Begin With the End in Mind

I have a photographic memory. On top of many other endearing qualities this one is a my favorite. I earned a bachelors degree in science. Thank you so much flash cards. I have a certain memory that always comes to mind when I think back on my college experience. Almost all my classes were taught by industry professionals. One old professor named Dr. Tom Seiter always talked about the tools we keep in our tool belts. He also said to Begin with the end in mind. I don’t know why but that one stuck with me. I put it up on my big board that hung over my computer and looked at it every day. I learned a tremendous amount from that wise old man who crossed my path, and his teachings continue to resonate within me to this very day. He left an indelible mark on my heart and mind, always lingering in my thoughts as I ponder his existence in this vast world. I often find myself wondering if he still walks among us, his spirit unwavering, and if he is aware of the profound impact he had upon those fortunate enough to grasp the essence of his wisdom. We were the ones who truly comprehended, grasping the depth of his teachings, embracing the profound lessons he bestowed upon us with open minds and receptive hearts .What I have learned in life is that we need to have an end goal in mind so that we can take the correct steps in order to get there. You can’t get to D without A, B and C. Sometimes the path gets dark and winding. Sometimes there are mountains in front of us along the way. I have also learned to slow down. Don’t be in such a damn hurry to get to the End. Do the work. Put in the time and effort so that end goal is attained the right way. I call it My Art of Easy Does It. I’m still learning but this stuff works. So do the work. I can tell in 5 minutes of conversation whether or not you have put in the time and effort it is going to take to be successful. Hunts are expensive. I pay for a few hunts a year and I know what I spend. So does my wife and believe me I am going to put in the work to be successful. Get outside. Start walking. Don’t be the guy that has to stop every few minutes in order to catch your breath. When I guide in Colorado I walk up to 7 miles a day. Even in Southeast Colorado it’s challenging. I mean flat ground plains hunting. Wear a backpack. If you’re hunting anywhere other than someplace like Texas where most situations are blind hunting you are wearing a backpack. Just a daypack will add more stress to your body. Fill your big water bottle and put it in your backpack and start with a lap around the block. Get your binoculars out and start using them. Mucho important. Just because I know how to use mine doesn’t mean squat. You need to be able to see what I am seeing. Know what you want too. Remember that End I talked about? This is a big one. If your guide is worth a grain of sand he should ask you before you even leave for your first hunt what the hell do YOU want. It’s a difficult decision to make on the spot. If I put you on something that is legal are you going to pull the trigger? Do you have something in mind? Don’t be sitting there having to decide on the spot. Speaking of pulling the trigger get to the range and shoot. I can tell just by how you handle your weapon if you are comfortable. Shoot as much as possible. Know how your weapon shoots. Shoot off sticks. Shoot kneeling. Shoot prone. Don’t just shoot off a bench because I don’t pack a bench out to the field for anyone. When you are alone at home take your gun and practice. Dry fire that sucker until you know exactly when the pin is going to make the round ignite. It does nothing to a rifle to dry fire it. Don’t believe those old timers about hurting the gun. Seriously. If you make a bad shot and wound something that isn’t recovered your hunt is OVER. Easy does it OK. Take 3 nice breaths. In the nose and let it fall out. At the BOTTOM of the 3rd breath squeeze it off easy. Just like you practiced over and over. Now….. all you bow hunters listen up. I lose more animals from you. You have no idea what standing 30 yards from your animal feels like. For one it is amazing. I mean amazing like you read about. It can never be simulated. Shoot your bow every day. Like every every day. Every shot is either too far back or too far up. I’m telling you it sucks for everyone involved because you didn’t do the work it takes to achieve your goal. Animals won’t even bleed for miles when your shot is off. Second of all it usually happens very quickly. When they come in they are looking for something. Usually for a hot female or another dude to fight with. Do the research and know what situations you are going to be in. Be knowledgeable about your surroundings and what you are going to be asked to do. It’s a process for everyone involved in this business but don’t be ignorant to the fact that you have a responsibility too. I want you to be successful. I want you to enjoy this like I do. You need to experience the moments you are in. I know what these moments feel like. I love to stop and let people know “Hey we need to stop right here. You feel that? You see what I’m seeing?” Success comes in so many different forms in the outdoors. I was moose hunting one time and for an entire afternoon I watched a cow and a calf splash around in a bog. I watched the mother cow shove her super long nose down into the water to pull up lilly pads. The calf would immerse its entire body under the water then pop up and frantically blow all the water out its nose and shake off. Slow down and learn. I will never have that exact moment again. It lives in a movie reel in my mind though. I watch my dogs shake off after a bath and there it is. All the moments from that experience come back. Flying in a tiny float plane and getting dropped off in the wilderness of Northern Quebec. Being completely shut off from the world for 10 days. How lucky am I. What a trip. I will post again about that another time. I want people to have those feelings that I get. I want to show anyone who will go with me how to do things so that you will come away with more than what you came with. There is more to this than just the harvest. Begin with the end in mind. Do the work you need to do to suck every drop of enjoyment out of the experience. Go get lost. I promise you will get found.