7:30 a.m.: My current view in Gladwin County, Michigan, on opening day of whitetail firearm season. Got my first buck about half an hour ago; waiting for things to settle down to retrieve him. In the meantime, maybe his dumb cousin will wander in.

Later morning: The view from the base of my ladder stand, which is a nice place to nap in the light rain. Mike says I got a 7-point, which was thoughtful enough to die 30 yards in front of him, and he is tracking a doe he shot. For anyone who is wondering why I haven’t seen my deer yet, we hunt on public land with many others around, and don’t want to screw up anyone else’s hunt by tromping around the woods during a busy period for deer movement.

My seat is about 15 feet above ground. I use a safety harness. Hunting from a tree stand during firearm season has only been legal in this part of Michigan a few years. Besides making it much easier to see, it makes me feel much safer, because other hunters are unlikely to aiming up that high. (Still felt safe enough to nap on the ground, though.)

P.S. I like how the tree on the right kind of looks like a deer.

Me and my guy.