Maryland used to have a separate doe season, usually the second Friday and Saturday of December. My dad started taking me doe hunting when I was 9 or 10 and I' ll never forget those experiences. At that time, I was not ready to kill a deer but I sure did enjoy getting out there and going through the motions. That' s actually where I learned most of my hunting skills. On several occasions, I found myself shaking like a leaf while my dad whispered, " Get your gun ready. Here they come."

Sure, I felt pressured to kill something, but I stuck with my inner voice and chose to just enjoy the experience. The killing started happening about 4 years later when I was ready for it. I still get the shakes every so often. [&:]

Jim