The hope that a big buck will walk under my stand that I dream about almost every night. Honestly, I do get bored, so I bring a book (if in a blind) or search tradgang on my blackberry if theres no deer.

Wives would understand fully why we crave the solitude and quiet - if they were married to women! Ha! Only kidding (in case she ever reads this).

My most favorite thing about hunting is making memories with my friends.  I enjoy spending time with my friends shooting bows,scouting,hanging stands,finding new places to hunt.  When I go by myself (which I don't like as much) it is because it is prime time and that is my best chance to shoot a 130 inch buck or better, or backstraps and inner tender loins. Those guys I hunt with are like my brothers that I can count on for anything that life throws at me.  I guess what I am saying is Memories,big bucks and backstraps.

Snickers.....  

I stay for the peace that the woods can bring a person. There is always something to watch, birds, squirrels, chipmunks or just the clouds floating by. There have been times when I kind of felt guilty for interupting nature by intruding on its own quietness by my just being there. I went hunting the other day and watched squirrels running aroung checking their stash of nuts. I watched for awhile then moved to a stand away from them. It was more important for them to be able to get ready for winter than me sitting in the middle of them....Roy

It beats working
It beats household chores
It beats driving in traffic
It beats worrying about what school thing is going on with the kids tonight
I could go on.

I have a pretty stressful job and plus im divorced so i only get to hunt every other weekend, although she knows how much i love to hunt she lets me have more weekends which i thought was nice of her. I meen heck she only got #275.000 in the divorce.

When i go hunting its usually for 3 1/2 days and i want to take advantage of every second because unlike some people i love to kill animals especially deer.

I am very fortunate to have access to over 3,300 private acrs so i have several stands in place where i have pictures of some really nice bucks by Alabama standards so it helps me to stay alert knowing a big boy could come walking by at any time and i cant kill him if im not there. I have shot a LOT of deer after 10 30 in the morning.

I hate to say this because we have a really good group of hunters that i hunt with (7). One of the guys never shuts up for one minute and is always bad mouthing everything from some of the other guys to why i stay in the woods so long. I would much rather be in the woods hunting that big buck than listening to him run his mouth.

If I'm in the stand, there's a chance, no matter how slim, that a deer'll wander by. If I'm not in my stand, it's a certainty.

Staying in the woods as much as possible keeps me sane. More or less.

So far it seems like we could all use a little more hunting time...  

Latest issue of Playboy???

That's right up there with the Snickers, Skipper!!!!!  

Today, what kept me in my stand was a snotty doe bedding up for 3 hours 50 yards from me.  Then when she finally got up and left, she slipped away but I wasn't *sure* she had slipped away.

seems to me there is always something going on in the woods once you setttle in. And the idea that an elk or buck or bear is just out of sight and will appear out of nowhere at anytime..It happens enough  every year.....to keep me in the stand.

Morning hunts are the worst for me, because sooner or later you have to quit and come in from the woods (dont like quitting) afternoon hunts you quit because you have to, it gets dark out ! LOL