“I rest my head against my lead strap and almost immediately fall into my hunter’s trance. I am completely aware of my surroundings and register every sound, every breath of wind, every movement, and yet I have my eyes closed and my mind is at ease, resting, almost like sleep. My focus is everything and nothing at the same time — much like Zen meditation. The feeling is mostly flat, though my thoughts wander some; too much mental action is distracting. In this state I blend into the woods, and take back my place in nature, not as an observer or an outsider, but rather a real live piece of nature,”