What Motivates Me, by Josh

There are a few things that get me motivated. I love hunting. It is probably my favorite thing to do. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning, getting dressed out in all camo or just regular school clothes depending on whether gun season is in or not. Sitting in the deer stand 20 or 30 feet in the air, barely able to breathe for the chill of the air around me, watching my breath come out and just float away with the breeze.

Then twigs cracking, a faint but unmistakable bleat of a fawn. I know a doe will soon come out into the field closely followed by the buck I have been waiting for all season. A movement. There he stands in the still morning air. The sun rising just behind him, sunlight glistening off of his magnificent silhouette. I start to shake. My heart beats faster and faster. I can't breathe as I reach for my 7 mm rifle with its Nikon scope.

He sees the doe and begins to slowly make his way across the soybean field towards her. As he makes his way towards her, I raise my gun and realize just how huge this white-tail really is. Maybe 18" wide at the least above his ears, a foot a massive 12 point. I cough. He goes into a dead standstill and his ears perk forward, swiveling in every direction. He looks for the sound, nervous twitches course through his body. He sees nothing. He keeps moving. He stops to eat. I raise my gun, aim, and click. He looks up, straight at me. I freeze. He begins eating again.

I put in another shell and "BOOM!" As the smoke clears. I see him laying there flopping. A huge smile embraces my face. I now have bragging rights, "What then tree huggers? I am the bone collector!" That's what gets me motivated.