Wild Hill Preserve, located in the green mountains of VT is a 4000 acre preserve of various species of game. From Texas Dall ram, to wild boar that attack both dogs and humans, to large red stag and various goats and Corsican,  Hawaiian Ram, Fallow deer both sexes and other exotic game. The avid gun or bow hunter has the choice of what he wants to hunt be depending on the price. 

I chose the elusive Texas Dall ram. Going from $750.00- 1500.00 depending on the size.  This place is a hunter's heaven.

Included in the price is meals and lodging. Bills wife Bobbi does all the cooking and right in front of you. The red stag meat is a great meal with plates of fresh vegetables and home made rolls. 

The morning coffee has an aroma that stimulates you to get up and get ready for the day of hunting these forests of red, gold and green hills of upper New England.   The decor of the lodge has the decor of an old mountain cabin with mounts of every animal that habitats these hills. Fire places are in every living room and power is supplied by car batteries in the rooms to give you one light per room.

Across from the main camp is a large field that has two ponds. One is a catch and release trout pond and another for a view people would die for.......next to the pond is an authentic Indian teepee with horses in a field at the base of a hill that the sunlight radiates the golden hues of yellow, green, orange, red and the deep blue sky.

This view is when you wake up at 6 am till the sun goes down at about 6:30 pm in the October evening.  The guides ask you what you wish to hunt for then drop you off in an area that you might find the game you want to pursue. No guarantees and you can stalk, sit or still hunt in an the immediate area of where they place you. Rams like high country. Hogs like bogs. The stag like a lot of area and fallow deer can be any where. I choose the elusive Texas Dall.

The first morning they put my bow on the front of the ATV and my pack and I headed up the winding slopes of trails that some times were at a 45 degree animal.    On the first morning they put me on a log pile that over looked a draw that the sheep some times travel to get to the sun lit top of the hills to sun themselves in.  After 5 hours of sitting there and seeing nothing they came and picked me up for lunch. 

After a hearty meal they decided to bring me up to another popular spot where the elusive ram travel. The view of the green Mountains was worth the price of admission. 

But the wind came up and a cold breeze had me hunkered down in the trees to break up the brisk cold breeze. For another 3 hours nothing.  I even stalked a little, then still hunted for about half an hour just to keep warm. Then I went back to my hide away blind.  The end of the first day.

At night after a meal to fit a king, we shared stories of the day. Shots hit and missed, animals seen and let go for various reasons.  But a lot of the gun hunters tagged out on red Stag.  Magnificent animals with massive racks. 

That is the magic of hunting camps. The hunt is the goal but the magic of talks of old hunts the meeting of old friends and the feeling of belonging to a group of people who were concerned about the land and the conservation of our natural environment. 

Bills stories about the Eskimos, the Amazon, and the Nile were extremely interesting. But Bill's talk on the Spirit of the animals and the ethics of the harvest and the respect of the land and the respect of the earth and the way of the Great Spirit that created the Heaven and Earth that created us and the animals and to honor the animal and the awesome responsibility of man to care for the earth and to preserve our natural heritage that man has to be stewards of the land really moved me. 

The next morning found me on a grassy knoll watching over a down-slope and a road that the Ram might be using.  I did not see a ram, but within 20 yards of me was a massive red stag. His fur radiating sun light through the trees and the Rack about 3-4 feet above his majestic head. But the stag was not my goal. Another morning past.  After another hot bowl of soup and the warmth of the camp warmed my bones. I could not anticipate what was to come.

After the lunch they put me in another spot near a road that that ram crossed very often. But after 5 hours and only one sighting there but too far for a bow shot through thick trees. I was getting disappointed..  The about 5:30 the guide came after me and said they spotted a nice Dall headed for a field to eat. 

The guide grabbed my bow and quiver -- which had my finger tab and arm guard attached to it. Up the 45 degree angle, winding hills and down the steep slopes we went -- some times tilting right or left. I felt I might fall over but the expertise of the guide kept me on the ATV. 

When we got to the edge of the field, he pointed out the buckskin Dall sheep that was grazing about 1/4 down the field and not far from the edge. He encouraged me to get into the inside of the field edge and try to get close to the animal as I could. 

He handed me my bow. 

But to my horror, and his, ALL MY FIBER OPTIC SIGHTS WERE BROKEN. My glove and arm guard were gone.   So without any finger tab or glove I grabbed my quiver and Proline ACE bow and headed into the edge of the woods. I got to about 20 yards and shot at the ram, no tab, no sight ... I MISSED! 

I shot under the massive ram.  He started walking a little faster now and sso did I and at15 yards I led the animal, picked a spot and let loose. The 3 blade Muzzy slammed into the front shoulder bone.  The Ram,  hobbled by the shot began moving toward the woods about 70 yards away. At that time  Bill arrived and said if it got to the woods it would be hard to retrieve the animal in the quickly approaching evening, and the coyotes would get him. 

I said I thought I could hit him. 

The guide whistled, the Ram stopped and turned broadside, I drew back the bow with my bare fingers picked a spot and raised the bow to where it needed to be.  The Muzzy broadhead arched into a high angle then descended in flight to exactly the spot where I stared into ... right through one lung and out the other.  He tilted one way took about five steps and went down. He was dead before we got to him. 

As I approached the animal Bill said, "that was an incredible shot."

I paced off exactly 45 of my steps so the shot was about 45 yards total. No Tab, no sight just my concentration on picking a spot, thinking it in and out the animal and good follow through. 

As I approached the animal I knelt down and thanked God for the day, the earth HE created and the animal he allowed for me to harvest. I raised my hands to the heavens and asked the spirit of the wild to enter into me and thanked Him for the day, and for allowing me to harvest one of HIS creatures.  

Believe it or not ... The spirit answered me and said in my soul that I have done what GOD intended me to do ... harvest one of his creatures that he put here for our food.  Read LEVITICUS 11 verse 1-8

That's the way I see it in my "View From Behind The String".