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ORIGINAL: wis_bow_huntr

I began my hunting career back in 1990 and was never succesfull until 6 years later. Since then I have been very successful. I was taught that its not the kill that matters when it comes to hunting and that I should take in everything around me while sitting perched high in a tree or sitting in my blind. Over the years I have lived and loved this advice, untill a few years ago, when I totally found myself not feeling the hunt in my heart. I didnt have the ambition or care if I saw anything whenI went out. That slowly dispersed and I got back into the swing of things. Well this year has been very similar. Sure I go out every nite if I can. Sometimes I see deer sometimes I dont. I can live with that. But most people know I have had very bad luck this year. I have lost a total of 3 deer so far. Talk about a downer. I just about hung it up permenately when my neighbor told me not to. Charlie has given me some great advice over the last 3 years I have known him not just when it comes to hunting but life in general. I have to say next to my wife and kids, he is my best friend. Well with all the loses I have had this year I figure something has had to have changed, is it me? Is it my bow? Did I not shoot enough over the summer? Well together with my cousin, we started a process of elimination. He whatched me shoot, its good, next we were wondering if something on the bow had changed, something did a little bit, WB was slightly out of tune, and we removed my ultra noc and cranked up my bow a bit. Im now shooting the way I was before the UN was put on. I shot andtuned some heads and went out yesterday after work. As I sat there,Igot to thinking andstarted to take in everything around me. I had 2 yearlings come into my stand area and started eating and playing. I watched these two for over 45 minutes as well as 4 other deer. I totally got lost in it. Had a big doe and a nice buck come through and I just let them come through. I was so lost in the moment and realized what has been going on. I became the person I swore I would never become. I was so caught up in the kill that I had lost myself in the hunt. As I sat there watching these deer it was plain to see that 99% of the time, it was me. Ill be honest. When I saw what I was seeing in myself, a tear slowlyran down myface. It tookthesefew deer tohelp me find myselfonce again, not only as a hunter, but as a true sportsman.

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