The sun has started to make it’s daily climb up above the mountains.  Your thoughts seem to be the loudest thing in the woods at the moment.  Silence is pushed to the side with the crunching of leaves not far away.  As fast as this sound comes, your heart starts to beat faster and faster.  Adrenaline and curiosity envelop your whole being.  What is it?  Is it what I am after?  Is it a squirrel playing tricks on me?  It is then that reality hits you with the welcoming sight of antlers coming into view just 20 yards away.  Curiosity turns into relief, but it isn’t over yet.  Ever so slowly you raise your bow up, clip on your release, and begin to draw back.  As you look through your peep sight and try to control the sudden blitzkrieg of shakes that has just come over you, that 20 yard pin that has become so very familiar begins to rest just behind this monarch’s shoulder.  Breathe in, breathe out, squeeze the trigger.  You watch the arrow bury into the vitals of what you have worked so hard for.  Chaos erupts through the mountains as your quarry takes off quicker than they appeared just a few minutes ago.  You did it.  All of the scouting and hard work finally paid off.  Hopefully…..

Joshua Kirchner