I'm a hunter. There is something about sitting in a tree stand and watching, anticipating, and never knowing for sure what will transpire in the hours ahead. One spot in an ocean of wilderness, one ridge in a range, one tree amongst thousands. Yet it was in this very spot this fall that I witnessed amazing events unfold. There was the morning that a mature gobbler was roosted just thirty yards from me (in the tree to the far right of this pic). There was the evening I watched a small buck run a doe all over the valley straight ahead. Then there was the morning that the deer I have hunted for two years came and went without presenting an ethical shot. However, Saturday morning before Thanksgiving a mature 10 pointer did present an ethical shot. As much as I enjoyed that moment and the opportunity to harvest one of God's great creations, it was the days I spent in the stand leading up to and after my son's birth that stand out most to me. The things that ran through my mind during those times I can not explain. I spent time asking God for health for my wife and son and just for everything to be ok. I spent time thanking him for exceeding all of my expectations and desires for that moment. I suppose some people find reading a book with a cup of coffee or sitting around a fire is a time for reflection. This tree stand is where I found mine last fall. Here are the specs: Camera was set to Tv. Shutter speed was 1/4000. Aperture 5.0. Exposure -1. ISO 1600.
