Tag Soup

Well, it’s that time of the year again. This past Monday, hunting licenses for the 2020-2021 hunting season went on sale in Pennsylvania. To me, there is something about buying a PA license for the upcoming year that really kicks off the anticipation for the upcoming season.

This is usually when I start shooting my bow in the yard to get dialed in for archery season. I’ll also start to head to the range to make sure all my guns are sighted in as well. And one of my favorite things to do now, is check trail cameras. With bucks starting to put on the velvet by the week, there is nothing more exciting than watching them grow and seeing what is in your hunting area.

I am looking forward to heading up to camp this week for the fourth of July. We will spend a lot of time with family grilling out, playing waffle ball and kayaking, but I am also looking forward to getting out for some pre-season scouting. I have had multiple trail cameras out that I haven’t checked in a few months, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve caught.

As this season starts to loom, I can’t help but look back at last year. I remember how excited I was for the 2019-2020 season. For the first time, I had 3 PA deer tags (1 buck and two DMAP tags). Additionally, I had more time scheduled to get to camp and hunt than any year prior. This was going to be my year. Despite my added time in the woods, I ate tag soup. I had a few opportunities, but they just didn’t go my way.

That being said, I have just as much anticipation for this season. I am looking forward to learning from past mistakes, and again, spending a lot of time at camp. One beneficial effect from COVID-19 is the added work PTO days I haven’t used, and I am planning on spending plenty of them in a tree stand.

This year, I hope I am eating tenderloin instead of tag soup. But the lesson learned is that no matter how many tags you have or the amount of time you put in, it is still hunting. And after all, hunting is anything but a guarantee.