Growing up in the rural Midwest, hunting has always been a huge part of my life. Now that October is here, I’m already seeing visions of venison steaks dancing in my dreams. It seems like decades ago when I would get jittery about a deer wandering into range. That phenomenon, known as buck fever, doesn’t come into play anymore. As a seasoned hunter, I’m ready and willing to gun down every whitetail deer in sight.

These days, the problem isn’t so much shooting the deer as it is finding them in the first place. The always pack a set of Bushnell binoculars so that I can spy a buck or a doe before they notice me. Then I circle around until I’m downwind, which keeps them from smelling me and running away. Then it’s time to seal the deal. Maybe this year I’ll bag that eight-point buck that’s always eluded me.