The Final Stand (for my duck hunting buddies)

[Quack Master]

It begins every year in late August/early September. The days begin to shorten, the seemingly relentless heat of the deep south finally begins to show signs of loosening its grip as temperatures SLOWLY begin to fall, clouds increasingly become more & more common, and the distant echo of "honking" canadians as they fly south down the mighty Mississippi resonates through the once green forrest -now a vibrant array of fall colors- as it rides the cooling breeze! Then the day comes, that ONE...single...special day of the year, when you step outside in the early morning light & Fall is officially in the air. Every sportsman in the Southern region of the good ol U.S. of A knows that "our" time of year is just around the corner, & it will soon be time to hit the woods again!

Preperations are quickly being made: dust covered archery gear is pulled out of the closet, the report of rifle shots fill the air as they are checked for accuracy, duck calls are re-tuned, camo is washed, stands are hung, fields are planted, licenses are purchased, trail cameras are set out, magazines are read and re-read, and the sale of hunting dvd's from our favorite companies skyrockets. Anticipation of "opening day" and the hope of a successful season ahead fill the heart of every hunter!

Throughout the season countless memories are made, some are good, some not so much, some you re-live every day others you'd just as soon like to forget!... In the pre-dawn darkeness of the archery opener you're perched 20' up your favorite white oak when you hear, for the first time of the season, the unmistakable sound of hooves crunching in the leaves.... headed in your direction. As your pulse begins to quicken and dawn slowly begins to shine light on a new day, the woods come to life and as you strain to see in the now dimly lit forest below, you finally make out the silhouette of 3 deer standing a mere 30 yards away. 5 minutes later, your shot opportunity comes and you send an arrow on its way. As the graceful ol doe makes her death run you sit back down with one thought on your mind.... "Man, its good to be back!!"

And of course, hunting season wouldnt be the same without the many campfires sat around each year with you and "the boys"! With "mile high" lies of the infamous "ol mossy horns" himself that has been seen crossing onto your hunting grounds, and endless tales of the "one that got away". Some of the best hunts of the season were had when not a duck, dove, goose or deer was bagged, but the fellowship and comradery of your campfire buddies made for more than a life-long memory in the field.

From the countless sunrises and even more sunsets, to time spent alone with your most faithful hunting companion (your faithful lab) in an ice covered duck hole, listening to the unmistakable sound of wings cutting through the air in the first minutes of the hunt, gettin stuck on an old root and falling in the waist deep water in front of all your buddies, the hundreds of miles traveled, and countless hours spent watching... listening... waiting, days you thought would never end and those you wished would last forever. All of the anticipation, all of the preperations, the chaos, the joys, the successes, the failures, it all leads up to one thing, one last memory, one final day, one last adventure........

.....And as that final day draws nigh, you head to the woods for the seasons closing hunt. Just like opening day, the final hours of a season have a very special meaning, a very special feeling stirs deep within the spirit of many a veteran hunter. As you sit in your deer stand, or begin to toss out your final spread of decoys, all these memories of the season past begin to flood your mind. In this "eleventh hour", on this ONE, single day of the season, the desire to harvest an animal somewhat magically takes a back seat to the sheer joy of just being in the outdoors again, and nothing matters beyond the simple fact that you are where you belong, where you were made to be. In an ever-changing, chaotic, stress-filled and all-but-overwhelming world in which we live, on this day, in these final hours, for one last time, our very soul finds a calming peace once again. And until the "cycle" starts again next fall, we'll cling to this quickly fading moment of peace as we enjoy.......... THE FINAL STAND!



Hope you guys had a great season, and may God bless you with many more "Final Stands"!!
-The Mountain Man

[benelli870]

very nice!!!!!!!!!

[Duct-Up]

Great Read!!!

[Unkljohn]

Good job!

[Coldtrain_1]

Nice post!!!

[kwacksmacker18]

Great read!!