Eyes are pretty important for hunting. Well, they’re pretty important for a lot of things, but they’re certainly helpful for hunting. I do know some folks who are blind who hunt, and I have a lot of respect for them. It’s amazing to me they’ve figured out a way to hunt without the benefit of their own sight. But I’d like to keep my vision intact, so that I can continue to hunt the way I know how to do it.
So when my eye doctor told me I have a bunch of little holes in both my retinas that will likely devolve into a detached retina, I was concerned. He said it’s easily remedied by going to an ophthalmologist who would basically spot-weld those holes with a laser. He said it’s not a big deal, and I’d be in an out in under an hour, and I’d be back to normal by the next day.
The trick is getting in to see that ophthalmologist. I would have liked to have had the procedure done before the spring hunting seasons, but there was no room on the eye surgeon’s calendar until after the start of the turkey season. The earliest they could get me in was April 7th. With that in mind, I opted to skip the lottery for the Type 3 turkey license, which opened on April 1st, and instead planned to just pick up a general license. I figured I’d have plenty of time to heal up before the season opens on the 20th.
Now I’m wishing I’d gotten the Type 3 and gone out for a few days before my surgery. I got one eye done on the 7th, and it felt like I had a small kickboxer inside my eye, hammering on the back of my eyeball throughout the procedure. And now, almost a week after the surgery, it feels better, but it still hurts. I’m hoping I’m back to full speed by the 20th.
The moral of the story is take care of your eyes. Avoid having to get eye surgery, if you can. And if you have to get it done, plan it for a time when it won’t interfere with hunting season at all.
