I have returned from the deer woods. Two weekends of alternately sweating, shivering and getting cramps in my leg muscles. There is one week to go in our part of deerland, but I may be done for the season.

Everyone who hunts comes away with impressions of their time spent in pursuit of a wild goat named Whitetail. You would have to be very dense not to notice certain truths about the sport. The following are 10 things I have learned not only this year, but in the 44 years that the sport has been a part of me. Here they are:

Lesson 1: Even wise old bucks make a mistake once in awhile. They somehow lose their sense of place and wander into the sights of a blaze-orange clad being, sitting in a tree looking much like an over-stuffed turkey ready for the oven. Even wise old bucks screw up sometimes.

Lesson 2: Deer does with young are very wary creatures. They seem to sense their importance in keeping frolicking fawns out of trouble. They have their nose in the air for danger and are one of the most alert animals in the forest. Female deer with kids don't trust anyone, unless proven trustworthy. Sound familiar?

Lesson 3: It's much better to be facing the wind than going with it if you are tracking a deer. Wind at your back does nothing but ensure that you will go home venison-less. Much like life in general, keeping your nose into the wind will get you better results.

Lesson 4: A rusty rifle will not serve you well. Preparation is key to deer hunting, just like life. Pulling the trigger only to have nothing happen can be an excruciating experience. You remember it for a long time afterward.

Lesson 5: Courting the fairer sex can get you into trouble. Many a long-lived buck deer has come to the dinner table in the form of steaks because he was infatuated with that wobbling white-tail in front of him. At any other time of the year he would have snuck away through the brambles, but when he's in love, common sense goes out the window. The same can be said of humans. If you don't think so, stop by a hot nightspot some Saturday evening. You'll find the same thing going on there.

Lesson 6: The fanciest tree stand in the world has never garnered a deer. Deer don't care what your deer stand looks like. It can be a hovel or a palace and they could care less. In the eyes of a deer, all hunter's deer stands are equal. It's good to know that money can't buy you luck in a deer stand. Comfort maybe, but good luck, no.

Lesson 7: Hunting deer reaffirms your faith in humanity. There is rarely a deer hunter who will not help another in the deep woods. Many of us have had some stumbling, lost hunter cross our paths over the years. In most cases, we've been happy to help them out of their panic. Deer hunters have trouble admitting when they are lost, but don't we all. And we all know how men, especially, like to ask for directions. We help each other.

Lesson 8: There is always a wolf out there ready to eat you. I saw a deer leave the woods this year and five minutes behind it I found out why. A large, dark-gray timber wolf emerged out of the thicket on the deer's trail. I don't know how the drama played out, but the wolf looked determined to have dinner. We humans have wolves after us too, they're just not wearing full fur coats and don't howl at the moon.

Lesson 9: Simple food is the best. A ham and cheese sandwich toasted over a open fire at high noon is by far the best meal a hunter could ask for. Even after dropping your feast into the ashes a time or two, nothing tastes as good. Top it off with a cup of lukewarm coffee and you have a king's repast. And finally ...

Lesson 10: Deer season always ends too soon. I'm never quite ready to leave the woods for a year. Sitting in those old deer stands and thinking about all the history and stories that are ingrained in those old trees is a nostalgic trip I never tire of. Just like a good life, leaving is tough to do.

My 10 deer hunting truths. I have found them to be true, and I'd bet most who wore blaze-orange over the past two weeks might just agree. Excuse me now, I have to go and freeze my venison.

See you next time. Okay?