Last Shot at Glory

As we reached the last day of the general hunting season in Montana, my friend - who selflessly devoted time for me to tag a mule deer - had resigned himself to "eating" his tag.  He had talked about the success of the season so far in taking a bull elk and a male antelope; so the mule deer buck would give him 3 species in a single season - that's something that does not happen all the time.

To make matters worse, a couple of days before, we spotted a nice buck and closed in on him.  He moved so quickly that I, as the bigger and older person, struggled to keep up (even if I had a healthy knee).  Regardless, we got into a perfect shooting spot laying in a creek bed.  That buck closed the distance on us and gave perfect broadsides at 180 yards.  Bryan looked at me and asked, "Are you going to hate me if I don't shoot this one?"  It was his tag and his choice, but I would not have hesitated.  Why did he delay?  We noticed that this one had a broken tine, and he had shot a deer with a broken tine each of the last several years.

Later in the day, this picture shows Bryan "taking a rest."  Again, I think we was just giving my knee a chance to recover.  We hunted this property the next several days and had not seen anything shot-worthy.  Nevertheless, we were going to give it one more try.  We would start the day back at the location where we saw that mule deer and then plan on coming out of the woods by 10am.  We still had to pack up our stuff, secure the camper, and then begin a rather lengthy drive back to his home.

One word describes the morning -- nothing.  We saw nothing at all.  His other friend that went with us - Travis - shot one at 400 yards but was a long way off on another parcel of the property.  We continued moving here and there on that special draw and kept looking back hoping for something to be seen.  What's that word I mentioned earlier?  Nothing.  Yep, we saw nothing.  Then, while glassing the distance hills, I noticed 5 mule deer on a ridge.  They were at least a mile away and it was a gamble.  He left the decision to me, so off we went.  This was one of the few times on the trip that I saw deer before he did and took the lead to get us there.

As we reached the top of the ridge, we could still see them but could not tell what they were.  As luck would have it, Travis was skinning his deer on the other side of the ridge where those deer stood.  Bryan, at that point, took over maneuvering us out of sight so that we could close in further.  We ended up seeing another group of mule deer with a small buck in it, and things got strange.  While we moved them away by our presence, they kept coming back -- totally unconcerned about us. I joked because they knew I had already filled my tag and was gun-less; however, Bryan's wit would not let that pass.  He responded with a quip about them knowing how I shoot so they believed they were completely safe.  After a chuckle, we stood amazed as those deer moved over the ridge toward the ones we were trying to close in and view.

We got to the edge of that ridge and Bryan eased into a shooting position.  He crept out and around an evergreen as the picture shows.  On the opposite ridge were all of those mule deer - about 20 in all.  As occurred with my mule buck, all the does moved up the ridge.  I was giving him ranges of various deer and trees and rocks in case that elusive buck displayed himself.  Sure enough, once appeared; however, he was really small.  As we were preparing to exit out, we saw a few more deer appear.  Bryan sat still watching and observing.  Yep, it was another buck that showed up.  Again, this one was way too small.  Bryan thinks that his friend Travis shot the buck from this one herd and these two smaller bucks were gladly stepping in to the vacated position.  We stayed and watched them for awhile and decided to back off that ridge.  Travis was on the other side less than half a mile away, so we were going to meet him and then help him with his pack out of meat.  The last shot at glory was never going to happen.

As we were walking, Bryan joked that Travis had been with him each of the last two years when she shot his buck.  He said we just needed Travis to walk with us and he would shoot him a buck.  We laughed and then shared that when we reached Travis -- he got a laugh out of that too.

As we were hiking to the top of the tallest ridge where we would adjoin the plains to being our walk out, things got crazy.  Three deer busted out of the wooded area.  Bryan immediately dropped to a shooting position (he's the fastest I have ever seen at that).  I immediately glassed them to see what we had.  Travis immediately prepared for a follow up shot.  Notice a problem here?  Nobody was working on yardage!!!  I told Bryan the last one was a buck and he asked for yardage.  It was at that moment a stark realization hit me -- my range finder was packed up.  Bryan squeezed a shot and the buck ran off.  Now, mind you, Bryan is the best shot I've ever seen; so a miss was unheralded.  Still glassing the deer, I told Bryan he was up and moving to the clearing in the woods about 30 yards to the right.  Bryan slid over and pulled the trigger again.  That mule deer buck dropped where he stood.

The picture below is of the three of us with that deer.  Bryan was not concerned about antlers - like he was earlier in the week - but he seized the opportunity that arose before him.  Yes, Travis was with him for another buck at the end of the season; so that's a great part of the story too!  The best part, from my perspective, was that Bryan did not miss that first shot. As we were skinning the deer, we noticed a stripe down his side that had been cleaned of hair by that .270.  Whereas that first shot shaved him, the second one into the neck stopped him. 

The pack out over the plain and through prairie dog town was a first for me.  We were also able to take a couple of last, beautiful pictures.  They are below for you to enjoy this amazing property that produced two bucks on the last day of the season.  Needless to say, the "last shot at glory" turned into a glorious story that will be told and retold by the men involved in this experience.

Later that evening, we all got together to pose with our deer skulls.  Mine was wrapped up in a peroxide treatment to bleach it white for the eventual shipment home.  Bryan, on the left, and Travis, on the right, were showing their freshly cleaned deer.  You can clearly see that Travis had the buck with the tallest antlers and those small eye-guards just give it a great appearance.  His buck, however, would fit inside Bryan's antlers, which were much wider.  Interestingly enough, my antlers were the widest as both would fit inside it.

Regardless, all three bucks generated their own, unique stories.  All three bucks produced memories that will last a lifetime.  All three bucks represent time, effort, and energy expended to honor the dignity of these amazingly rugged animals.  All three bucks showcased the wonderful beauty of the "Treasure State" called Montana.  All three bucks provided food for the families represented.  All three bucks brought together strangers and transformed them into friends.

The photo below, as it closed out the hunting season and my trip to Montana, is truly the last shot of glory.

Shooting Day - A Lifetime Dream Fulfilled

If you have read my other blogs, you know what happened with my knee on that first day and how that set-back nearly altered my hunting trip.  Where I last left you, I was icing and resting that knee; so we shifted our focus to a new location -- one with fewer ups and downs but more protracted climbs and steeper slopes.  We headed off to the Beartooth Front in a national forest.

Day 3 of the hunt was a sleeping in day - I think my buddy Bryan did that just to let my knee relax a little more -- that shifting into packing and moving.  Once we left our prior spot, we would spend the rest of the time in this national forest sleeping in our little camper.  The closer we got to the location, well, let's just say the more snow we found!  Our spot was picked underneath a tree really close to a creek (see below), and this location was amazing because it really helped with sleeping at night.  This spot became our headquarters for the next several days.  We would leave before the sun rose and would return after the sun had set.  A picture of that creek is below!

Once we had set up camp (including digging the hole that would serve as our bathroom), we changed clothes and decided to head up the hill to see what, if anything, we could find.  It was overcast and somewhat chilly.  We were able to see quite a few white-tails but nothing large enough to chase - besides, I was primarily focused on mule deer.  The positive is that I was able to see the ascent in daylight knowing that I would have to face that same climb the next day in the dark.  It helped me pick out rest stops along the way to give me a regular progress check.  The picture below is deceptive as it does not show the ridge already climbed or the creek forded or the ridge yet to be conquered.  At this point,we had climbed up and over one hill and was about 1/3 of the way up the tallest one.  We reached the top and walked around before deciding to head down before dark.  This helped me practice the descent and then gave me some extra time to rest before the long, full day ahead.

Day 4 started really early for us, because we not only needed to be atop the tall hill but hoped to be midway across it.  That way, we could look ahead and behind to figure out a plan of action.  The problem was the prior day's rain and rising temperatures -- the melting that occurred refroze the night before meaning that every step was a resounding "crunch, crunch, crunch."

Whereas the day before was overcast, the sun was coming out for this full day hunt.  As the picture to the left shows, we made it atop that ridge and worked our way across the top.  We fell just a little short of our goal but were still in a wonderful spot to look ahead and behind.  The high ground afforded us the opportunity to peek into the various draws and determine the right path for the chase.  As much as possible, we avoided the snow and that meant walking not atop the ridge but down it a bit while pursuing paths along the contour.

 We really did not see much in the way of deer shortly after sunrise; however, the first batch that we saw were in a clearing.  We could make out 7 of them feeding on ground where the snow had melted; yet, we faced a daunting challenge -- the only way to close on them was across a white plain.  Not only would we stick out against that snow field but also our steps would reveal our approach.  Bryan gave me the bad news -- we'd need to backtrack, walk along the backside of another ride to conceal our movement and sound, deal with deeper snow drifts and pesky brush, move quickly because we did not know how long they would stay there, and then hope the deer were still there.  We did that and closed the distance but still could not tell exactly what we had -- could see 2 bucks but details about their antlers were missing.

When we finally closed to 400 yards, we faced a choice -- belly crawl in the snow to set up a long shot or continue on that ridge (but recognizing that the going was about to get rougher).  It was at this point that we discovered one of the bucks was a good 4x4.  We watched them for awhile unsure what to do; however, the decision was made for us.  That good buck disappeared down the ridge; so not being able to see him, we got to work on closing the distance even more.  We discussed our goal and disappeared behind the ridge again.  Thus far, our sound and our movement was not even being noticed and the herd was totally unaware.

We popped out at the chosen location but faced another issue -- it was flatter than we could see.  The only way to be able to view where they were was to move across it with the "crunch, crunch."  To mitigate that sound, we hopped from sage bush to sage bush to be as quiet as possible.  Finally, as we reached the edge....

...the deer were gone.  We stood there defeated and plotting out path out.  In fact, I joked to Bryan and told him that we would use the road to hike back out.  He laughed but then got really serious really quickly.  From the bottom of the opposite ridge, he saw movement -- does were moving from the bottom up that ridge.  He wanted me to set up for a shot and to use the barbed wire fence as a rifle rest.  With it being too wobbly, I jumped the fence and set up between sage bushes.  He counted doe after doe after doe that came up the ridge.  He said the buck would be last and started naming distances of specific trees.

I saw a solitary and large figure in the bottom -- thanks to the snow -- slowly start up that opposite ridge.  As I was locking into a shooting position, Bryan took his pack and let me use it as a platform while I used my pack to brace my right elbow (had no idea he was taking these pictures).  The buck walked straight up the ridge and was not giving me much of a view of his antlers or any semblance of a shot.  He finally turned his head and I saw he was, what a friend would say, a "typical Montana 4x4."  I could tell he was wide and called him a shooter.

He turned to give me a quartering away shot, and I started counting -- 1, 2, 3...Bryan thought I was naming antlers, but I was making sure I used the right dot on my Nikon BDC scope.  When I hit 3, BOOM!!  The buck bowed and walked slowly.  I racked another round but missed my second shot.  As I prepared to send the third, he laid down.  This mule deer had only walked 30 yards!  Then, the shakes began and Bryan started to laugh.  We knew he was down but wanted to hold our position in case he somehow got up.

During the time of waiting, Bryan made a statement that caused me to laugh out loud -- "so much for being concerned about my hearing!"  Earlier in the day, he remarked about using his shoulder as a shooting rest and I told him that I'd never do that because it would destroy his hearing.  Well, remember above where I was counting my scope dots to pull the trigger?  Yeah, I gave him no warning about shooting and he was right beside me.  We both had a good laugh.  After about 30 minutes, we decided to move and Bryan - who is the best shot I've ever seen - put an insurance shot into that buck so that we did not have any surprises as we would lose sight of him as we climbed out of the bottom.

The pictures below will tell the rest of the story as I shot the biggest buck of my life....

 

That last picture says so much to me -- friendship, success, teamwork, opportunity cost (remember I passed on a deer the first day at 165 yards to shoot this one at 320 yards), possibility, and, of course, more work to come.  This trip enabled me to scratch several things off my bucket list:  visiting Montana, hunting in the snow, shooting a mule deer, and dropping something over 300 yards away.  This day also included another "first" - when cleaning the deer and separating the meat from the bones, we just laid the meat down on the snow.  Have never had the opportunity to do just that; yet, that was nicely convenient!

In closing, I have to turn around and give some big "thank you" shout outs:

• My wife helped me plan and save for this once-in-a-lifetime type of trip.  She also let me go over Thanksgiving to be away from home for 9 days.  Then, here's the big one -- when work made me go somewhere else when I was slated to return home, she was patient and flexible to adjust to even more days without me at home.
• My buddy Bryan did his job of getting me to come to Montana, guiding me on shooting the one that I wanted, putting me in the spot to pull the trigger, and sharing in the joy of this success.  He is truly one of the most unselfish people that I've ever seen because the focus, up to this point, was me getting a mule deer and not him. 
• My Savage Trophy Hunter XP .30-06 did its job flawlessly in being lightweight, functional, rugged, and accurate.
• My Nikon BDC Scope in 3x9x40 was dead on.
• My King's Camo that I wore just about every day while hunting in Montana but especially on this day. 
• My Frogg Toggs that accompanied me every day.  I never knew that rain gear would be such a wonderfully effective barrier to the wind.
• My trainer +Fit To Hunt had prepared me better than I expected.  Yes, I still hate pistol squats but they did the job.  I would never have made it up there and back without them.  

As a teaser, there are more blogs to come about the Montana trip.  The events of Montana's last day of hunting are well worth another blog even though it is primarily about Bryan getting to fill his buck tag in one of the strangest ways I've ever seen.

Am I Fit to Hunt?

A life-long dream was about to become reality as I was headed to Montana for my first-ever visit to that state, and I would be hunting mule deer (also a first for me).  After spending some time on Google Hangouts with my friend and seeing the topography that I would face, I knew I needed some help getting in shape; however, I had no idea where to turn.

In using my Twitter account, I ended up following an organization called Fit to Hunt (see the picture to the right so you can find them too).  I spent some time on their page reading through who they were and what they were doing.  I then visited their website to gather more information, and that's where the journey began.  I sent them a Direct Message on Twitter wanting to talk to someone, and I loved that initial phone call.  They did not try to "sell" me anything but wanted to answer all of my questions, which they did.  They also wanted to learn more about my planned hunt -- where, when, elevation, terrain, etc.  Those factors would matter in the individualized plan they prepared for me.

After that call, I decided to go with them and their "virtual training options."  Now, before you think this strange, understand that I work in the virtual education sector; so it made perfect sense for me.  Here's where the fun began -- they adjusted their program to what I had.  Now, I did acquire some suspension straps and those things really give you a challenge because you are using your own body weight and have to focus on stability throughout the exercises.  I was ready to go, but they wanted to do one more thing before starting.

I had the chance to talk to Jeremy and he wanted to learn more about my health (height, weight, injuries, etc).  It was at that point that he heard about my surgically-repaired knee and the bone on bone action in that joint.  He immediately recognized that standard cardio (e.g. running) was not going to work for me, so back to the drawing board he went.  Before passing me off to my personal trainer -- Nicholas -- they helped me adjust some of the exercises in the 6 week program to help me out with the cardio piece.

That six week program had some exercises that I did not recognize, so I had the chance to talk them through with Nicholas.  They sent me videos to help explain proper technique and regularly followed up with me via text. I really appreciated their workouts (other than the pistol squats -- for the record, I hate pistol squats).  They, if done properly, will make you so sore; however, I would learn later the value of this awful things.  Even in those moments, notice how they reached out to encourage and motivate you with your goals using Twitter.  We all need these gentle kicks in the seat of the pants to get us going -- did I mention that I despise pistol squats?

I needed that motivation, especially after I faced an unanticipated injury.  My church has a softball team and needed one more guy, so they reached out to me.  I agreed to do so and, one night, I was charging hard at third.  I went into a slide and was safe; however, I felt this pop in my ankle -- oddly enough, the last words from my wife before taking the field were "don't slide."  Instead of tending to it quickly, I played 3 more innings; and it swelled like a balloon.  That delayed my training somewhat by minimizing steps with a heavy pack, and it created weakness in ankle stability.  Jeremy thought about that, made me a video, and sent me instructions of exactly what to do.  Those simple exercises made a HUGE difference for me.

When the time finally arrived and I made it to Montana.  I overdid it on the first day.  I had not anticipated appropriately the distance walked to start hunting (3 miles in to reach the property), the snow that had fallen creating some deep drifts, the ups and downs on the ridges to get into habitat draws, the felled trees due to a fire years ago making the terrain more strenuous, and the mud that was a result of the melting snow.  Needless to say, I underestimated the effect of the terrain on my knee.  When I reached out on Twitter, they responded quickly with encouragement:

As we moved locations to one where the hike was not as long but much more steep, I wanted a reminder of those helping me along the way; so, I wore my Fit to Hunt hat that day.  My friend who was with me made me pose for this picture as the sun peeked over the horizon.  I was standing at the point of our highest elevation after having climbed two ridges.  For reference, that elevation was higher than the highest point in my home state.  Little did I realize the great things that would happen that day.

We found some mule deer and had to change our tactics.  I can only describe them as "brush busting" and "post holing."  We had to backtrack to a new ridge, descend some on the other side, move through thick aspen groves ("brush busting") while crossing snow drifts over my knees ("post holing").  Just for a frame of reference, I stand 6 feet 4 inches tall!  When we finally emerged, the deer had disappeared from the last location we had glassed them.  We were fatigued and disappointed until we saw does walking up the ridge opposite us. Quickly, I got into a shooting position and watched 6 does move up that ridge hoping that the buck would be the last one out.  He was!!  I finally got a shot at 320 yards and let the lead fly.  He was hit, walked 30 yards, and laid down.  My Savage Trophy Hunter XP rifle and Nikon scope did their job to perfection.  While a 4x4 and not the biggest mule deer you will ever see, he was the biggest one that we saw the entire 9 day trip.

The picture of the successful hunt above was just the beginning.  Yes, the animal was down, but we had to get him out.  After cleaning the deer, we had to retrace all of those steps -- remember "brush busting" and "post holing" -- but, this time, packing out an animal up and down for 4 miles.  By far, this was the most physically punishing thing I have ever done. The knee was already fatigued from several days of hunting (and this was day two up the ridges on this new terrain), and a stiff, cold wind decided to kick up as we started out.  The elevation, the steps, the extra weight, the fatigue...it all hit and the self-doubt started.  I paused at one point and posted a quick update on Twitter and, once again, Jeremy came back with an encouraging kick in the seat of the pants -- "You do not train to be free of pain.  You train to develop endurance."  Yep, I needed to remarks to keep heading down. Once I reached the bottom of the tallest ridge, we had more more ascent and descent; and the last picture shows we got back after sunset.  Frankly, I do not like descending an unfamiliar hill with snow and mud in the dark, but we made it!

I could not have made it without help from Fit to Hunt.  When I was able to get that pack off and celebrate (with 2 Mountain Dews...sorry, Jeremy, I know that was not part of my training plan), I found this on my Twitter account from them.  In short, they said I was Fit to Hunt because they made me that way!!  All the worry about the knee and the ankle was removed due to the training that they provided me.  This success was their success too!!

If you are looking for a trainer, I can recommend Fit to Hunt without reservation.  You may be worried about the "virtual trainer," but you should not be.  While they may not be in the same gym with you, their emails, texts, and Twitter responses are more than enough to keep you focused on the end goal.  I found the folks at Fit to Hunt highly professional and competent experts that are willing to listen to you and adapt the program that will maximize results for you.  They do not force you into their box but reshape that box to fit you.

Choose them and begin your own success journey where you can definitively answer the question "Am I Fit to Hunt?"  If you partner with them, then answer will be YES!!

The Montana Terrain a Surgically-Repaired Knee Reminded me of God

After landing in Montana and getting to enjoy the great views like the one on the right, it was time to pack up and head to the east for our first day of hunting.  I was so excited for that moment that I had anticipated for so long.  The workouts to train my bad knee and the shooting practice to hone my skills were about to be challenged in ways that I could not anticipate.  That first night in Montana, truthfully, I did not sleep much because I was excited (and the fact that I had a bed buddy -- Tuffy the cat -- who was not supposed to be in the house.)

When we arrived in Columbus, MT to meet up with a friend of a friend (Bryan is my friend that I had archery elk hunted with in Washington and helped make this trip to Montana occur), and plans were put in place for the next morning.  We would arise at 430am and head over to some private property where they were able to gain access.  There were 2 entrances and we, in following Robert Frost's advice in his poem The Road Less Traveled, took the one that was not used frequently.  There was a good reason this side was not used as often -- the owners do not allow you to drive in to the property, so you face a 3 mile hike before you start hunting.

With the temperatures in the 20s and snow on the ground, I assumed you would need many layers of clothing; however, I was wrong.  I started off in a pair of regular camo pants and, for top, I wore a t-shirt under my long sleeved t-shirt.  Those 3 miles in the dark were deceptive as they passed so quickly and you could not see just how far you walked.  The picture to the left was taken just as the sun was about to hit the horizon.  Our party of three broke into 2 groups and we went separate ways with the intention of meeting up at dark for the ride home.

This property contained lots of slopes as well as remnants from a fire several years ago.  If you throw the snow on top of that base, then you get an understanding of conditions that day (especially as the wind really picked up later).  We worked out way into different draws and climbed up and down ridges to see what could be found. As soon as we found mule deer way off in the distance, we had a decision to make -- pursue or not.  While continuing to glass them, the fun started -- bucks were stealing does from smaller bucks and one buck challenged the authority of another.  These events gave us an opportunity for me to practice "setting up" for a shot as shown by the picture below:

It was shortly after this picture was taken that things REALLY got interesting.  A larger buck that we could see as a 3x4 moved down a ridge with a doe.  He was close enough that we could decide to pursue, which we did.  We slipped off the middle ridge where we stood to get into some cover.  Look at the picture above again and notice its barren nature, meaning that two men in camo would stick out like a sore thumb.  We would get out of their sight and then close the distance. We dropped into a creek bed and followed it around.  Bryan was about 10 yards ahead of me and turned around with a look of panic on his face.  He apologized and told me to immediately drop.  I was confused, but soon realized what happened -- that creek bed put us right on that buck and doe who were glaring at us.

I did exactly as he said and dropped to my backside.  My Tenzing shooter pack served as a wonderful rest on the incline meaning that I could get my rifle to rest very easily on my knee -- a familiar shooting position.  Where we sat down was on the sunny side of a ridge meaning that much of the snow had melted, so our camo worked perfectly on those rocks.  Look at these pictures below that we were able to take of the buck and doe who decided to bed down.

He was clearly a 3x4 and had some size to him.   Bryan ranged him at 165 yards and my cross-hairs were on him.  He was just standing there giving me a perfect, broadside shot on this left shoulder.  As if that was not good enough, he turned around giving me another perfect broadside shot on his right shoulder.  Only making matters worse, he bedded down still giving me a perfect shot right into his vitals.  Oh wait, it gets better -- he stood back up and, once again, gave me a perfect broadside.  During that whole time, the thoughts and debates really started to fly -- do I shoot this deer on the FIRST day of my hunt.  After some discussion with Bryan, I decided not to pull the trigger and we slipped slowly away from those deer.  They finally spooked and got up to bound away.

As the day continued, we walked loops, up and over ridges, and crossed many barbed wire fences.  At one point, we were totally shocked as a bull elk just appeared in front of us.  As you can tell from the picture on the left, he was beautiful!  Had either of us possessed an elk tag, well, let's just say that he would not have been able to walk over the ridge where you see him standing.  He first appeared no more than 50 yards away from us.

As the day progressed, my knee started hurting; yet, I wanted to continue pushing forward.  Pain, after all, is just weakness leaving the body.  Well, all of that changed on a snowy slope after seeing a herd of about 15 elk.  I slipped on the snow, felt a twinge in my knee, and (as Bryan would put it) took a snow bath.  After that point, the knee started killing me on every climb and every descent.  It was hurting so bad that Bryan started getting worried.  With plenty of daylight remaining and "prime time" for the evening coming, we had to leave the property.

Remember that 3 mile hike in before dawn? We had to walk back to that point and then start the hike out.  This time, however, the snow had started melting meaning that much of the frozen road we had walked turned into mud.  Every step added more mud to the treads of my already wet and heavy boots.  A noticeable limp started and I could not walk far before I had to take a break.  Bryan would later tell me that my face visibly showed the discomfort and he started questioning whether or not I should have passed up that buck in the morning. 

I had under-estimated the toll of the terrain on my surgically repaired knee.  Yes, the ACL is just fine but the bone on bone action in the knee joint really started grinding.  My error, in hindsight, was going that first day without my knee brace.  That decision on the first morning would haunt me the rest of my hunt.

So, why share all of this story?  Every step that first afternoon was immediately followed by self-doubt about whether I could do this and if I should plan on flying home to rest the knee.  That kind of self-talk is destructive.  You know what kept me going?  Simply, I did not want to disappoint my friend Bryan.  I never told him that, but if he's reading this blog, then he'll hear that.  You see, I look up to this guy who can seemingly do anything -- bound from rock to rock like a gazelle, look at a slope (no matter how steep) and immediately start climbing up or down, etc. 

In the New Testament, Romans 12:12 says "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer."  The pain in that knee had drained my hope.  Bryan had to show patience by adjusting his pace to match mine (something he would unselfishly do throughout the trip).  Quite frankly, I prayed my way back to that truck.  It was not a positive experience. 

When we reached the point where we could see the truck, but still faced a descent on a muddy road,
we stopped to watch the sun dip below the horizon -- see the picture to the right.  Sitting on that rock, I started reflecting again.  This experience was a battle within the mind as doubts crept in because I let them enter my mind.  The verse in Romans speaks of patience during tough times and that comes from a specific mindset and perspective because of the strength that God alone can give. I do not know what struggles you may face; but if you seek strength in any other venue other than the God of heaven, then you will find that source to be lacking and empty. 

I was reminded of my struggles when I lost my mom to lung cancer.  God gave me peace that I simply cannot explain, and that peace came from a personal relationship with Him.  Relationships include both good and bad times.  The knowledge of the other person built during the good times is what sustains you during (and through) the bad times for those that are committed to seeing the relationship through it all.  That's what happened -- I knew who God is because of all that He had done for me and relinquished my pain of loss to Him because He has a plan that I cannot explain.  Never did I think that my surgically-repaired knee and the terrain of Montana would turn my thoughts back to my mom.  God, though, has a way of reminding and teaching us things in various ways IF we are simply listening. 

Has God taught you anything recently?  If not, why is that?  Are you so busy that you are not listening?  If so, be prepared for a little pain to get your attention.

 

Montana and Memories

This blog will be the first in a series from my wonderful trip to Montana to chase my first mule deer.  Did I succeed?  Well, you will just have to visit the blog several times in order to figure that out.

That trip taught me so much about life, being a man, and serving a loving God.  As a man, husband, and father, I have a responsibility to live my God-given days in a way that matters.  I heard someone make a statement that I cannot remember exactly; however, here is my best paraphrase -- you only get one life; however, if its well-lived, then you do not need another.  I appreciate that comment because it makes us focus on the things that really and truly matter.  What are those things?  Your wife.  Your family.  Your testimony about God.  The things that do not matter, unfortunately, are the ones where we spend most of our time and energy.  This trip made me do some thinking.

One place that we went to look for mule deer -- since I do not want to reveal the name of this location and expose my friend's great spot, the name will be changed and may or may not bear any resemblance to the actual location -- was called Risky Ridge.  This place involved many climbs, draws, descents, and, as the picture below reveals, snow.

I have always wanted to hunt in the snow, and this trip gave me the chance to cross that off my list.  Now, from what I have been told, this snow was not "normal Montana" snow that is powdery.  It was, instead, wet and crunchy which created its own issues with hunting.  Yet, it was that very snow that made me do some thinking....

The second day that we were on Risky Ridge, I found a boot print of mine from the day before.  I paused and took this picture below.

That icy footprint was a legacy that I left on that ridge the day before.  As a man, husband, and father, I leave a legacy EVERY day with my family and so do you.  The question that you must ask is this -- am I putting the right imprint on my family, friends, and coworkers every day?  Every choice and every decision that you make leaves a clearly defined imprint.

That factor was further explored in my Scripture reading as I was flying back to the East Coast.  I was reading the last words of David and found this prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:19 -- "give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes."  He wanted his son to have a legacy of devotion to God, and that is exactly the same for me.  Thus, I have to modify my lifestyle to ensure they see my commitment to Him.  My actions - not my words - are what they watch and how they learn.

This hunting trip, literally, brought new meaning to the phrase "watch your step."  Be intentional in your steps and leave the legacy that you certainly want.  Is that what you are doing right  now?

The Apache Wars

If you are looking for one volume that will highlight and summarize the events of the Apache wars, then Paul Andrew Hutton's work is one that you must own.  He does his best to compile a massive amount of work into a readable format that helps the modern-day reader understand what occurred.  At times, he, due the nature of the material, has to deviate from a chronological approach; however, his style is easy to follow.

You will learn more about the "famous" names of the Apache Wars like Geronimo, Cochise, and Kit Carson; yet, you will be exposed to the lives of others like Mickey Free and George Bascom (to whom you could assign the blame for starting what the author calls the longest war in American history).  The detail is not so much to overwhelm someone mildly interested in the topic but sufficient enough to appease the appetites for those seriously interested in history.

One thing I greatly enjoyed about the book was the infusion of these Indian Wars during the Civil War.  Each side had men that joined the respective armies to fight Rebels or Yankees, but they ended up fighting Indians.  At one odd junction, Rebels and Yankees alike were aligned fighting for their lives.  You even see women holed up in a general store loading a cannon with nails and glass for improvised grape shot.

As far as contemporary lessons from the book, there are so many that I am not going to devote a tremendous amount of time on them.  I cannot, however, overlook the opportunity to speak briefly about one Lt. George Bascom.  As the author puts it, he "was a young man in a hurry."  He did not make the right decisions to resolve the abduction matter and that sparked the long war.  But, why?  The author betrays it in the quote above -- he was so focused on advancement that he did not stop to think about the long-term implications of his choice.  He received a good name for his self-congratulatory report and was promoted to captain during the Civil War where he lost his life.  He never lived to see the full effect of what he started, and that is a lesson for us all to ponder - our everyday decisions leave a legacy beyond our life that we would be wise to carefully tend.

Its a good read and, even with its size of more than 400 pages, a quick one.  If you are interested in the West, give this a read.

To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I am offering this disclaimer:  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

Walk-On Archery - American Made and North Carolina Local

When you think of a good target bag, what are the components that you want?  You may have never thought of that question, but I have and my "must have" list is below:

• Rugged and can take hundreds and thousands of arrows
• Remains standing up consistently rather than falling over after impact
• Ease of removal in pulling out the arrows
• Multiple targets for rotational shooting so that you do not overshoot one area
• Portability so that you could transport it without too much difficulty
• Made in the USA by a local company
• Something that helps with low-light shooting because my eyes are not as good as they used to be

In looking at that list, I've found the perfect archery target for me -- the Walk-On Archery BuckTag 4.0 (see the picture on the left).  Now, for purposes of full disclosure, I am a Fieldstaffer for Walk-on Archery and the rationale is simple -- belief in their product.  In the past, I would just purchase any bag; however, I've become a bit more sophisticated due to targets that have just fallen apart.  This target bag is the "economy" model for Walk-On Archery and it fits every single one of those aspects above.  I've tested it and I love it.  In the near future, I will be doing a review of their mid-line version (a target they call the Robin Cube). 

Before jumping into the actual review, let me step back and tell you a little bit about Walk-On Archery because you may never have heard from them. This foam company is located in Salisbury, NC and has been in existence since 2002.  They have recently moved into the archery target field within the last two years, and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the company to learn more about their process.  The foam for every target is made on-site (and it’s pretty amazing to watch the formation, steaming, and drying process) and they also use shredded material to surround their foam in the BuckTag 4.0.  They also shred the material on site in order to package within the target.  When you purchase a target from them, just know that every target is packaged by hand by the folks there at Walk-On Products.  You cannot beat an American-made target that is comprised of recycled materials for the benefit of the archer.  

In turning to the target itself, the target comes in a square shape as shown by the picture here to the left.  The shooting area is 22 inches by 22 inches and please note that this target is for field points only and is rated to 430fps.  The target cover contains a cardboard box that encloses the packaged foam and shredded material.  The box does not necessarily have to be part of the target but it does create a flat surface that prevents the target from falling over much like other bags.  The box has a primary purpose to keep the shredded material in place, but you do not have to keep the box within the cover – I removed mine just so I could unpack that box and see exactly what was inside it.  My wife was thrilled to see all that shredding sitting on the kitchen table!!

 

One of the best features of the BuckTag 4.0 is the zippered bottom.  Other “bag” targets that I have used either had Velcro at the top or it was completely open meaning that you had to sew it together in some fashion.  This bottom also helps keep a square base, which, as described above, helps prevent the bag from falling over.  After more than 200 shots into the BuckTag, I am yet to have this bag tip over after a shot; and that tipping was a HUGE problem with my other bags.  In fact, my oldest son told me he’s glad he no longer has to run down there to set it back up during our shooting sessions! 

Another valuable feature are the handles at the top of the bag, which help with portability.  If you are not concerned with portability, that’s fine too because it has grommets where the target can be hung in place on a stand.  For me though, the lightweight internal core of foam and shredded material makes this easier to lug around.  Why does this matter?  I am working with a guy that has never shot a deer in his life and we practice all the time.  I was able to take him to the stand where he will be hunting and set up that target at various ranges.  He could shoot at the vitals part of the target so that he can get used to sitting down, drawing, and shooting.  

I can anticipate what you are thinking – if it is so lightweight, then how can it be so good at stopping arrows?  The answer is two-fold:  (1) the density of the foam that is utilized and (2) the packaging process.  The shredded material in the picture to the left surrounds the packaged foam with a burlap sack in the center.  Not only does it stop arrows without issue, but the ease of removal is also increased.  If you doubt that, check out this video below by Hedog Archery and notice that the target bag is hanging (further showing the ease of removal):  https://www.facebook.com/HedogArchery/videos/1200698293307650

The BuckTag has shooting capabilities for both sides and I’ll discuss each below.  Before jumping into this, let me explain something to you.  The polypropylene cover is the only part of the target that is not American-made.  When I inquired about that fact, they explanation made sense – the graphics from the overseas cover held up more under testing than did those in the US.  Coupling that durability piece of the bag with the price point, it made sense.  This choice was not optimal for them, but they also wanted to keep the units as economical as possible.

• Vitals and numbers – the vitals are self-explanatory but understand they are a larger than normal for a NC whitetail.  Still, it gives you good practice of thinking through a “kill shot” on a deer that may be quartering to or away.  The other wonderful feature of this side is the various numbered white spots.  Multiple games can be played with those numbers, and I've used them to determine winners in giveaways (each person assigned a random number and one arrow is shot at each number with the closest to the center winning).  As an educator, I have my kids outside shooting with me.  We fling three arrows at various numbers and then they have to add or subtract them.  Yes, I incorporate math into archery as a great little teaching tool.

• Skullcrusher side – this side has a buck skull on it with multiple white spots.  They are not numbered but they give you plenty of targets so that you are not constantly shooting the same place over and over and over.  The placement of some of the spots are right between some of the antlers, so you can use this in an archery version of the game “Operation” originally made by Milton Bradley  If you hit one of the arrows, our “buzz” is running laps and I HATE running.  

Finally, most of these target bags are white with dark circles or bulls-eyes.  This bag flips that as it is primarily this blue color as you have noticed by the many pictures; and for my older eyes, this helps especially shooting in lower light situations.  Its different and I kind of like different, so this coloration pattern suits me very well.

Simply put, I love this bag.  As long as Walk-On Archery is making target bags, they will be getting my business.  As a native North Carolinian, I will continue to support local, NC businesses in the field of my passion – archery.  Remember the practice session I mentioned above with that guy I am teaching?  I shot two arrows at 30 yards and the results are below.  Yes, I am rather pleased!

Please give Walk-On Archery a try.  You will not be disappointed with their products, their people, or their service.  Here is how you can find them on social media:

• Website: https://www.walkonarchery.com
• Twitter:  @Walk_On_Archery
• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/walkonarchery