I put my compass on the table and tried to focus on the choices dad was trying to give me about where I was going to spend the next several hours of the hunt.

The planning phase ritual at our camp had just been started. This is an evening ritual at our hunt camp that involves clearing off the dinner table and taking out a large photographic map of our hunt camp property. We follow the aerial map up with a large topo map, a bag of peanuts, and ice old cokes. I took a look at the maps and my mind wandered for a moment.

“Bill, we’ll put you on the Snell’s road and after I have finished walking through Grandpa’s lot I will come back to get you.”

Simple enough plan, I thought to myself. It falls in line with the crumby deer watch I was about to spend the next 2 hours standing on. This stand was a just slight clearing on a logging road that was surrounded in evergreens. A deer would have to ignore the hunter in the clearing and walk on to the road for me to get a shot

It stunk.

That’s what I get for not speaking up quickly enough during the camp’s planning session the night before.

Don’t get me wrong. Being able to spend anytime hunting at any stand is a privilege, but I am just calling a spade a spade. This watch ranked low on my ‘Top 10′ Most Probable Buck Watches List.

At, 16, I thought I knew it all.

After about 30 minutes (maybe more) our hound ran past me in the clearing while sniffing at the ground.

My chances sunk even lower with the smell of dog, now, in the clearing with me. I would be better off clanging metal pots with wooden a spoon in the middle of this clearing. I never got the chance to find out.

Within a few seconds of the hound entering the evergreens, I heard leafs crackling and branches breaking towards me. I almost called out to the hound to end his parade in the leaves, but before I could, a buck walked out of the evergreens! One neck shot later (a feat I have not been able to duplicate for some time) and I had killed my first buck.

The sound of the shell exiting the chamber of my gun, brought my mind back to the table, the maps and the watch assignments taking place in front of me.

“So, where do you want to watch, Bill?” my father asked for the second time.

“I don’t care. I’ll take whatever watch is left.” I replied.