I have monitored this site for about a year & have been very pleased with the enthusiasm I see here. I am one to be more " old fashioned" in my thinking, however I believe one of the wonderful aspects of technology has been the way we can communicate with one another world wide on the internet. Message boards are a useful tool and this one is no different as it brings about a collective voice for " the deer hunter" - a brotherhood who share a fondness of the outdoors & the elusive whitetail, which is perhaps God' s most terrific creation.

One thing I' d like to discuss today is the aspect of DEMANDING RESPECT as a deer hunter. Do you DEMAND RESPECT, or do you simply go through the motions of hunting & allow other circumstances to give you a " free pass" while in the woods? If it is raining do you stay in & allow the rain to " give you an out?" If you are on stand & need to take a restroom break, do you find a suitable place in the woods or do you go back to camp & use the outhouse, allowing " mother nature" to give you an excuse for not dropping an elusive whitetail? These are questions I would like you to answer.

This fall, I will certainly DEMAND RESPECT as a deer hunter. Notice I will not ask for it, or even expect it, rather I will DEMAND IT. My methods of demanding said respect may differ from yours. I may choose to arrive to the stand & perform a ritual each time I get there - perhaps I will circle my stand backwards (after setting my gun or bow down for safety) or do a one-legged hop when I arrive to get me mentally prepared for thhe hunt. Maybe you will choose to arrive a solid 2 hours before day break to mentally prepare yourself. Both of these methods would be a way in which you can DEMND RESPECT as a deer hunter.

It is not too late to DEMAND RESPECT this very fall. Maybe your season has begun & you are thinking, " My season has started & I have yet to DEMAND RESPECT." Let me state that it is never too late. I have always been a savvy hunter, but this fall I will take it a step further. I am considering giving myself the same prep speech when I get to the top of my tree....." Sweetwater, are you prepared for this hunt? Are you going to DEMAND RESPECT, or are you going to return from this hunt weary without learning anything valuable about the life & movement of whitetails? Are you ready, Sweetwater, because these deer are ready."