| I have been going deer hunting since I was eight | | | | hunting. Deer hunting taught me patience, because |
| years old. I used to hunt in a stand with my mom | | | | you have to wait in the stand for a long time |
| or my step dad, but once I was old enough to | | | | without ever seeing anything. It also taught me |
| hunt alone, I did. We had a deer lease near San | | | | how practice makes perfect; because the first |
| Marcos, Texas when I was growing up and I used | | | | time I shot my rifle I was not very good. |
| to love going deer hunting every season. The first | | | | However I used to go practice at the shooting |
| few years when we went to the deer lease you | | | | range at least two or three times a month, and I |
| might see about four or five deer total for an | | | | got to be a really good shot. |
| entire weekend. | | | | I also learned how to be quiet and sit still. This |
| However using feeders for the first few years, | | | | was one of the biggest things for me to |
| we started to see about four or five deer during | | | | overcome, because I was a very hyperactive kid, |
| the morning or afternoon hunt alone. Some people | | | | and I did not want to stay still for very long. I |
| say that putting up deer feeders and stands is | | | | think that the most important thing I learned while |
| not fair to the deer, but you still have to be very | | | | deer hunting was a deep respect for animals and |
| quiet in the stand, and make a good shot. Also | | | | nature in general. Deer hunting taught me that |
| the feeders save more deer from starvation | | | | nature is very beautiful and mysterious and you |
| throughout the year than the two or three deer | | | | should not kill anything unless you were going to |
| that we would shoot during deer season. | | | | eat it. It is these things that I learned that will live |
| Deer hunting was a tremendous amount of fun, | | | | with me for the rest of my life. |
| but I will never forget the things I learned while | | | | |