Most readers will likely be frustrated by the folly of the hunter. Readers wonder how the hunter could have continued to believe in false hope as his family withered. You deliver this message in the timeless tone of a parable. That works extremely well here.
Thank you for posting this story in the Ink Well community.
I might describe a hunter as someone who has such fanatical beliefs that he continues to believe in something that is coming, even if it is too late.
Thank you for the compliment, I did think hard to write this story.