“The world of hunting is one of contrasting and
seemingly incompatible  concepts. On one hand,
it involves peace, quiet, dedication, study, lots
of patience, and usually a sincere love of nature
and all its animals. On the other, it involves a
drive to kill, a high tolerance of blood and gore,
and the utter absence of sentimentality.

My first hunt was actually a bloodless one, which
made for a very gentle introduction to hunting.
Sitting in a tree stand until the sun went down,
spotting but not shooting wildlife, was frustrating
in a way: I couldn’t take the pictures I had come
for, and wanted action. Yet it taught me a
humbling lesson in patience and dedication.
If you’re going to shoot a deer, you do it right.
You only shoot it if you’re sure it’s of the right
sex, it doesn’t have babies, and you’re absolutely
positive that you can kill it in a single shot. If
these conditions aren’t met, you leave the beast
be. I realized right away that hunting was not to
be taken lightly. It is not simply a hobby, or
something you do a few times. It’s dead serious.”

…

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