What will it mean to you this season?

[bisket]

For me the look, ah... the smell and the history of something as simple as a piece of wood or a view from a morning stand watching nature come alive can do so much for those that take the long first glance and look beyond what is revealed at that moment.  

Imagine the stories these things could tell...Morning sunrises, evening sunsets, winds blowing through leaves.  How about the sound of leaves crunching and the anticipation of looking over your shoulder to see what is the cause of that cadence.  

These are the things that bring me back to the woods every season because it has become part of me.  Especially as I get older.  It is not all about the harvest or the size of the horns anymore for me.  It's about this connection with nature and so many others on this site that share this wonderful privelege and heritage.  Good Luck guys, stay safe and don't miss the obvious this season.

[Sam McMichael]

Like a lot of guys as they get older, the kill is not the defining activity of a successful bowhunting trip. The beauty of the sunrise and the pleasure of hearing the birds chirp and watching the animals begin their search for breakfast are treasured events, especially the hawk that regularly hunts my section of the forest. It seems that a lot of trad gangers feel that way. I don't know about everybody else, but God talks to me a lot on the deer stand, and that's the time I am most inclined to listen. Tranquility just trumps the absolute requirement of a kill to measure success, but with all that said, if Bullwinkle comes along, I will drop the string!

[Gdpolk]

Being in God's country and enjoying it without the stressors of "civilization."

Spending time with family and my very closest of friends.

Good meat for the eating and sharing with family and friends.

Connection to the past.

Connection to the forrest.

Relaxation.

Time for prayer.

The challenge.

It's all good, and the whole experience that draws me in and back every year.

[VictoryHunter]

Well said.
 

Originally posted by GDPolk:
Being in God's country and enjoying it without the stressors of "civilization."

Spending time with family and my very closest of friends.

Good meat for the eating and sharing with family and friends.

Connection to the past.

Connection to the forrest.

Relaxation.

Time for prayer.

The challenge.

It's all good, and the whole experience that draws me in and back every year.

[Jerry Jeffer]

Enjoying the waking woods with the sunrise. This morning a Chipmunk came scampering righ to me and under my seat. He the popped up onto my pack that was beside me. He climed around on my gear, did a balancing act on my arrows that were laying at the ready. He then hopped down, grabbed a big acorn, jumped up on my boot and had his breakfast while perched on my toe. It doesn't get more real than that. Getting a deer is just icing on the cake.

[dagwood64]

Being out with my Daughter, who is hunting for the first year!!!
Praying for her to get something.    

Also to just wind down and enjoy life.

[ChuckC]

This year has a lot of subtle extra meanings for me.  

Last year, late in the season, I finally decided that I can't beat my target panic and switched to left hand shooting.  I had shot switched before on occasion so it wasn't a huge jump, but I had to re-learn and re-train so I can do it right.

Also, I retired from my job of 36 years (felt like 50) almost two months ago. I was gone almost as much as I was home, including many overseas trips of 3 weeks or longer duration.

I can't believe the difference in my ability to just . .  sit, already.

I am learning to slow down and really enjoy the things around me and not worry so much that I have only two days, or one day, so I'd better get going.

I have a soon to be grand daughter (8 yr old)that is shooting arrows with me and chasing skwerls on occasion.

Everything changed.

I hope I can.
ChuckC