Wow.....Thanks for the replies fellas. I really wasn't expecting it and I'm humbled.

I just felt with all the bickering going on perhaps some "perspective" was needed. Hunting means different things to different folks, I know that and I don't expect everyone to think the way I do. We as humans however are drawn to one another, it's just the way we'redesigned, we are social beings. When I hunt, I hunt for me and only me but I love to be with others who share my passion. You know we've all talked about "sharing a campfire" with other folks here on the boards and one day I will actually meet some of you. I was planning on attending this years get together but a good friend was under water (with all the flooding we've had) and I just couldn't not help him.

So until then this is about as close assome of us will ever come to conversing with each otherbut believe it or not it's helped me especiallythe last few years to deal with the loss of my Father-in-Law as well as all the others who no longer hunt with me (for whatever reason). My Brother-in-Law hunts (bow only) and we get together as often as we can to hunt but our schedules are so differentit's not as often as I'd like. As far as the gun season is concerned, it's just me. I do the same routine I've done for so many years, take the same path to my gun stand (it hasn't moved in 14 years) only the last few years there's been no one to walk with andquietly say "good luck"as I dropped them off at their stands. Some had never been there (the property) before and until the sunrose above the timbershad no idea the layout or where they were on the property.Last year I walked right by my Father-in-Laws stand as I have for as long as I've been hunting there and whispered "get a big one" something he's said to me every year just before I made sure he got into his stand safely and headed to mine, it was his thing........

I've shared more "stories" with you folks than any other in the last few years and I appreciate the conversations, (yes even the ones that get heated) more than you will ever know. Perhaps someday things will change with my hunting situation, I can only hope my son will also hunt and along with his friends, my families woods will be full once again with a whole new generation of hunters....I look forward to it.

Thanks guys