Cool fall weather has stirred memories of a lifelong love of bowhunting—from an early miss in the woods with his father to taking his first deer with a bow in 1997, with his young daughter beginning her first hunting season. Though he hasn’t hunted with a bow in years and no longer enjoys climbing into tree stands, the season still brings back the people and moments that made it special.

By the Numbers
  • 1997: The year he took his first deer with a bow.
  • 2015: The year he last took a deer with a bow, an 18-year gap after his first.
  • 2022: His last bowhunting trip, on a cold January day.
  • 29: His daughter Tate’s age today.
Yes, But

Nostalgia hasn’t erased the realities of aging: He misses bowhunting, but says he no longer enjoys climbing trees. The memories remain vivid, even as the days of hunting from a stand may be behind him.

Bottom Line

Fall’s pull is about more than the hunt—it’s a reminder of family, growing up and the memories that stay with us long after we leave the woods.