Snap, a twig breaks in the distance. As I swivel in my tree stand, a broad figure comes into sight. The wind speeds up as a buck creeps closer, leaves rustling and sticks breaking. Suddenly the buck stops and raises his head to smell the air. The buck goes back to slowly wandering towards me and eating, while I carefully reach for my bow and nock an arrow. Just as the buck turns broadside, the wind dies down. The forest becomes nearly silent, no more rustle of the leaves, and even the squirrels have stopped chirping. I smoothly draw back the string and bring the sight over the shoulder of the buck. I calm my breathing and move the sight slightly towards the back, directly behind the shoulder and aiming for the lungs and heart. One more breath in, and as I slowly let it out I release the arrow and it finds it’s mark.
   

Thud, the body collapses as the last breath escapes from the fallen animal. With the last breath the wind returns, and the forest comes alive again. Birds rest on branches singing their  songs and squirrels chase through the leaves in search of food. My father joins me in the woods and I think of all the food that this beautiful creature will provide for my family. As we leave the woods, darkness begins to creep in. Coyotes howl in the distance, eager to come and collect any scraps from the fresh kill.
   

Crackle, the warm glow of the fire beats back the darkness. Throughout the day, I have been surrounded by the wild. As I sat in my treestand, I slowly became a part of the tree while the animals stopped questioning and started accepting my presence. I came face to face with the animal I would soon eat, and I became closer to nature as I thanked the animal that provided for me. As the day draws to an end I find relaxation while the burning wood fills my nose, and the sound of joy fills my ears. Smoke rises into the night as laughter fills the air. The embers of the fire drift up into the sky and become stars shining down on the Earth. Snap, the sticks break. Thud, they crash into the fire. Crackle, the flames spread.