A Hunter’s Prayer

Writing

Written in the woods near Petawawa, Ontario during my first deer hunting trip.

A Hunter’s Prayer

May I have the luck and timing to be in the right place at the right time,
The skill to be deadly accurate when the time is right,
The patience to wait for that time,
The wisdom to know when not to take a shot,
The insight to see the connection between hunter, environment and animal,
The humanity to honour the life given and the life taken,
The integrity to ensure that there is no waste,
The gratitude for the chance to see things and places that most won’t and to commune with nature,
The humility to accept that if I go home empty handed it was time well spent.