By R.G. Bernier Photos by the Author

“The (deer) hunt now takes on a totally new significance in our urbanized society; it has become primarily a much-needed recreation for a large sector of our outdoor-minded population.” — George Mattis As I stepped onstage, the applause from the capacity crowd was deafening. The introduction given for and about me by the host was beyond flattering — it was downright epic. And to think all of this fanfare for a guy that grew up in a small mill town in a rural state, who, for his own personal satisfaction, developed the necessary skillset to hunt down and kill large-bodied wilderness whitetails. Facing that audience, like so many before, with the spotlight shining directly on me, was indeed an honor and a real privilege. To think that all those folks took time out of their life and money out of their pocket to come and listen to me. Although exhilarating on a personal level, on a much larger scale it demands real responsibility on my part. You see, where aggrandizing becomes problematic is when we start believing the press at the expense of reality. There are really only two ways we can go when attention is paid to us, inflate our ego or practice humility.

50 WHITETAIL NEWS

/ Vol. 26, No. 3

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