You never know what you’re going to find out in the woods, or see. Hunting is no exception. Here’s my story in pictures. I didn’t get the elk or bear meat I was after, but I got something greater. A glimpse of the vast beauty of our created world.

You never know what you’re going to come across in the woods.

An unusual arrangement of fungi . . .

Last night’s snow . . .

Or a bear crossing your track within ten minutes of you.

This morning heavy mist rose from the ground . . .

We came to a stream . . .

Where I admired frosted leaves . . .

Clear water in the sun . . .

A frost-riven rock . . .

Minute,delicate fungi . . .

A forest giant . . .

And at last, elk tracks!

I followed the elk tracks 3/4 mile to private property, and on the way found . . .

Other fantastic creatures.

An elk rub bolstered my spirits after an uphill hike.

I wandered and rested until evening, marveling at this fallen giant . . . with my rifle for perspective.

Over a hundred feet tall, now long.

The intricacies of life we seldom think of, yet so important.

Evening fell, with no elk or bear, but a great sense of God’s goodness and beauty.

The hunt was worth it all.