Hello Again

i know it has been a while since i have blogged, very truly sorry about that to all of my faithful followers (all 1 or 2 of you). since then what i was afraid would happen did happen. i started hunting a lot, it started getting dark earlier, my exercise decreased, and my appetite stayed the same (and maybe increased). add that all together and what do you have? a bigger, slower, older shane. i weighed last night and weighed more than i ever have, period. that is one reason i decided i had to start blogging again. i have to have someone, even if it is myself thinking others are reading, to keep me accountable.

here are some things that have happened since i last blogged. i did shoot a 7 point buck that came by at 10 yards and had an arrow through his neck (15.5 inch spread). i also went to arkansas to kill 1 duck and get way behind on sleep. i have seen and passed up several nice 2 and 3 year old bucks, some very close. i just haven't seen the 4 or 5 year old buck that i want (might have seen one or two but a little too dark to shoot). i have not been deer hunting much since the arkansas duck hunt and the rut is well passed (the best weekend for deer was probably the weekend i went to arkansas). so now i will be duck hunting mainly and maybe trying to get a buck over some food plots when gun season opens back up.

One other set back to the duck season here in tennessee is that my uncle decided to tear all the stuff out of the goose pit the day before the season opened and we have been getting it re-wired, repainting, etc, etc, etc and have not been able to hunt. i am hoping we will have it finished and decoys out by this weekend since there is a bad winter weather storm up north.

so here are the plans and thoughts for next year's hunts. i plan to put in for montana (chances are i will not get drawn since you typically need a preference point and i don't have any). i also plan on buying another wyoming preference point. i had not planned on elk hunting next fall, although i have thrown around the thought of bow hunting for mule deer, or rifle hunting for elk/mule deer. my uncle has also said he wants to go to idaho and bow hunt for elk since you can buy an over the counter tag there. i had planned on just one trip next year, a trip to canada to goose hunt, one heck of a trip i took last year and the year before. didn't go this year since i took 2 weeks vacation to elk hunt. i have really missed that hunt this year. so, who really knows, those are just some thoughts.

for now i have to get back on schedule and get some of this winter weight off (even though this is the season for eating big meals and sitting around). the high for tomorrow is 31, so not very good for outdoor exercising. guess i will just have to grin and bear it.

lesson of the day, when your exercise decreases, try not to let it decrease, but if you do, try to decrease your food intake adequately. and don't decide to completely remodel your #1 hunting spot the day before the season opens.