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seen anything moving. " It was a hit, but that's all I can tell you," said the guide. "Let's go find out." The black wolf was down just behind the first little screen of brush. "Still think you would trade that for a big ram?" asked the guide. "No question," was my sincere reply. T he wolf dream has not returned since the Brooks and I haven't even thought about it in years. Given that, I was more than a little surprised when it danced across my mind as I was driving to my favorite whitetail area on opening day last month. By the middle of the day I was five crow-fly miles back on a closed, overgrown road. Conditions for still-hunting were ideal, so I took advantage and moved slowly along in hopes of seeing whatever might be getting bumped by other hunters working the valleys far below. Then something barked and crashed away. Before I could put it together, it howled. By good fortune, the path I was on was more-or-less straight. I was at the point of rounding a sharp corner, but a shooting lane extended some 200 yards behind me. Knowing there might be a slim chance, I dropped my pack and knelt, rifle ready. A few minutes later a gray wolf loped down the bank and stopped in the road. At the shot, he hit the ground like a prom dress. Immediately, a wolf howled in the distance. Another answered. Thinking I might be able to call them in, and with nothing to lose, I howled back. They responded, and here they came. I talked to those wolves for at least 90 minutes, bringing them up close several times but never to the point of leaving cover. When my voice finally gave out, I set to skinning. Bad dreams aside, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have taken two wolves, but I'll admit to being incredibly anxious when triggering those shots, more so than at any other type of game. I don't think I'll ever completely shake that boyhood dream. n Note: Autographed copies of the author's first book, Born A Hunter, are available by calling (800) 849-1004 or by visiting sportingclassics.com. S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 4 3