By: Ted Nugent
Give me a moment here, would you please. I must gather my thoughts, calm my nerves and do everything in my substantial power to manage the tsunami of emotional wreckage currently coming undone.
You see, it is the end of February 2021, and my beloved whitetail deerseason in Texas comes to a painful, heartbreaking, screeching halt on March 1st, and quite honestly, I just don’t know what to do with my bad-self.
With the wonderful Texas Parks and Wildlife “Managed Land Deer Permit” system we the conservation people of the mighty Lone Star State created many years ago for optimal wildlife health and balance by putting deer harvest control and decisions in the hands of landowners where it belongs, we get to hunt our whitetails right to the end of February, and let me tell you, there is simply no place else I would want to live, or quite frankly, could live the hunting life like I do.
Oh Lord have mercy, what a sensational season it has been! I will unleash a last glorious deerhunt hurrah in the mystical South Texas whitetail heaven in these last few days and will soon report on the near certain phenomena that it likely will be.
I sent my very 1st 2020 whitetail arrow into the pumpstation of a beautiful Michigan swampdonky on October 1st of last year, and I glow with ultra-cocky confidence that, as in most seasons, I will again repeat that magical moment-in-time near or at the end of this month in Texas.
Could a hopelessly addicted backstrapper have it any better anywhere anytime! I think not.
With a memory bank bursting at the seams with the happiest images and thrills again from this season, I nonetheless must always take a deep breath, look to the heavens, smile broadly and knowingly that my whitetail bowhunting dreams for the year are indeed coming to an end, while at the same time rejoicing that a brand new season is actually beginning right here and now.
Like all my American deerhunting bloodbrothers, I will be tromping, romping and stomping over hill and dale in search of shed antlers, finding those easily identified well defined trails in the easily read winter terrain, and remain connected to the soul cleansing wildgrounds that play such a powerfully pivotal role in my American Dream quality of life.
Even as the season ends, the new season commences seamlessly, and all thoughts of sadness are immediately replaced with exciting anticipation for what I am fully dedicated to making 2021 into 2022 the best deerseason of my life.
Some of the best ambush stands in my life were determined during this end of season scouting adventure, and now is what I believe to be the best time of the year to penetrate those heretofore off-limits sanctuaries that we dared not tread during the hunting season.
Much valuable information can be cataloged now that wasn’t possible at any other time, and I for one take great glee in hitting the outback for upgraded and improved knowledge and understanding of my deergrounds.
For all practical purposes, the end of season sadness is short lived when we come to grips with the fact that what is really taking place is the beginning of the new season!
Do not fret! Mother Nature continues to call our name and invite us to do what we love to do whether the actual huntseason is on or not. We all know all too well that the kill itself lasts only a nano-second, while the hunt goes on forever and literally never ends.
Rejoice with me the kickoff of deerseason 2021 wherever you make it happen. If you need me, I will be out there making it happen!