I’ve honestly been a slacker with the site, and have neglected the SimplyOutdoors’ series something fierce.  In that spirit, and after thinking of this particular topic last night, I’m bringing one of the SimplyOutdoors’ series – Outdoor Intentions – back from the grave.

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My wife does enjoy hunting.  If we’re being honest, though, she doesn’t take it quite as serious as I do; or as serious as Jeff does.  With that being said, however, she still enjoys getting up into a treestand every so often and trying her luck at bagging a whitetail.

She has been trying for the last few years without any luck – well there was one buck she shot that had an excellent blood trail, but unfortunately the landowner on an adjoining property wasn’t very cooperative -that is a story for another time.  She has had some close calls, and has taken a couple shots, but just hasn’t quite closed the deal yet.  All of us know how that feels; and we all know that the first one is the hardest.

Last year was a bust for her, considering that we now had a higher priority to think about.  Plus getting her into a treestand when she was 9 months pregnant really wasn’t going to be that great of an option.  She could have participated in gun season, but with Abby still being so young , she opted to wait until this upcoming year before chasing after the wary whitetails again.

Since I really would like her to finally put her first kill on the ground, I’ve been starting to think of a few ways to make that endeavour a little easier.  And since she isn’t the biggest gun season fan – because of the freezing cold – a new gun was out of the question.  The only option I have left then is to buy her a new bow.  She has been using a hand-me-down Browning, and it has worked for the last few years, but it is now on its last legs and – according to an archery shop I trust – needs to be replaced.

Let the shopping begin.

Even if we don’t end up buying a brand new bow, we are going to figure something out in order to put her first meat in the freezer.  Maybe we’ll buy a nice used bow, or maybe the budget will allow us to purchase a brand new bow; whatever the outcome is, we are going to put her on deer this year, and try to provide her with the best opportunity to get her first kill.

Hopefully this is an Outdoor Intention that she and I can fulfill.  And even if she isn’t as serious about hunting as I am, I think her outlook might change when that first deer is laying on the ground.

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That is probably the most important outdoor intention that I have-to raise my kids in the outdoors. To raise them to appreciate nature, and the beauty of the earth that surrounds them.

It has honestly been my dream for awhile to have my own kids, and be able to share my love of the outdoors with them. I plan on showing them everything I possibly can about the natural world. While hunting and fishing will take a precedence, I also plan on showing them the outdoors by camping, biking, and doing a host of other outdoor activities. As hard as it is to believe, there are other things to do outside besides hunt and fish.

My kids will start early with these activities. I have already looked into finding a backpack that our soon-to-arrive daughter can fit in for some of our outdoor excursions-whether it be scouting for deer, or a simple hike through a nature trail. I think the earlier I can start them off in the outdoors, the better individuals they will become. I think having a love of nature, and being aware of your natural surroundings, can have a deep impact on the soul. I want my kids to be able to experience that, and take it with them into their adult life.

I also think, by introducing them to the outdoors from an early age, that they can learn many life lessons. I can’t think of a better way to teach them patience, discipline, and respect for life and death. Hunting and fishing will definitely teach them those lessons. I think, with them having that immediate connection to nature, that it will teach them to be a positive member of society. It will teach them to appreciate what they have-to appreciate life and everything that comes with it.

While I realize that they may grow up and go a slightly different path then what I’ve put before them, I believe that having them involved with the outside world at an early point in life, will provide them with the necessary tools, self confidence, and respect, that they will need for whatever path they decide to travel down. I hope it includes hunting and fishing, but if it doesn’t, I’m sure that the outdoor experiences they had as a child will help them well into their adult life.

My kids will definitely be raised in the outdoors, and for that I am not ashamed. An outdoor intention that I am sure will be followed through. And I can’t wait for that day to come.

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My brother and I were shooting the bows last weekend and we got to talking about doing an activity that I really do miss. We realized that we hadn’t shot an archery 3-d course in quite some time.

When I first got into archery, we used to shoot these courses all the time. We would start around May, and then just make our rounds through the local courses. Honestly, at the time, it made for a great Saturday morning ritual for myself and a buddy of mine. I can’t think of a better way to spend 3 hours on a weekend then shooting the bow. It was awesome.

While we will have our 3-d course set up on my cousin’s property again this year, it is just not the same as getting out and shooting a true 3-d course. It is much easier, and closer to my house, but it doesn’t provide for the different scenarios that you can experience while shooting a 3-d course for the first time. It is a great experience, and I think the closest representation of actually shooting at an animal, that you can find. Sure there are video shoots and such, but they don’t provide the feeling of realism that being outside, deciding the yardage, and taking the shot does. It is great practice and a great time.

So my first outdoor intention for this year is to get out and shoot a couple archery 3-d courses. It might be hard, with the newborn on the way, but I’m sure the wife will be nice enough to let me work it in.

I’m looking forward to it.

Author’s note: That is not one of us in the picture. It was just a very good representation of the activity I am talking about.

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This next post, is indeed, not your normal outdoor site post. It does not cover hunting, nor fishing, but does cover an event that happened outside that should never be forgotten. A particular time and place in American history that is well preserved.
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“A mist halo’s the meadow, and a soft wind breeze whispers through the trees”

With that single line from country singer, Darryl Worley, I was hooked. As I continued to intently listen to the rest of the song, the story unfolded in front of my eyes. I knew this particular song must be about the civil war, but once I checked the disk for the name of the particular song, it didn’t ring a bell for me. Shiloh? I didn’t remember that name in history class. With a little help from google I tracked down what Mr. Worley was speaking of. The Battle of Shiloh.

Ever since the first few lines of that song I have been hooked. I am a complete history buff and a sworn patriot, so to get me hooked on something that has a direct relationship with how America was formed, and how it has evolved, is not hard to do. Normally you will find me reading about WWII, since my grandfather took part in that war, but Shiloh, the song and the battle, stirred something inside me. It was a different feeling about history then I’ve ever felt before.

My wife then picked me up, Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefield’s, for Christmas. Much to my excitement Shiloh was the first covered battle in the book. Mr. Shaara also takes the time, in this great guide to civil war battles, to explain how the battle was important and what pertinent things you should take in on your trip to Shiloh. I also visited the National Parks Service site for the Shiloh battlefield-checking out photos, reading some of the history, and finding out the exact location. Immediately I was planning the trip.

I have never been to a civil war battlefield before and my plan had always been to visit Gettysburg first. After this particular song, and all the research I’ve done, that plan has changed. I’m not sure why, but something in the song makes me feel like it is my calling to visit Shiloh. That my calling is to visit this sacred place. I can’t explain the feeling that comes over me, but it is strong. I need to witness first hand the different places and aspects of the battle. From the Hornet’s Nest, to the Sunken Road, to the Peach Orchard, and Bloody Pond. Something from within screams for me to visit this hallowed ground. I need to stand on the very ground where the battle took place and take in everything that surrounds it.

I believe that everyone should take the time to visit and appreciate places like Shiloh. We must never forget where we came from and the sacrifices and events that have lead us to be able to live how we live our lives today. History, if forgotten, will repeat itself. History, if forgotten, will be lost upon the next generation who need to appreciate it and respect it more than anyone.

If I had my way I would be standing on the Shiloh battlefield tomorrow. Unfortunately all of us have prior responsibilities that we must attend to. Hopefully by next summer I will actually be able to set foot on the very ground that Darryl Worley sang so passionately about. Making my way through the park and standing in the very place where young men once stood. Where they were ready to sacrifice everything for a cause that they felt was just, even though, to quote the song again:

“From the looks of this ol’ graveyard, hell nobody really won.”

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This is quite honestly my most important Outdoor Intention at the moment.  I want to know what it feels like to tag a deer again. I know that this would require me to actually shoot a deer, and for some reason that has been hard to come by the last few years.

I started to be real serious about hunting about 10 years ago.  In that first year, I picked up a bow, practiced continually for about 5 months, and ending up shooting my first deer-an 8pt.  From that day on I shot deer consistently every year until about 4 years ago.  I went that season without shooting a deer.  The next season I made my comeback by shooting a 7pt and life was back to normal.

Then came the start of the drought.  3 years ago the property we had hunted for 5 years, through some circumstances beyond our control, went away.  We started looking into new property to hunt and ended up signing a lease for some property that was close to my home and had produced for some friends in the past.  Of course the year we lease there were no crops present on the property at all.  Early season was decent and then the property went cold.  I have never been so frustrated in my life.  No matter what I did, or what tactics I used, the deer sightings were few and far between.

I took that season as a learning experience and then our hunting group decided to try and change it up and find a new piece of property to lease for the next year.  I can’t get into the details, but what I can tell you is that this was the first year these particular landowners had leased this property, and it was horrible.  They ran a business on the property and needless to say about half-way through the season clear cut about every piece of cover the deer had without notifying of this beforehand.  I was shocked and extremely angry all at the same time, and so went my deer hunting for that year.

Fast forward to the present.  We have excellent property this year that a friend of ours, who we recently met, was nice enough to let us hunt.  Finally!  It is excellent hunting ground, and a better piece of property then I could ever dreamed of hunting, but I just can’t seem to catch a break.  I can’t lie and say that the frustration levels haven’t been very high at certain points, and I just long for the day I get a clear shot.

So I would love to fulfill this Outdoor Intention this year.  Hopefully it will be fulfilled sooner rather than later.  I do have a question for you readers out there as well.  Have you ever had a hunting slump? And what helped you get through it?  Please leave me a comment and let me know.

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