On a cold fall day, I sat on a ridge overlooking a peaceful valley. The morning passed without anything happening. However, as the day progressed, it began to snow, and with the snow came the fog. It was almost impossible to see fifty meters in front of me. Disappointed, I started packing up and heading home. About fifteen minutes after I walked back, the snow calmed and the fog cleared. I began walking more consciously, knowing that the best time of the evening for spotting game was approaching and that the weather had decided to cooperate with me. As I rounded a corner on the trail, I stopped dead in my tracks. On the hillside, I spotted what I had been looking for all day, a monstrous buck. I quickly, but stealthily, grabbed my rifle, then fell to the ground. I tried to attach the shooting sticks, but finally succeeded. I stood up and found the bullet in my line of sight, pulled the trigger. SLAM! The recoil knocked me off my target, but I quickly recovered and to my amazement I missed! I quickly reloaded and fired another shot. Fortunately, this time, the male stopped dead...dead. As I bagged the deer I was tickled pink because today I had a successful hunt. Hunting is a sport enjoyed by some, neglected by many and rarely fought. In today's world, the popularity of hunting has declined astonishingly and, more than ever, people are against it. As a people, we cannot allow this to happen; Hunting plays a vital role in our country as it benefits the economy, conservation efforts and animal populations. Like any other sport in America, there are people who actively participate in hunting. According to the US Fish and Wildlife, about four percent of the United States......middle of document......v/hunting/whatdo.html>.Economic importance of hunting in America. International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2002. Web. March 21, 2012. “The New York Times.” As hunting declines, conservation efforts suffer. The New York Times 12/12/2010. Internet. March 21, 2012. “Pheasants Forever.” Pheasants Forever Land Acquisition. Pheasants Forever, nd Web. March 21, 2012. “Ducks Unlimited.” Ducks Unlimited and Hunting. Pheasants Forever, nd Web. March 21, 2012. The hunter and conservation. National Shooting Sports Foundation, nd Web. March 21 2012. .