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Outdoor Truths
By: Gary Miller; gary@outdoortruths.org OUTDOOR TRUTHS
If you have hunted for a considerable amount of time, you can trace your evolution. While once any deer would do; soon you held your shot for something larger. But then what? I met man years ago who made recurve bows. He took each piece of wood and allowed its own characteristics to determine what it would ultimately look like. Most had some type of crook that didn't allow a perfect product, but they were extremely effective in the hands of a skilled archer. Not only did he make these bows, but he hunted with them as well. And I remember the pictures of success with both turkeys and deer. Most of the deer he took would be considered small by most seasoned hunters. He was especially proud of a four-pointer that was still in velvet. One picture showed his trusty handmade bow lying across the young deer. I can imagine how close he really had to get in order to make that shot. And therein lays the evolution. During the last few years, I have noticed my most memorable hunts were not determined by the size of the animal but by how close I could get to it. Just the other day, I was amazed as four jakes came within a few yards of my seat and stayed there without ever noticing my presence. There have been other times in the past where I have stalked within a few feet of other turkeys. I have also done the same with deer. One of my favorite hunts was crawling to a deer in the rain and making the perfect shot with my bow. This, however, is not usually the case. Most of the time I left empty-handed. But the memories of even those days are always fresh. I have also noticed this evolution in my Christian life as well. I can remember the time when I was all about all the things that make for the front page of the magazines. It was all about the numbers and the image. I really didn't know I was that vain, but after years of being able to look back, it is clear I was more interested in the trophy than in seeing just how close I could get to the real prize. Since that time I have thrown away most of the equipment I thought I needed and have realized to get the closet, sometimes you have to get rid of the stuff you thought you needed the most.
Join me on Tuesday morning at 6:30 central time on Zoom to discuss this article. Go to outoortruths.com for the link Gary Miller Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years.
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