“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life.” This quote encompasses the very gift that comes from the struggle one may experience when learning how to hunt. It mentions fish, but I think this translates quite nicely into hunting, as well as into everyday life. While the natural instinct to hunt might swim through our DNA, we are not born knowing all things hunting. What many of us are born with though, is the desire to learn how to hunt, along with feasting on our harvest when the hunt comes to a close. Whether we choose to act on those desires is another story entirely.
I am sure we have all heard about the threats facing our beloved public lands. These are the places you and I have been making precious memories for years. That first time you heard a bull bugling during the month of September and how it sent shivers down your spine. How you watched a black bear meticulously pick acorns off of a tree or bush. The first time you watched an arrow sail into the vitals of your quarry. These are just examples of some of the things that you might have witnessed while out and about on public land. If we didn’t have public lands or access to them, I seriously question if I would even be telling you this.
Now, sure, some folks might think that all hunting gives us is big antlers, tanned hides, and the opportunity to kill, but we all know that is hogwash. We all know that this lifestyle is so much more than blood and bone. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this. If it weren’t, a grown man wouldn’t shed a tear at the sight of a downed animal. We wouldn’t put so much effort into getting in shape, studying maps, and making sure our equipment is as dialed in as it can be if hunting didn’t mean what it does to a lot of us. So, what has hunting given me personally?
The first word that comes to mind when I ask this to myself is, “tradition.” When I was younger, it was tradition for my dad and I to go on our annual rifle deer hunt. I looked forward to that every year and still do. From that, came the bond my dad and I shared through hunting and the outdoors in general. That’s really always been our thing, and that’s that. As we trickle down further through time, we come to my brother. If there is one thing that has brought my little brother and I closer, it is our love of hunting and bowhunting in particular. I’m not saying we wouldn’t be close without those things, but I question how our relationship would be if they were absent of it. It seems like every time we see one another, the upcoming seasons are brought up, and with it, everything that revolves around them. I look forward to those little chit chats and seem to engage in them every chance I get. Jake went from being my annoying little brother to my most loyal and driven hunting partner.
with great sacrifice, comes great reward
– Unknown
Aside from family, hunting has shined light on the quote “with great sacrifice, comes great reward.” I knew what that meant, but had never been slammed in the face with it until I started hunting. The more effort I put into a hunt, the more rewarding it is in the end. That doesn’t mean that as long as I put in hard work, I’m gonna fill my tag. For me, it means that I will come out of that experience with way more than I went in with. Not all rewards on a hunt have a trail of blood that is linked to them.
Lastly, I cannot ask myself this question without talking about the meat. The organic protein that we acquire in the field is what made me make the decision to really dive head first into hunting and look at it as more than the annual deer hunts I was going on. I had the goal of providing myself and future children, should they decide to eat meat, with the most free range, organic protein on the planet. For me, with age has come more concern for my overall health. Every year that goes by, I care more and more about what I put into my body and physical fitness. I am by no means a professional athlete, but am someone who has started to train regularly and cares more and more about nutrition. If you have never experienced what it’s like to sit down and eat something that you put so much effort into harvesting, you are indeed missing out. It really brings everything full circle and makes you appreciate that animal and those experiences even more.
Now, that I’ve gone through all of that, I want to change the first word that comes to my mind, when asked this question, from “tradition” to “GRATEFUL.” I am truly grateful for all of these things that hunting has given me to this point. From life lessons to a healthier lifestyle, I look forward to what the future holds. Remember though, that there is no future of hunting without us. Use the things that hunting has given you as a driving force to keep it alive and well. Speak out when needed, and educate others when you can. Now, it’s your turn. What has hunting given you?
Last September I decided to do something that I had been dreaming about for years, but never had the nerve to pull the trigger on. I went on my first out of state hunt for elk in the backcountry of Colorado. That might not seem like a big deal to a lot of you, but for me it was. It made me leave the comforts of my home state in Arizona and the hunting grounds that I’ve grown so familiar with. These are the spots that have helped me grow as a hunter. Within them, I’ve had more “firsts” than I can recall at this moment, which is probably why I’ve become so attached. They’ve also beaten me into the dirt more times than I can count. My decision to “fly the coop” was an intimidating one, but one that I don’t regret a single bit. Being a new elk hunter, on top of being new to backpack hunting, weighed heavily in the back of my mind. Would I even be able to find elk? Did I have what it takes to stay over a week in Colorado’s backcountry? After getting over the hullabaloo and actually making this hunt happen, I came away with way more than I thought. The accomplishment I felt once I got back to my truck, knowing that I just did what I did was incredible.
I have many fond memories of sitting around a campfire and sharing hunting stories with friends and family. Sharing these stories is one of the reasons I created the site you are on right now. Every time I would get back from a hunt, people that were close to me wanted to hear how everything panned out. It was as if I were a feature film and they were watching me, waiting to see what happened next. Funnily enough, I find myself doing the same thing when people are telling me about their hunts. Even if I already know they filled their tags, I am at the edge of my seat. The excitement or disappointment in their eyes hits me deep in my chest. I know these feelings well. This is the part of hunting I think that many fail to see. The part that only us hunters recognize and appreciate. It’s the road to success, or failure for that matter, we share with others the most. For therein lies the bulk of the journey.
Another year behind us. I know this sounds a bit contrived, but it all seemed to fly by so quickly. A great portion of my year was spent obsessing over a spring bear hunt here in Arizona. When I get into that state of mind, it seems the only way that I end up paying attention to time is sunrise, sunset, and when the next time I can get out in the field is. This is both an advantage and a downfall for me. The advantage is, I stay driven at the task at hand. The downfall? It often makes me neglect other areas of my life. Household chores are put to the side, laundry piles up, my wife watches way too many documentaries, and my dogs turn into ticking time bombs of energy. As it remains, all is well. Just because it works though, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement on my end. I hope to find an even better balance in 2017. I don’t plan on taking any energy away from my hunting life, but I do plan on putting more into my home life.
The air is starting to get more and more brisk with every passing day here in AZ. Our “brisk” is probably comparable to warm fronts across the rest of the country, but it’s still nice. This time of year, I have 2 things on my mind. First, I can’t wait to spend another holiday season with family and friends. Second, I know that I will be chasing rutting mule deer and coues deer with my bow before I know it. Our Dec/Jan archery deer hunts are some of my favorite hunts of the year. It’s a beautiful time to be out in the desert. I don’t have to worry about stepping on a rattlesnake on my way to a bedded buck or a scorpion crawling up my pant leg as I sit and glass. During these hunts, I have seen some truly amazing sights through those binoculars. From watching bucks chase does all over the hills to squaring off with each other to tend to pecking order business, it’s a great time to say the least.
With Thanksgiving now in the rear view mirror, it got me thinking. So much has happened in the past 11 months that I have to be thankful for, both in the field and out. With our fast paced way of life, it’s sometimes hard to realize what’s in front of us. At least for me it is. For example, I get so amped up about everything involved in a trip, from planning it to actually being out there in the field hunting, that I forget to slow down and take in what is going on in my life at that very moment. I’m too worried about where the elk are or why this bear hasn’t hit this water source yet. Little things like, the fact that I am physically able to hike back into the areas I go. Some people aren’t so fortunate. Another that comes to mind are the things that I get to witness while out in the field. Some people will never get to see the steam like breath of a bull elk hit the cold morning air as he bugles and makes his presence known. That is a sight to behold. I’m also extremely grateful that I actually have the time to get out in the field as much as I do. I hear how some folks can only hunt 2 weeks a year, and while I would do the same if I had to, I can’t imagine only being able to hunt that amount of time. For me, it would feel like suffocation.
Anytime a new endeavor is taken on that has an ultimate goal to it, it oftentimes seems hard to imagine actually achieving that goal. At least it does for me. Things like buying a house for the first time. After my parents raised me and I spent so much time with them growing up, the thought of moving out and owning my own house seemed foreign to me. Life without Mom and Dad everyday? It was a foreign feeling, but one that would inevitably be thrown upon me. As with other things in life that might intimidate us, once we get passed them and achieve those unimaginable goals, we realize that it’s not that bad. Sometimes, I questioned why I would even let such things intimidate me to begin with.
This is an exciting time of year for us hunters. The early archery seasons are right around the corner and some have already started. Soon after that we will take to the mountains in search of bugling bulls followed up by the fall deer and bear seasons. It’s a busy time to say the least if you are a hunter. Some of us have been training all year long in preparation for what lies ahead. Maybe, you have been shooting your bow religiously or you have been hitting the gym and the trails in your free time. Whatever the case may be, hunting has been on your mind and you have been doing what you can to be better than you were last year. Endless scouting has and will take place. Gear testing is in full effect to ensure we are properly equipped for our adventures. The amount of effort that we put into our way of life may seem excessive to an outsider, but for us, it is just that. A way of life.
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