It was hard to believe it at first, but the cultural differences between North Georgia and South Georgia are immense. I grew up in the top part of the state, lived my whole life there.

I find myself now in the southwest corner of Georgia and wonder, how in the world have I missed out on hunting my whole life?

I deer hunted for the first time last Nov. A family friend took me up into the stand for a school assignment where I had to immerse myself in something new. We hung out in that tree for about four hours, seeing only a few doe and a coyote. I was uncomfortable, yet intrigued.

I was never part of the crowd who threw on camouflage and shot at animals, but my curiosity was peaked.

Garden & Gun magazine, the self-proclaimed “soul of the south”, continued to fuel my interest. I flipped through those pages and saw hunters holding up their fancy double barrel shotguns in front of beautiful landscapes.

It had such a romantic southern charm that captured me. No longer was it just about deer hunting; there was quail, dove, duck, gator and anything else you could think of.

Here I am in the very heart of a land known for outdoor sports. I’m interested in throwing on the camouflage and climbing into the stand to wait on deer or striding through a field in search of dove. I want to experience the thrill of the hunt.

I’m willing to learn, to meet new people who will pull me along and teach me a thing or two about what they love.

Maybe I’ll fall in love too. It’s certainly worth a shot.