I sat for hours and hours in the woods - on a 2 x 3 foot platform over 20 feet in the air. I did it day after day and sometimes all day long.

Joyce Kilmer wrote;

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

I'm back at home after an extended time away hunting and preparing for some outdoor events. I had better not plan on staying around too long; if I get too comfy I'll miss a bunch of bucks on the move.

November is undoubtedly the best month for seeing big deer, in most states.

You might be surprised as to what I love about fall. Hunting? Of course, but a close second is football. I love football; especially the NFL.

During the early archery season I arrowed a nice doe. I calculated that I was in my tree stand about seven minutes. Before I went to search for my deer I gathered my equipment, loaded it on my four-wheeler, and took it to my truck.

Many times when I pick up my bow I'm reminded of my first shotgun purchase as a sixteen year old. I've often said, I went into that store as a boy and left feeling like a man.

Safety in the deer hunting world has made so many strides in the past few decades. I can remember when safety harnesses were not even invented and the only disclaimer on some climbing stands was ones that invoked its owner to "climb at your own risk."

It was only about thirty minutes after daylight when a doe and spike showed up under my tree stand.

I'm blessed to be able to meet and talk to hunters and fishermen in many parts of the country. This club is made up of so many different people and from so many different walks of life and each is welcomed.

This week I go back out on the road to speak to guys and gals who love to hunt and fish. I'll be driving a 1300 mile circle that will include Mississippi and Georgia before I come back home to Tennessee.

We are quickly coming to everyone's favorite time of year. The signs of summer's close are the start of school, Labor Day, and another hunting season.

It really is fun to watch hunters this time of year. We are no different than any other group or even species. I would guess that every animal or mammal has trigger mechanisms - those things that happen that tell them something else is about to happen.

One of the ways to get a great cycling workout without going a long distance is to ride to the pinnacle. That may sound like a motivational statement but in my area there is actually a place called the pinnacle.

Hunting season is upon us again. In my home state of Tennessee, squirrel season opens at the end of August and dove season on the first day of September.

As a young teenager, many of my summer days were spent fishing at the local canal. I remember the unique art to catching carp using whole kernel corn as my bait.

Alright guys, it's officially ok to admit that you're getting the deer hunting bug. I think the certified time for confession is after the first sign of an acorn shows up on an oak tree. This finding allows us to start speculating as to how good or bad the mast will be and will get us thinking where to hang a tree stand. I know this only applies to us bow hunters, but there are quite a few of us now who choose a stick and string. If you're not one, this would be a great year to start. I'm not exactly sure why I like bow hunting so much. It may be that it just gives me an earlier opportunity to be in the woods. And I love the woods!

As a youngster, I spent every day outside during the summer. I don't even remember the rain keeping the crew from Ford's Woods at bay.

The summer can be slow for bass fishermen. The water is warm and the oxygen that fish need for peak activity is not found in warmer water.

I'm always amazed at those who can make things with their hands. I too enjoy creating, but my talents are very limited

I know you may not want to hear about it but I've scheduled a few days away next week to work on the upcoming deer season. Since I won't be able to hunt this location until November, I need to get as much preparation done now in order to limit my groundwork then. I've got to move a treestand, put out a trail camera, and scout another site for a stand. Again, I'll not return to this land until the day I hunt.

Men have this uncanny ability to compartmentalize most of what we do. We can simply, mentally, separate one thing from another. We can neatly detach our fatherhood from our hunting and fishing, and each of these from us being a husband.

One of the hardest things to do, it seems like, is find the good in situations. Sometimes as a hunter or a fisherman we tend to measure our day according to whether or not we have brought home something for the wall or the table. Without these trophies, sometimes we bemoan the day, cast blame, and easily find the negative. After all, it is pretty easy to in the world we live in to find all that's wrong with it. It must be the case in the outdoor world as well.

I have been able to take a couple of days and float the river. Both times I have taken someone that has never been. One time the fishing was very slow. The next trip was more productive. Both trips were filled with all of those things that come with fishing the river whether the fish are biting or not.

I've taken some time out of the last few days to fish the river. This is my sport of choice during this time of year. The weather has been perfect and the fish have been cooperating as well.