Before I really got bit by the hunting bug, I am probably guilty of saying that I had “No Time to Hunt.”  We say things like this from time to time, whether we are saying we have no time to hunt or we have no time to workout.  The digging for excuses not to take part in said activity starts  right when we realize how hard something can be.  Without the promise of reward, some folks find it hard to justify taking the time to try and create opportunity for themselves.  “There is probably too many people in the hills today.  We are better off staying home.”  “Last time I was out, I didn’t even see a deer.”  Things like this cross our minds from time to time and inevitably cause us to miss out.  The more you let these things affect your decision making, the less you will be in the mountains.  We dream all year about running around the mountains with our bows/rifles or sitting in a blind waiting for that monarch buck to walk by.  The second adversity hits though, discouragement sets in.  Thoughts of a warm bed and home cooked meal gnaw at us like a caged rat.  Adversity is a huge part of hunting though and having the ability to push through is going to keep more meat in your freezer, I promise.

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Life is too precious to waste all of it in front of a shiny box

I didn’t MAKE time for hunting until I REALLY wanted to learn how to hunt.  Funny how that works with things.  If you really want to do something, you will make it happen or do your absolute best to do so.  I, like most of you, have a family life, full time job, and a list of friends that I don’t see often enough.  Nevertheless, I make time to get out in the field.  Finding the time to hunt is just about prioritizing.  I would rather be out in the mountains than sitting on the couch watching T.V. on my days off.  Life is too precious to waste most of it in front of a shiny box.

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As the years have gone by and I have spent more and more time in the mountains, I have come to the conclusion that hunting truly is a lifestyle for me and those like me.  Anytime I am on vacation, my time is usually spent in the field or doing something related to hunting.  I go to work and roof for 7-8 hours, then go to the gym afterward to stay in shape for the upcoming season.  My wife comes with me on scouting trips, not only because she loves the mountains like I do, but this gives us more time to spend together.  We don’t have kids yet, but you can bet that they will be sitting behind the glass with their dad and walking canyon bottoms looking for bear sign.  This life isn’t for everybody, but it sure is for us.

So, the next time that you say or hear someone say, “I don’t have time to hunt,” think about that a little bit more.  Chances are, you might have more time than you think.

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