If Somebody Gave me $6500 to go hunt deer.

If someone handed me $6500 to go hunt deer, I think I'd see if they'd let me use it for Moose, either in Eastern or Mid-Western Canada. If I had to stick to whitetail, I would be asking you guys for suggestions.

I'm with RonT on what he said, but I also see it in less spirtual terms. The first time I went boar hunting, it was a great trip. However, when I got home I began to realize that the hunt had been a little too pat. I went out, sat on a bench in the woods, and exactly 4 hours later the boar came out just as the guide predicted. If I am going with good people and we have a decent adventure, the hunt can be somewhat ancillary to the overall feeling of success. I didn't feel cheated, but I didn't crow about my achievement either.

The last thing I want to do is go somewhere, slog through the woods for a bit, have a guide point at something and whisper "Shoot." Ditto for going somewhere and sitting in someone else's box blind.

When I go, it's for the adventure of the thing. I'll have to admit that coming back with a cooler full of meat is better than not. If I spent $6500, I'd want several coolers and a nice shoulder mount to boot. Still, meat and a nice piece of taxidermy are not going to cut it if the adventure is not there. I'm 47 years old, and I've got a place on the map with my name on it, because I was the first man to walk there. If I can't improve on that, I don't have a huge stake in going. On the other hand, I can still walk out in my backyard and tangle with a buck that will put my head through serious changes. Just because it's a familiar stand does not make it less of an adventure.