Looking at a couple of the recent threads and wondering why I felt inclined to respond a certain way left me wondering why I am who I am as a bowhunter.
I look at my childhood and being raised in the backwoods of the Adirondacks and believe the foundation of an outdoorsman was lain there. I read Fur Fish and Game, Field and Stream, any magazine I could about the adventures in the field I could only dream of while I chased rainbow trout, northern pike and small mouth bass on the water and snowshoe hare and ruffled grouse in the spruce.
As with many folks that time after graduation, until you land where you are gonna be, I didn't get to enjoy the outdoors in the same way but although ice fishing and trap lines were in the past my future would be rich in duck, deer and pig hunting in Texas, some elk chasing in Colorado and some great friends and mentors to guide me along the way.
God has been good to me in that. Putting good (Godly) men in my path to steer me straight, set great examples in life and in the field as well as giving me a slap aside the head when I needed it most.
However it seemed I gravitated to bowhunting quickly and while one or two friends were casual bow season bowhunters they were rifle hunters at heart. It was hard for them to understand my passion for getting close and it took many years to find friends who were as passionate about that as I am.
Interestingly some of those folks in my life now started out as only internet acquaintances but are now those folks first on the list to send a pic to or be excited about about getting a pic from when they are successful.
The years of learning why and what drove me and growing in my knowledge, understanding and ability to be successful in the woods and on the water seem like ancient history and just yesterday at the same time. Many lessons learned were learned by making mistakes and missing opportunities but also but reading about techniques or tricks that I'd try, find out how to be successful with them and keeping them in my tool chest.
Technology is a wonderful thing. We have a wealth of experience and expertise right at our fingertips 24/7 and folks can go from novice to expert in a fraction of the time it took me to get from a kid stumbling around busting bunnies to the aging man who can read sign, understand the situation and place a stand in THE spot the first try most of the time.
I don't really consider myself anti social or anti technological but I don't feel the need to have my own YouTube channel or spend hours looking at all the amateur videos posted. Even though some are very well done.
It's odd because I do enjoy the sharing and discussion on a couple of archery forums but even at that much of what is posted I don't have all the answers for or much to contribute that a thousand other members don't have and could do better with.
I never thought about being a GOF or getting set in my ways but have learned in the last couple of years that my aspirations are shrinking and I'm content with where I am in life.
I could do more business than I do. I could easily buy some equipment, hire a crew and make a good income doing it. The opportunity is there, I just like having fewer headaches and less stress from work than having to hustle and scramble all the time like I did for decades. So I work with one oe two young men, teaching and mentoring them as they work their way through college and I still have time to shoot my bow, enjoy my grandchildren and spend time in the woods. Being semi retired and debt free gives me options to relax some. That is enough for me.
Those young mans dreams of giant 6x6 elk, 60" moose and double shovel caribou are gone. Although I still hope for a 150 plus class whitetail someday I won't be paying someone to get him. It will be because we have given them a chance to age on our place or I got lucky on one crossing paths with me on my place in Missouri.
I've come to realize how blessed I really am. I'm not a world traveler nor am I gonna get any slams or magnificent trophies. But I have enough to enjoy and give back to the community. I have a great wife and friends. I'm a bowhunter. I am a traditional archer. I am still learning, still growing as a person and still hoping I will one day I can pay back all that was given to me by passing onto others what God blessed me with through those He put in my life.
Those who aren't like me aren't wrong. They just aren't like me. I enjoy seeng their success stories and pics and come to these forums for that and to see share in their struggles as well because there is a reason we call them struggle sticks.
I think each of us has a story. Hopefully one that is still being written and many chapters to come. Some experiences will be similar and some not even close but those are the things that made us who we are and put us where we are as bowhunters and people.
So I don't mean any disrespect to guys with podcasts like Mr. Russell or Cody Greenwood or the Push group. Although I dont have the attention span to listen to all they have to share they are doing a lot of good for the sport and community. Especially in gaining a younger group to it.
Topic: Who we are (Read 1330 times)
