This year has seen a number of firsts for me in my bowhunting career--all of them bad. I arrived on Opening morning to my pre-hung stand with-out the 3 bottom steps I had removed so no one else could hunt the--a first for me. I arrived a few days ago AT THE SAME STAND with all of my steps, but no stand--never done that before either. The same day, I went to a favorite afternoon hunting spot which I had meticulously trimmed out over a month ago. I had both my steps and my stand---and the tree had been uprooted by the hurricane!

Another first that took place this past week was watching some numbskull carrying a bow and decked out in camo walk out into the middle of a very short soybean field and sit there waiting for deer to walk past him. Of course, I was on the opposite side of the field about 20 yards in the woods hoping for deer to come past me. He made it worse by occassionally making a predator call (I guess he thought it was a fawn in distress call), he wore no face or hand camo and moved constantly. He even got up at one point about 45 minutes before shooting light ended and walked over to the lower woods edge and then walked back to his spot and started calling again. He finally walked off with about 20-25 minutes of shooting light left.

I guess things can only get better--at least I hope so.