I have been lucky enough to make every opening day of the deer season since 1964. My opening date is still built on the rifle season, though, as I was not a bowhunter at all in my younger years. However, since becoming a dedicated bowhunter, I have made every opening day of archery season for the last 14 years. How many consecutive opening days have you other guys been lucky enough to make?
This year my grown son and I did our own deer camp. (Since 1974, I have always gone to a friend's camp, but he has gotten away from doing it on opening weekend due to the heat). What a blast! I have really been riding a high since this weekend. The chili was GREAT! Did not kill anything, but we saw a few, and Parks, my son, had a fox walk right up to within 15 feet and not recognize him in his ghillie suit.
Oddly, for me there have been very few really significant changes during the archery years, with the only truly memorable one being the switch over from recurve to longbow (I never bothered with wheelies). Next biggest change has been the increase over the years in the bag limit and the opening of the season earlier in the year. Management area changes never affected me as I have almost always hunted on private land.
I do wish the GA season would be changed back to the older system of having archery season start in October & gun season in November. There is just something unnatural about hunting in the heat of September with sweat dripping off the end of my nose.
I would like to hear a few stories of other people's adventures in deer camp and how things on the hunting scene in your area have changed over the seasons.
I apologize for being so verbose, but DAMN I'm feeling good! Wish some of you could have come along.