Opening Day Brings Excitement!

The general whitetail deer season opens Saturday, bringing a high level of excitement to the outdoors community. While hunting in the Hill Country as a teen, opening day was about as exciting for me as Christmas. I remember marveling at all of the deer we saw while driving through Llano and Mason and occasionally getting a glimpse of a big feral hog or some kind of exotic.

Waterfowl hunting came much later for me and although it was a pursuit I picked up in my early 20s, it has become my greatest hunting passion.

This will be a weekend where many lifelong memories are forged with parents and children spending time in the blind for the very first time.  Many hunters like me love venison so that is a motivating factor. Scoring on an elusive big buck with a nice set of antlers is also inspirational for many hunters but what really brings it altogether is venturing beyond the pavement.

To be able to take the time and venture in the wild in pursuit of something wild and to engage in a time-honored tradition like deer or duck hunting has incredible value. It connects to the past, bonds us to the great outdoors and makes strong family ties.

I will be in a stand opening day and although I might not be quite as giddy as I was back in 1986 on that first Llano deer hunt but a deep level of excitement and anticipating will certainly be in the air. My Newton County lease offers me a decent shot at scoring on a nice buck-and bringing home some venison.

No matter your age or background there is something special about opening weekend. Here’s to big bucks!

And here’s to smiling children about to have the most exciting day of their lives.

Opening weekend…here we come…

Chester Moore, Jr.