When I first started deer hunting, it was something you did along with hunting squirrels, birds and rabbits. If you did manage to kill a buck, people might ask how many points the deer had and if you had managed to kill an 8 pointer people would congratulate you on a "nice one"...

Then deer hunting evolved into the what it is today. Score driven, way more expensive, way more competitive and something some of us take way too seriously IMO.

So how has deer hunting evolved for me? When I first started hunting, I was happy to kill a deer. I will admit to being caught up a bit in the "trophy" phase of hunting, only wanting to kill a "mature" buck that was bigger than the last one. I've been lucky enough to kill a few nice bucks, but I've eaten a lot of tags over the years waiting on "the big one" too.

As for now....I've simplified my hunting. I don't care about having the latest, greatest, whatever anymore. I don't run cameras and I surely won't won't fool with "real time" cameras as I don't consider them to be sporting.

I would rather spend my time planting trees, putting in a few food plots, figuring out where to put stands based on sign and then watching the deer as the season passes. If a good buck comes by and I can get a shot, I'll take it. But if I don't, I really don't care that much anymore. If I really want/need meat, I can kill the occasional doe.

For several years deer hunting had turned almost into a job for me. Now, I'm enjoying it like I did when I was younger and treating it more like another season, instead of the only season.