I always thought of myself as a bit of a deerhunting closet case, pretty reclusive - no leagues,don't likethe bow shop, usually hunt alone, etc... But now that I think about it, the hunting networkhas becomepretty vast over time.

Mom has 4 brothers that are all diehard whitetail nuts, they have a few sons and in-lawswho hunt. Dad has3 brothers and2 cousinsthat live to hunt. All those guys have hunting buddies who I've hunted with sometime or another. We don't hunt together all that often (too competitive), but we talk deer hunting at every holiday dinner andevery family function. We also dodeer camp every year, and I bet the roster has featured no less than35 different names on it over the years. Deer camp isn't about the deer- it's about the people. It's the only time every season when I'm hunting, but really don't care if I get anything or not....then again, my buck tag is always filled long before rifle season comes. I'd probably be out there in a tree dark-to-dark like a psycho if I still had valid buck tags. The guys at camp can play poker without me. LOL

I have a good friend who throws a big whitetail party every spring, and invites everyone he knows. Food, beer, pictures, seminars, product demonstrations, the whole nine yards. From going to that little event every year, it's expanded the "circle" by another 10-20 people. Good guys, like to talk archery. A whole new "circle," mostly acquaintences, but I've had a couple of those guys out for guided turks.

Then my personalfriends - not many - maybe 5. Here again, they all have hunting buddies who I've crossed paths with sometime or another.

Did some turkey guiding for a while - got to know a lot of guys through that. Worked with NWTF, and met more good people there....

You also get to knowfaces on the fringe - taxidermists, bow shop people, gun shoppeople, conservation officers, guys from sports leagues, guys from work, landowners, other guys who hunt the same places, etc...

...and then you throw in the people here on Huntingnet... it's a pretty big circle.

I couldn't even begin to try to count the number of guys I've hunted with over the years... It's a ton. Growing up, I'd have hunted withanyone willing to drive me - didn't matter if they dropped me off at the woods and picked me up at dark.

All that, and on opening day, I still like to be perched in my stand, alone with my bow, whereabouts: unknown.