It’s close to that time of year once again – deer season. Adrenaline levels in avid deer hunters are climbing. Speaking of climbing. We’re talking climber stands, tower stands, etc.

This week I got to spend a few days in the woods doing some preparation work on a new lease property with my hunt buddies that include three nephews. The youngest is 8 yrs. old and this will be his first deer hunt with Uncle Chuck. I’m hoping he is as successful as his brother who shot a monster buck on his first hunt at 8 yrs. old! I’ve been deer hunting with Gary Cooper, Southeast AgNet, and my youngest brother, Paul, for 21 yrs. It’s really hard to describe the experience and time together in the woods each year. Now we’ve got another generation becoming more and more involved in the hunt. I’m proud of these young men (Eli, Luke and Joe) who have tackled every challenge without complaining. It has been a joy watching them grow up and learn how to take care of themselves and the land they get to hunt on.

This is the view from one of the tower stands we put up this week on land that was recently clear cut for the timber by the owner. The new browse is making for excellent forage for deer and we saw plenty of sign. I’ve got a lot of miles to cover before getting back out on the land for the Crystal Pig Hunt Club deer hunt in November but you can bet it’s going to be on my mind a lot between now and then.