Opening morning arrived with frost covering the fields. I woke before four, filled Grandpa’s thermos with coffee, and put on his old canvas hunting coat. Dale, Tim, and Wes arrived shortly afterward. I walked them toward the ridge, just as Grandpa had done for generations. Everything felt peaceful until Kurt appeared with Mike and Russ. He was carrying the hunting agreement Brad had given him. After examining the forged signature, Kurt finally understood that Brad had deceived all three men.

Kurt apologized repeatedly and admitted they had paid Brad $4,000 because they trusted him. Dale listened quietly before explaining that he had never wanted to hunt somewhere that caused trouble for the actual landowner. I reassured them that they had permission to stay, provided everything followed the proper safety and hunting rules. Then I showed Kurt Grandpa’s green notebook. He turned the pages slowly, discovering the names of veterans who had hunted there long before any of us. His eyes filled with tears. “Your grandfather was a good man,” he whispered.