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As usual I woke up just before the crack of dawn, listening to the song birds begin their morning celebration choirs. Following routine I dressed in the dim light being careful not to stir my wife still soundly asleep. After making my morning mixture of milk, chocolate-flavored powdered-vitamins, and protein, I grabbed my marlin guide gun and headed to the front porch to enjoy the emerging morning. As I sat in the old wooden chair and leaned back against the wall alongside my guide gun, I settled in to share my drink with the morning. Sitting there and realizing it was such a perfect morning I decided to take a short walk down the west trail leading through the endless forest among the foot hills. I set the empty glass on the deck, grabbed my guide gun, rocked the chair forward, and headed for the hills. It was just becoming shooting light and with the sun soon to raise at my back the shadows slowly lightened enough to reveal the forest floor in full spring bloom. As the trail winded among the foothills my senses detected a few small rocks falling down a steep hill side to my left. I looked up in time to see a large cat springing from its crouched position atop the ledge. Instinctively and in one fluid motion I turned, shouldered my guide gun (left shoulder), pulled the hammer back, placed the white front site post on the airborne cat's chest, and pulled the trigger. I never noticed the rear ghost ring sight but am sure it was centered up on the front sight because that big cat dropped stone-cold dead, knocking me to the left as it glanced off my right shoulder. Now fully awake and shaking from the adrenaline rushing through my bloodstream I cautiously inspected the big cat. The 300 grain speer did its work quite nicely entering the chest centered between her front legs and exiting her back after severing her backbone. As I began to ponder about walking back and getting the atv to haul the cat or calling the authorities and leaving the cat where she lay, I came to my senses. Still resting against the cabin wall in that old wooden chair, I set the empty glass on the floor, reached for my guide gun, and lay it across my lap with a smile on my face thinking; man, I can't wait until fall hunting season.