ORIGINAL: mohunter82

AMEN thats all that need be said.

ORIGINAL: Matt/NC

This is a long read with no kill. So read on if you have the time. I headed to the woods about 2:45 this afternoon. One of those days when everything seems perfect. The temperature was in the low 40's, light wind, in the perfect direction. As I climb out of the truck I see a doe feeding along in front of my stand roughly a hundred yards away. I choose to sit on the tailgate and watch as she feeds across the field in all her glory. A truly beautiful creature in its natural habitat without a care in the world. As I set there I realized why we do what we do. Well the day had already been worth taking the time to get ready and head out to the woods. So I watch the doe feed on across the field and slowly make my way down the field to my stand hoping maybe I would see a buck following her. Well I get in my stand and watch several squirrels, a fox, and a ton of chipmunks skirry around the forest floor. As the sun sets on another day of hunting I am thankful for everything god has put before me. I glance over my shoulder and to my amazement there stands the giant 8, the one I have hunted for 3 seasons, the one I have on camera 30 times,and the one who had avoided me all those times, standing 50 yrds away in the middle of the timber. I turned and reached for my bow as slow as possible and slowly turned back around and was ready to draw when to my astonishment he was no longer there, or for that matter anywhere in site. I sat staring at what was the position of this giant whitetail that I had hunted so hard for 3 seasons. I placed my bow back on the holder and just let out a sigh as this would be the last time I would take to the woods this season with my bow in hand, and all hopes of arrowing the giant 8 pointer I had stalked all year faded. As I climb down from the stand and head to the truck I look out over the hill and the glorious sunset, and there he stands, in all his glory, the sun beaming over his rack as if he knew this was the last time we would meet this season and saying there will be another time my friend. I placed my bow back in the truck and turned again to look at this amazing creature in the fading light and just as he had 30 minutes earlier he had vanished. I smirked to myself and in one of those sappy moments said, "Good Luck", as I hope he makes it through the orange army another year. It wasin that moment I realizedthis is why we do what we do, we spend thousands of dollars to chase what in moments seems to be meerely a ghost in the setting sun. This is why we hunt.