A thoughtful appreciation of hunting and a celebration of the outdoors that illuminates the hunter’s psyche, role, and influence on our culture. A long-time hunter and fisherman and senior writer at , Craig Raleigh has spent most of the last forty-five years of his life trying to find that elusive Holy Grail of hunting, that unimagined outdoor reality where one’s training, instinct, and experience converge into extraordinary bliss and accomplishment. He is the first to admit, that this does not entail the capture of a deer or an ever-evasive pheasant. It is the freedom to give back to the outdoors as much as one takes from it. For hunters, a life lived in the outdoors is massively rewarding and offers non-stop pleasures. It comes with the love of camaraderie, choice, and reward, and provides a deep appreciation for the nature world. is his meditative and philosophical journey into the soul of a hunter. Divided into four parts that mirror the hunting experience—the background, the preparation, the hunt, and the harvest—it addresses the paradox of hunting as conservationism, ruminates on the failures and successes of hunting as sport and as a way of life, and reveals how hunting influences our society. As Raleigh explains, the hunt is so much more than the kill. Most often, the hunter leaves the woods and fields empty-handed. Rather, the beauty of hunting is in the experience itself. As a hunter, you are constantly looking for clues. Yet in nature, signs are changeable, confusing, and never the same the second time. A captivating synthesis of , and is a literary reflection and love letter to the value of hunting as both sport and way of life.