Senderos & Smoke

If you grew up hunting with family and friends, this time of year can trigger a lot of great memories. Maybe it is firearm that was handed down from the previous generation, maybe it is a particular deer stand, or simply a whiff of a familiar smell. On one of my most recent hunts, I shared this memory via social media.

Sendero – A path or strip used to walk along.

Many hunters find solace high in a tree overlooking a stand of hardwoods. Me, I find solace in a ground blind overlooking a gas or power line. I can still admire the beauty of tall, tall trees, but the long open shooting lanes remind me of my childhood, and hunts with family and friends on a South Texas Sendero,

A few days later, I got an email memory from my cousin down in South Texas as he also reflected on our past hunts.

Smoke

“So I’m sitting out here in the middle of Goliad, Tx. It’s about 40 degrees, I’m at a benefit, there’s a good band playing, they’ve got a barbecue food truck, beer is being served, and people are dancing.

I decided to go out to my truck to get something, and I got a whiff of Mesquite smoke in the cold night air. Instantly I had a flashback to the deer lease with my dad and Leroy sitting around the fire, waiting on Dennis (who was supposed to be here at 10), while we were cutting up and drinking beer.

I smiled and cried at the same time. I just wanted you two guys to know that some of my favorite memories in my entire life have you two in them.”

-Tom Winkler

As the holiday festivities wrap up and you head back to the field, I hope that in 2025 you will be able to make many more memories with your family and friends in the Senderos and Smoke.