As some of you may remember there was a time when I posted here, regularly years ago. There is no excuse for my absence. I'll be frank and blame my software inabilities exacerbated by computer glitches.

So, with that said, what brings me back and what poses itself to my mental quandaries and forces me to type away at the keys in hopes that YOU will give me your undivided attention? Let's face it; the numbers don't lie. The deer harvest is, shall we say, down.

I made a determination this past season to do the late muzzle loader and due to the high prices associated with the 'privelege' of hunting (thanks to insurance lobbies and our wonderful representatives at the State level) I grabbed two weeks vacation and thanks to gas prices, decided to stay close to home. No big deal, right?

Without boring you with the details, let me say in passing that I went on consecutive days to my most productive areas from past years and saw no sign that would indicate to me that there had been any activity at all for at least two, if not three weeks. I was six days in and had not scared a single tail. I chanced upon the DNR WMA maps page on Friday morning and saw a sliver of public land that I felt fit the bill. I set my coffee down and said, "Hot Dog"...or something to that effect. It was a Yogi Berra godsend in that there was no way that anyone would go there because it was just too crowded!

A simple determination made all the difference; with the roar of traffic close by, I drew a bead on a fat doe amongst a dozen and filled the tag. I was the only one who had been there for quite some time. I was the only one there, that day. The evidence was apparent and I won't dwell on it. What I will elaborate on is the conversations that occurred after the fact with DNR types.

After filling in a State agent about the results I'd achieved, we had a long conversation concerning the situations for coming seasons and it is not pretty. His concern was with the amount of tags, the fact that the prices are being driven by those who do not want us to hunt at all-thanks to liability issues-and the greed of our State to get as much dollar from you as possible by putting out as many tags as they can to keep the revenue flowing. This is not healthy, folks! I verified this through talks with a local county conservation officer whom I trust without hesitation. The folks in charge of the tag prices DO NOT TRUST YOU WITH A GUN. Their hope is to drive you away and compel you to find other things to do with your time. How? Tag prices out of reach and NO DEER to hunt...that's how.

I asked him a question that I considered quite simple, "Why not have intervening years where a hunter gets one tag. Buck or doe is no consequence because there will be no seperate seasons. You will be given three month to fill it...PERIOD. This approach would allow some breathing room for all, not to mention the benefits for the health of the population. Once you filled the tag; Game over.

Whether by hook, or crook, bow or muzzle loader, shotgun or handgun, you have ONE tag...period.

Would you be willing to settle for this?

Most importantly, would the State? Or, are they just too greedy for that flow of cash? Do we truly care about the long-term ramifications of the situation as it is unfolding at the present rate?

One tag. Could you live with this approach every other year until the deer population stabilizes?

It is time to consider this proposition before it is too late and the ones who don't want us out there at all win by default, people.

Please consider this a warning. The golden years we saw just five years ago are dwindling away quickly. If we don't cut back on the tags we'll never see those glorious numbers again in our lifetime.

We need to talk to our State representatives and we need to do it now. For the sake of our deer and our hunting fraternity; for the sake of our children who've never experienced the thrill and gratification of a harvest-we need to act now. No more bow here and shotgun there: everyone with one tag for one season for one year. Are you willing? I think the deer are.

The best to your efforts in the coming year.