Welcome, hunters and anglers. I hope this finds you in good health.

Right now, I have an itch. It happens about the same time every year; when the morning temperature gets down to just below 60 degrees, I get an itch.

Deer season is just around the bend, and I’m not going to be normal again until I scratch my itch for the hunt.

It is awesome to be standing in the woods on the first day of the season, just before daybreak, listening to the birds waking up and getting short of breath. At that moment, the hunting doesn’t get any better.

For the next few hours, you know your opportunity to put food on the table is at its peak.

It is that time of year. I might as well start the ball rolling because I know it is going to get started anyway; I know there is controversy in hunting deer with dogs. I find myself on both sides of the fence, if that is possible.

I’ve had a hunting dog most of my life. I started with a beagle. She was rated top in the county for rabbits, and she deserved the rating. I loved hunting with that dog.

I was in the Marines when I found out she had passed, and I cried like a baby. I could tell you some stories about her. I love to listen to the dogs doing what they love to do.

I also understand there is a reason why this area holds some of the largest deer in the country — some of it is not penetrable by human beings.

On the other side of the fence, I have heard of the dog owners who don’t get as attached to their dogs as I have always been. For them, when a dog has shown it is no longer useful, dogs are like tires whose tread is worn out — it’s time for the burn pile.

This I cannot agree with. Ok, as any good journalist should do, I am soliciting comments, and maybe we will all learn a little. Ok, enough about dogs?

As recent stories in The Tidewater News have indicated, there are some monster buck out there. The outlook is extremely positive. I expect to see some good pictures from hunt clubs and private hunters.

Please include the names of all the people in the pictures and send them to greyhound77@cox.net. Any additional information that you wouldn’t mind seeing in print would be appreciated.

I am also looking to do some in-depth stories of any unusual hunts this year. If you think you have one, please clue me in. If I don’t hear from anyone, I’ll be scratching my itch too. Good luck and good hunting.

Please be safe in the woods. We all know the basic rules; treat every gun as if it is loaded. Identify your target and what is behind it. Always wear fluorescent orange. Once that trigger is pulled, you can’t recall the projectile. Carry out what you carry in.

Once that venison is home, how about those recipes? Let me be the first to share. My sweetheart does venison medallions. She slices the venison very thin and pounds it out till it is extremely thin. She then coats it with crushed saltines and fries it in olive oil with a lot of garlic. She finishes them with lemon juice after frying and serves them up. These medallions are incredible and, I’m told, they are also good cold — piled high on a roll as a sandwich. No matter how much she cooks, we don’t ever have enough for sandwiches. Trust me; you have got to try this if you haven’t already.

Boy, that itch is really getting to me now. I think I’ll go sight in for a while. Maybe take a walk after that.

Meanwhile, take a look at a young lady in the photo below who enjoys hunting and fishing as well. Her name is Megan Purvis from Franklin. She is 10 years old and she just went on her first dove hunt with her father, Chris Purvis. Way to go, Megan. I’ll be looking for more pictures of your successful hunts.

BOB RUDZIK is a soon-to-be Newsoms resident. His e-mail address is greyhound77@cox.net