Way before the sun has finished partying on the other side of the globe, George is up, dressed, and ready for a full morning of deer hunting. The season just opened and George hopes to fill his family's freezer, and some other peoples', with fresh, healthy, organic venison. 

He dresses in his first layer, then heads down to his ultimate man cave to complete his morning routine. No need to wake the wife. She fishes like a maniac, but deer hunting isn't her thing.

When George built his house, he chose to set it into the side of a hill for a good reason. There's just one story on the front, but in the back, he has a full, daylight basement, most of which is his man cave. Just outside on the patio is a sink and counter to clean and dress the deer, fish, and other things he brings home. 

The patio is also home to a large deep fryer, a grill, and a smoker. If there's one thing George enjoys more than hunting, it's treating his family and friends to some excellent meals.

 

Tree houses become tree stands as you age. (Source)

Inside his cave, George has locked cases for his guns, a small kitchen, a couple of large deep freezers, and a den area with some hunting trophies and a big television for relaxing with his buddies after a long morning in the woods. It's here that he can whip up some breakfast, make a thermos of coffee, and finish putting on the layers he needs to stay warm up in his tree stand while waiting on deer.

With just under two hours before sunrise, it's time to get moving. Just as George finishes tying his boots, his hunting partner, Nick, taps on the sliding patio door and motions for George to come on. A short drive in George's truck and a hike to the tree stand later, George and Nick are set. Now to sit quietly and wait for a deer to come along.

 

Did you hear something? (Source)

The guys wait and watch in silence, sipping coffee from their thermoses, when something snorts just below the stand. Startled, Nick nearly drops his thermos, but manages to flip the spout shut and place it on the floor. 

George gives him a look, then refocuses outside the tree stand. The sounds of something walking over dried leaves and twigs floats up to them as whatever it was moves away. Probably a big buck that heard the fuss and is now moving on.

Just as the sky begins to lighten by a shade or two, a small pack of deer makes their way through the area. George and Nick each get one, which makes today's hunt a huge success. By the time the sun peeks over the horizon, the hunters have hauled their deer to the truck and are heading back to George's house.

They're barely on the road before Nick starts talking about what a skilled hunter he is. George sighs. He likes Nick, but the man loves the sound of his own voice. Sometimes, George dreams about taping his mouth shut. Just for a few seconds of peace.

After a few minutes, George can't resist any longer. "Yeah, you're a pretty good hunter. You almost fumbled your coffee, but those deer didn't stand a chance."

As they roll up to George's patio and back the truck up to the prep area, a sleepy-looking Debra cracks open the glass doors to say hello. She keeps one hand on their four-year-old son, who's wide awake at 7:00AM. On a Saturday, no less. 

Little G gets pretty excited over Dad's hunting trips. Seeing the two deer in the truck bed, he's about to burst like a firecracker. As soon as the men are out of the truck, Little G gets loose from mom's grip and is outside in a flash.

"Daddy, did you get these deer? Look, Mom. Look what Daddy got. Are you going back? Can I go this time?"

George laughs and takes a step back. "We're not going back today, son. It's cold out here. You need to get back inside."

Nick looks at Little G. "You'll be out there 'fore you know it. By the way, I got the big deer over there. Biggest one in the woods today."

Debra shoots George a look, who winks back. Nick likes to brag a little too much sometimes. "Nick, let me help you load up your deer so you can get it home to dress."

As soon as they pick up Nick's deer, Little G kicks up a fuss. "Daddy, that's the little deer. Nick said his is the big one." Debra slips out just long enough to scoop Little G up and take him inside. As she slides the door shut, he's still yelling they've got the wrong deer. Little G has a big mouth.

George and Nick finish loading up the deer, and a slightly more somber Nick says thanks and heads to his house.

After George dresses the deer (something Little G doesn't need to see), he removes his gloves and protective gear and goes inside. Upstairs, he hears Little G talking a mile a minute while Debra reminds him to eat breakfast. George is ready for more coffee and a break before finishing the deer and putting it in the freezer.

George sips his coffee and answers at least 10,000 deer-hunting questions. Satisfied for a while, Little G goes off to watch cartoons, and George tells Debra how Nick almost ruined today's hunt with his thermos. "If he dropped that thing, it would've ended this morning's hunt before it began. It was so quiet out there. No way that noise would've gone unnoticed."

Debra smiles. "I've got two questions for you, hon. One, you're grilling fresh deer steak for dinner, right? And, two, how do you think Nick will take it this spring when I catch a bigger fish than he does?"

"He'll never know if we don't take that loudmouth of ours."

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