I got up at 4:45 AM and put all my winter clothes on since it was 15 degrees. I then drove to the property trying to beat the sun from rising. In the fields and timber along the way I can see the lights in the distance of other hunters prepairing their gear and beginning the journey to their tree stand. I never seem to make it to my spot before the sun rises.

Once you get to your stand, the waiting game begins. With the dim light of early morning, you survey your surroundings, trying to get a bearing on where good shots would be. As the sunlight increases your perspective on the woods around you changes. Many times I have felt that woods seem to change in the light. You sit in your stand or on the ground and scan the woods looking for the slightest movement. Deer can be very elusive and you rarely hear them approaching. The whole time you are hoping that a deer will walk right into your kill zone so the waiting will be over.

I have hunted since I was about 12 and now at 26, I am enjoying it for the first time. I went all those years past just to spend time with my brother and dad. Now, the thrill of the hunt and the union with nature and the circle of life intrigue me.