Hunting!

     Yesterday Jozef, Dad, Ryan, Steven, and I all went hunting!  My first time with a bow.  (I have gone twice before as a kid just to sit with Dad and watch.)  We probably were all settled in the stands by around 4:30.  Dad had us spread out so that either him or Jozef were in hearing range. 
     Sometime around 6 a buck wandered right by me.  It was definitely within shooting range but it was an awkward angle.  Plus Dad said never to move when the deer's head is up, only when it is down and grazing.  It never put it's head down that long.
     Shortly after I spotted it, I glanced away.  The deer froze to listen.  It completely disappeared!  This was when it was only like 15-20 yards in front of me and I could not see it no matter how hard I looked!  Finally it moved again and I kept my eyes glued to it.  It slowly walked away.  After it was around 40 yards away (that's a total guess by the way) it froze again.  In the hope that it would decide to come back this way I stayed still.  Wow.  If God made us all as patient as that deer we would get so much more accomplished.  The stand I was in was on a branch that was at about a 20 degree angle to the tree.  The stand was strapped around it so that you are leaning up against the branch with the tree in front of you.  Have you ever tried leaning against a tree for an extended amount of time without moving?  My back was already sore from the first hour and a half (lots of time to think and pray!) of minimal movement but now I couldn't move at all.
     But it was so worth it.  Something I didn't expect was the adrenaline rush when I saw the buck.  Man, my heart was pounding!