I have hit a point in my life where I can say that I have been hunting for longer than I haven’t.  Each hunting season provides you with new experiences, new stories and opportunities to learn and be better than you were the year before. This past season, I found two ways that I have changed in my hunting habits since I started.

Lesson 1:

On opening day of the season, as first light broke, a slew of gun shots rang out.  I think I counted 8.  It was windy, the refreshing kind and not the chill-you-to-the-bone kind. I was grateful to be in the Sky Condo again.

I scanned the woods but my eye caught movement off to my left.  A deer was running at my stand. I froze as I watched it start to slow down as it closed the 100 yard gap.  It was a crotch horn, his sides heaving and his mouth open. My first thought was that he was wounded from the earlier gunshots. I watched for any sign of blood or a wound but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

The little buck was by himself.  He stood on the edge of the treeline and slowed his breathing.  I watched from my stand, in awe.  He couldn’t smell me because of the wind but obviously not feeling like he was in danger, he stepped into the woods and came closer to me.  At 20 yards, he bedded down.

Had it been 10 years ago or maybe been five years ago, I would have shot him and not thought twice about it.  I am more selective now. I like watching the smaller deer and studying them.  The crotch horn came back two weeks later with a spike horn and again, I watched them eating grass and wandering through the woods.  I’ve grown more selective and more appreciative of these animals as Ive gotten older and spent more season in the woods.

Lesson 2:

I hang trail cameras year-round and send Dad photos every time there is a new animal, a great picture or an impressive buck.  A few weeks before rifle season started, a piebald doe showed up on the camera. She was always alone.  Sometimes she was around in the daylight, usually in the early afternoon.

On opening day, after watching the small buck, we headed in for lunch and I was eager to get back out into my stand in case the doe kept her afternoon pattern.  I crossed in front of my trail camera at 1:17pm.

I settled into my seat and let the wind and the afternoon sun get to me.  My head bobbed three times before I lifted my head to scan around me.  To my right, in the dead center of my shoot lane, stood the piebald. I pivoted in my seat and grabbed my rifle. I put my cheek to my shock but paused.  I wasn’t happy with how low the magnification was on my scope.  I took my eyes off of the deer and focused on making the adjustment quickly.

Rushing shots is not something that I have ever done, but years ago, I would have taken the shot and not waited to make that small adjustment.

The doe had taken a step or two but stood broadside. My single shot rang out and I watched as her legs buckled under her body as she fell.  It was perhaps the cleanest shot I had ever taken.

Each season, if we are lucky, we can have experiences that make us a little better.  Better at observing, better at our patience and better at our shots.  It is what makes us hunters. We should always be advancing our skills and honing our senses to learn and be ready for next season.  I know we have a many months until deer season returns, but I am already excited.