Over the past several years I have truly been blessed with the opportunities to harvest some great animals. I must admit, when I first started hunting as a young man I thought it was all about walking around and getting lucky. I can’t count how many times I’ve been skunked using this method of hunting.
Now that I am older and wiser, I realize that hunting is so much more than getting lucky. The truth is that the hunt begins long before the hunting season even gets started.
Personally, I have spent hundreds of hours checking trail cameras, scouting new areas, and also scouting the areas that I have hunted before. Even if I have hunted in a certain area in the past, a lot of things can change in betweenseasons. Game trails, food sources, and even bedding areas can change. A few years back one of my favorite hunting spots was destroyed by a wildfire. The fire was devastating to the natural habitat and a lot of things changed. The hunting area was closed to the public, giving the land and animals time to re-grow and recover. During this time there were many changes to the food sources, the bedding areas, and even new game trails. The 2015 hunting season is the first year that this area will be reopened to the public in over three years. During this time span, there hasn’t been any pressure on the deer population and the land has begun to recover from the devastation.
If I wish to have the most successful opportunity to harvest a nice buck, then I need to put in the time and start scouting the area. By nature I am an outdoors kind of guy and in addition to hunting some of the other things I enjoy doing are camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and even just exploring. These activities are perfect in preparing for the upcoming deer season. When I am out doing these activities, I am also looking around for deer signs and ultimately thinking, “Could this be the spot where I harvest my monster buck this year?”
I believe that the key to a successful hunting season is preparation. As I have mentioned before, the hunt begins long before the season even arrives. Two years ago I wanted to check out a new location for hunting so I started doing my research. I called the Department of Fish and Game, “Googled” information on the hunting area, read articles and blogs about the location, studied maps then went to scout it out. I even left a few trail cameras in the area (yes, this was public land so I had to hide the cameras so no one would steal them).
The truth is that I may not always be successful. However, I know that if I do my homework and put in some time, my chances of success increases tremendously.
When it comes to my walk with Jesus, I like to think of it like I do hunting. I know that might sound weird, and maybe even a little off, but the truth is that if I want a great relationship with the Lord, then I need to be willing to put in quality time. “Am I doing what it takes to build my relationship with Christ?” “Am I putting in the effort?” The truth is, if I want a strong relationship with Jesus the only person who can do anything about it is me.
Written by,
Pastor Kevin Ratliff
