually happens during deer season is this;

The “smart” deer typically feed at night in the open pastures near my home, and then return to the safety of the protected refuge by morning’s light. Thereby avoiding the high-powered rifles, bows and muzzle-loaders. There are a few times when deer will linger in pastures. These are the ones that typically get picked off in a matter of time.

At any rate, my deer was a doe. She had plenty of meat and will be a welcome addition to our freezer. I nearly got a shot at a 6-point, but it wasn’t a clean shot so I didn’t take it. Too many trees in the way to pull off a killing shot, and I certainly didn’t want to just injure the animal. I always try my best to be an ethical hunter. I kill what I’ll eat. I eat what I kill. And I’ll never take an unsure shot.

Well, enough of my rambling for now. More later.