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Well, I had an eventful season full of success and more importantly, the success of friends and family.

I got my mom into hunting last year using a crossbow and sitting with me, this year was her first season of hunting all on her own (with some remote coaching on my part for gutting and butchering). She harvested a nice doe hunting on her own a few weeks ago, and then Christmas Eve we were hunting in stands about 50 yards apart. I shot one at 4:30 and watched it drop in sight, about 20 minutes later I heard my mom shoot and saw a nice doe running off and leaving a big blood trail on the snow





My mom also got my uncle back into hunting after a 20-year lapse, and he ended up shooting 2 deer, although he was too shy to have his pic taken. He's already talking about looking forward to next season.

I also had the pleasure of hunting with a good college friend and seeing him take his first deer with a bow, and not only that, but a recurve originally owned by his grandpa. The first morning we hunted together, he had no idea of the layout, so we sat together in a double ladder stand with my crossbow. I shot 3 deer in the first 90 minutes on stand (landowner has a strict policy of shoot every deer on sight, the density has to be >100 a square mile in this area...maybe more)





After that we had a few exciting close misses with his recurve, including a couple blown opportunities and a few deer that never came in range. Then he had a magical night, the kind when there are seemingly deer behind every tree. He missed a nice doe at 17 yards, but it didn't bust him and continued meandering around. He grunted at it and a bunch of does started calling back at him and then trotted into range at 15 yards and he stuck this nice doe. It totally made my season!

Sounds like you folks had alot of fun Ben. Congrats on getting the family all together hunting. Not many left that can do that. Hats off.

Thanks for the details and great pics ben.

Nice job Ben.

Man, I am a sucker for a happy ending. Lake Michigan and evidently 75% of the deer herd living along the lake, you guys got it all. What I don't get is that most of the hunters and fishermen that live down here think that this end of the state is a promised land. Heck, Stevie Wonder can even see that!

Wow what a great season sounds like a hunters paradise

Nice congrats