I' d have to say a combination of it all.

Being out there by myself soaking it all in. Being able to see millions of stars at night; smelling the cool, crisp, pine scented mountain air; hearing the elk bugeling and smelling them when they walk by up wind of you but you still don' t see them; the aspen leaves turning vibrant gold, orange and red.

The comraderie. Coming back to camp at night t tell the same hunting stories that you have told every year and remembering the successes and failures. Sitting around the camp fire with your chest and legs burning up and your back and neck cold as ever just staring at it like it was some mystical ghost. Wanting to strangle my father and another hunting buddy of ours because they always fall asleep before I do and keep me up with their excessive snoring.

Of course filling my tags so that I can enjoy the delicious meat that that elk provided me and if it is a " trophy" it just makes it that much sweeter.