Happy New Year! 2004 has come and gone and I’m past due submitting an article.  Our last gun season in Arkansas closed last week - I kept hoping I would have an exciting article to submit complete with photos of a Boone and Crockett buck. Not so! However, I did have a great hunting season, hunted muzzleloading and modern gun seasons, saw deer every day, passed up immature bucks hoping to see their grandpas. Just about everyone I know killed their buck. My husband took a fine whitetail with his recurve bow shooting handmade cedar arrows! He was a 10 point, but in all likelihood had started out as a 12 point before he lost 1/2 of his right antler in battle leaving him with 6 on one side and 4 on the remaining other. (Each day, I searched for the one that had broken that rack!) I cannot complain, it was my choice not to shoot when the little bucks were coming in. My nephew took a great 13 point with his smoke pole! Another neighbor took a good 10 point with his. Therefore, it was a good season!

Having a pet deer has changed how I look at bucks. No, I’m not turning into a PETA person! Outlaw was a spindly little spike last year but this year is sporting a nice heavy uniform 6-point rack. Seeing this antler development has made me realize the potential future opportunity for passing up young bucks. This zone in Arkansas has a one buck limit and requires that there be a minimum of three points on one side. As I watched several 3, 5, 6 and 7 point bucks traveled through my hunting area, I thought of what they might have next year - some could be dandies!

Roaming the local area was a monster 8 point that I never did see. My husband saw him several times after he had taken his one buck limit, but this boy never ventured my way. Since we haven’t heard of anyone taking him, he should still be around next year and may be even bigger!

I think that I was actually relieved when season closed last weekend. I had taken vacation throughout most of our gun seasons and hunted every day I could. I hunted in temperatures ranging from over 70 to those struggling to make it to zero. I hunted in the wind and rain, got hot, got cold, got wet...

And although I’ve never had anyone actually ask me why I hunt, there were several times I asked myself that very question and don’t know if I ever really came up with an answer....

I did have a Cadillac of a treestand this year as my husband got me a two-seater Gorilla ladder stand. WOW is it nice! Comfortable, roomy, like sitting in the deer’s living room in my own sofa!

But why do I hunt? What makes me get out of a nice warm bed at dark thirty to go out and sit in the wind/rain/cold and wait to see what comes into my view? Is it a hobby, a habit, an addiction, an obsession, a passion? Yes to all.

Have you ever tried to justify to yourself or maybe someone else why you do something you do? It’s one of those "just cause I do" things... Try to explain why you like your steak rare...Well-done...

Whatever... what is it that makes us like the things we do?

I have hunted all my life, literally. I am not a woman who was introduced to hunting in adulthood; I was born hunting and fishing with my parents. We have a son who was brought up the same way as was I, we took him hunting and fishing with us from the time he was three months old. He likes to fish but does not show any particular interest in hunting. Why the difference in his lackluster interest of hunting and my love of the same? True, it would be boring if we all had the same interests, but what makes the differences?

I know that God made us each individuals. He has made us in His own image. I can’t explain why I hunt. It is one of my core values, a true love - and although it is one that I question, I wouldn’t appreciate someone else asking me to explain why.

Growing up, I hunted anything and everything that I could. Now I only hunt whitetail deer and turkeys. I did duck hunt when we had Bear, our Chessie cross duck dog, but I only duck hunted because I loved Bear, not because I loved duck hunting.

There is something about hunting that holds my interest. Even the sitting and waiting, watching, listening, learning. I find it relaxing, exciting, challenging, rewarding, educational. There have been several times that I have wondered why I hunt, even have wished that I didn’t. I enjoy hunting, I enjoy harvesting the prey I seek. It’s so rewarding to sit undetected in the woods watching deer do what they do. Like watching the Discovery channel live!

In Arkansas, bow season starts in October and goes through mid-January, we have two muzzleloader seasons, three gun seasons. A crossbow is a legal weapon for bow hunting. I said I was glad when deer season closed last week. As much as I love to hunt, I looked forward to not "having" to go hunting - I am tired of it this year, worn out, but still as addicted to it and as anxious to go as I was the first day of season! I have neglected my housework, husband - everything has had some negative impact by my prioritizing hunting over all other duties. There will be more seasons, more hunts, and more times. I don't even have to wait until next season; Santa brought me a crossbow.