BBZ Special: As fathers, it’s hard sometimes for us not to bore our neighbors and friends to death with stories about our children. Sorry, but my son's fall season makes me proud to be both a hunter and a dad.

By the time January rolls around, it’s really easy to hang up your gear and throw in the towel. Let’s face it; extreme cold temperatures, late-season burnout, and ballgames on the tube are all pretty good excuses to stay at home. However, there is no better way to kick off the New Year than climbing into a treestand and taking advantage of a golden opportunity. Limited outside hunting pressure, dwindling late-season food sources, predictable patterns, and increased daytime activity are just some of the reasons why you should stick with it. In fact, some of my best bucks have been tagged long after the much anticipated rut had fizzled out and the final buzzer was about to sound off.

A husband-and-wife team score big on a Hoosier trophy non-typical.

Many deer hunters will tell you that luck is definitely a factor in any successful hunt. On the other hand, the die-hard hunters who consistently tag top-heavy bucks season after season will also tell you that a lot of hard work is involved as well. Everything has to fall into place at just the right time to connect with a mature whitetail. Locating and patterning a bruiser buck is tough enough, but knowing exactly where to hang and when to hunt a particular stand is also a difficult task. Many hunters feel this is where luck enters the equation. However, some hunters like Spook Spann who are dragging giants out the field every season disagree with this theory.