4th Prize
Vanguard Deluxe or SUB-MOA Rifles (7 awarded)
Andy Whitener, Georgia
“I am sure everyone who has hunted, even a little, will have a dream hunt. Those who have hunted for a long time probably have a slightly different perspective than those who have hunted a short time. Over time, the hunt has become more than harvesting an animal. At least for me it has become much more than taking the trophy. For me the hunt has become almost spiritual and relational. For reasons difficult to put into words, I feel closer to our creator when out in His handiwork. There is a special bond experienced hunters have with each other. For the young or inexperienced hunter the hunt may be more about the harvest.
I have a hunch many of the dream hunts you receive may look very similar. Like many, I have a passion to hunt, to be out in the woods, have an adventure, to experience God’s gift of earth in its rawest form. However, it is the experience of nature and adventure quadrupled by who it is shared with that makes my hunt a dream hunt. My dream hunt is about sharing a great hunting experience with my college roommate from Troy State University, Rick Lane. Rick credits me with getting him started hunting but he has now become the teacher as he has surpassed me in the art of hunting the sly Eastern turkey.
Rick is a youth pastor in Opelika, Alabama and I work in a rehabilitation hospital in Florence, South Carolina. We get together once or twice a year as life allows usually hunting Eastern wild turkey and white tail deer. We have a great time together reminiscing about past hunts, sharing about our families (we both have two girls) and talking about retiring in the same town so we can roam through the woods and hunt together in our old age.
One thing Rick and I have always wanted to do was to hunt elk together. We both talk about being out west and then sharing the story of encountering the majestic bull elk for years to come. As any hunter will tell you hunting out west has a special attraction probably because it varies so much from hunting the thick eastern woods. Rick and I, both close to 50, one over one under, have had pretty rough years in the recent past. I won’t bore you with the details, but job loss, challenging circumstances with our daughters and financial set backs would cover it. We both figure we have about 10 more hunting seasons before we may not be able to physically handle a demanding hunt in the mountains. I would like nothing more than to share this dream hunt with Rick my hunting buddy.”