I hunt in areas with low deer numbers compared to other states/provinces. The numbers are about 10 deer per square mile, and maybe even less.

If I hunt for a full week, I will propbably only see deer 2-3 days out of 7 and that's hunting dark 'til dark and usually from a treestand. That's 11 1/2 -12 hours a day. We also hunt areas for "bucks only" when we can literally hunt acros the road in another zone that allows the taking of any deer for almost another full week.

I have learned over the years that patience is the key. I always expect to not only see a deer but also shoot one. That may seem like a normal expression from any deerhunter, but you can get discouraged when you don't see deer after a few days.

I have learned that what keeps patience at a high level is having a postitve attitude and expecting to see deer at any moment. That alone keeps me on stand for very long periods of time.

Since I don't have the luxury of seeing deer every day when in the woods, whenI (we) do see deer, it is special indeed. That's what keeps us going. The reward of dragging out a big buck with the help of family and friends is what it's all about and we'll do almost whatever it takes to make that happen.

Patience is paramount!