When this comes out, our archery deer seasons here in Arizona will have started. This is definitely one of my favorite hunts of the year and a time where I get to spend a great deal of time backpack hunting here in the desert. Chasing rutting mule deer and coues deer with a bow is a perfect way to spend the month of January if you ask me. So, right now my brain is going a mile a minute trying to decide where I want to go, planning scouting trips, researching water, etc. The feelings that we have before a hunt can sometimes drive one mad. We relive moments of past hunts over and over again in our minds and inevitably head into our seasons with those experiences almost expected. The expectations of a future hunt does indeed motivate us and fuel the fire, but it can also work against us.
There have been many times in the past where I went into a hunt expecting what happened the last time I was there. Now, sometimes it worked out fine and all was good, but other times things didn’t go to plan. I can recall my last time in Colorado hunting elk when I think of this. This would be my second time there chasing bulls. The first time I had a bittersweet experience that ended with me shooting and losing a bull. We were into bulls on a semi frequent bases that first time around. The second though? That wasn’t the case and it was pretty discouraging after driving all that way and expecting a different outcome. The bulls weren’t talking as much, we weren’t seeing them as much, and our spirits weren’t in optimal health because of this. I was so stuck in the past that my mind wouldn’t move forward. Had this been our first time there, I can almost guarantee you that our mindset would have been different. Why? Because we wouldn’t have had anything to compare it to.
It doesn’t matter, it’s in the past.
~Rafiki(Lion King)
Don’t get me wrong. The past is what has shaped us into what we are. It is where we have failed, triumphed, and learned lessons by the thousands. If it weren’t for the past, we wouldn’t be where we are. So, I am not saying to forget the past. I am saying to live in the present. When we set foot into the mountains for another long awaited season, we should take it as it comes. Just because there were 10 bears in a certain drainage last year, doesn’t mean that there are going to be that many this year. The bulls started screaming on September 10th last year? Cool. They might not start up until the 16th this year. I have thrown opportunities away, because I was so set in my ways of the past that I was blinded too much to see what was going on in the present. This is something that I still deal with from time to time. But, with that…..time. It has gotten better and with effort on my part I know it will continue to do so.
I’ve always been someone that tries to over plan for things. So much so, that sometimes I plan to the point of confusing myself out of what to do or where to start my hunt. Indecisiveness has always been a downfall of mine and one that has caused me to spend a lot of time sitting on a mountainside doing nothing, because I can’t decide what to do at the moment. Sitting there and stressing out about things that haven’t happened yet or may never happen drives me crazy sometimes. What to do about this? Well, the easier said than done route is to not worry about it. By focusing on the now, you are actually shaping yourself for the future. The now is what matters and what will dictate the coming events. Again, easier said than done.
Whether you are going to be heading out into the desert to chase deer here in Arizona, or you are warming yourself by the fire and dreaming of next year’s hunting season, go into it with a fresh mind. Remember the lessons you have learned, but roll with the punches as they come. Maybe, there is just too much hunting pressure in your preferred area and that has caused the deer to move a bit. MOVE! It doesn’t matter how many tank bucks you saw last year there. If they aren’t there, then they just aren’t there. This quality right here is what makes a truly great hunter. Someone that can adapt on the fly and recognize when they need to pull the plug on a spot or tactic. By keeping your expectations in check, you are allowing yourself to grow more as a hunter and setting yourself up for a more enjoyable time all around. Accept the unexpected and good luck to all of you in the eternal chase!
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