Satisfied with your results?

I was shooting in an archery tournament near Phenix City, Alabama this weekend in which thousands competed in various classifications in order to test their skills against one another. After the first day I met one person who was shooting his first national tournament and we talked about his experience. He commented he was satisfied with the results and was anxious for the second day of competition. His score placed him in the top 25 on the day.

While talking with a few other competitors, we began discussing various hunting trips we have been on. One guy had a picture of a monster whitetail taken in southern Ohio. He spoke of how he had paid good money for the hunt, but he was satisfied considering the size of the deer and the overall experience. It easily outdid anything he could have hunted in his home state of Mississippi.

Another spoke of the fearsome hog he had taken in Georgia. He had patterned a good size buck and knew it would trail in behind a couple of does and a fawn. For some reason, the does never came in that one particular evening. The trail camera doesn’t lie, and they had been consistent, so he figured something was amiss. Then, what he first thought was a bear, caught his vision from the stand. As it came closer he realized it was a hog, about 300 pounds. He unleashed an arrow and the hog screamed as it darted away. Another hunter helped him track it down and he gave the hog to the other hunter. He was not happy with the hunt. He wanted the buck and this was one of his few chances to hunt that parcel of land.

I have met several people over the years who were ecstatic with their trophy, right up until the point where the score was not what they expected, or someone else was successful with something a little bigger. Then, all of a sudden they were no longer satisfied with the hunt, the results of the hunt, or the animal hanging on the wall.

I have also met plenty of people over the years who relished the experience of the hunt, or the one moment when man and beast met for the first time. They appreciated the small things whether successful or not. In fact, their definition of success varied from the dissatisfied ones. Their definition was much simpler and yet they seemed to be happier because of it.

One of the guys in my group in the competition led after day one. He shot consistently and accurately all day. Several of us kept close for most of the day, including myself. I had a stretch of four targets that ultimately dropped me from contention. Another went through the same stretch of targets and dropped him from contention also. I rebounded nicely, he struggled even going into day two. The leader, well, you could see the pressure mounting from one target to the next. On day two, he had one bad shot. The next target, he threw another bad shot. A couple of us in the group pulled to the side, and reminded him not to worry. His lead was strong, and he was out there for fun anyway. He relaxed and proceeded to shoot well the rest of the way. Ultimately, he won the Pro/Am in the Hunter class. He was satisfied.

We were all satisfied.

Mortality

At some point and time in one’s life, he is faced with his own mortality. It can start from a doctor’s diagnosis, a close call of an accident, or a loved one’s departure. It may even come in the form of a simple mid life crisis where the thoughts start entering the mind that the journey of this existence has reached a plateau and the years that follow are less numerous than those that have passed.

The questions begin as to what place in this world do you hold. How will you be remembered? How long will you be remembered?

Usually a couple of generations is the extent of the answer. The third generation and on may know your name and a few stories of your life, but it is only documented as far as the memory and life of the one who held on to the story.

There are a few stories of truly remarkable feats that carried on through time. Even in our country’s own folklore there are stories Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, Teddy Roosevelt and George Washington that are remembered as much for the story as told by mouth as it is by written word. Seldom though, are those same type stories remembered for individual family members.

While I can recite several stories regarding my grandfathers, I know very little about the generation before them. I can look in a history book and see what the times were like during that period, but the stories that made them human are vacant.

When pondering these thoughts, it dawned on me that I can assume certain characteristics though. My grandfather loved hunting and fishing. He knew how to work with his hands and tend the land. He was a doer. My father followed those same principles. He still does. He doesn’t get out as often in the field or water, but when he does he is at home then as he was when he was in his twenties.

Their love of the outdoors carried on through generations, and they likely learned what they knew from the generations before them.

My kids know stories of my grandfather, because I have repeatedly told them. They know how great of a shot my father is because again, I have repeatedly shared personal experiences when we were in the field together. But in all likelihood, my grandkids and their children will not know the stories of my grandfather and a charging rhinoceros in Africa or a grizzly attacking on a cliff 500 feet high on a mountainside in Alaska. They will not know of a 12 foot hammerhead shark being pulled in on the surf in Ocracoke that spanned many hours.

But my children will be able to share their personal experiences of their times in the field and on the water with their kids and grandchildren. They will be able to experience those things together and in essence carry on a bit of who I am, of who my father is, and who my grandfather was. They may never realize where all of this started, just as I do not. But the key is it did start. That appreciation for the things that many take for granted carries on.

One may never appreciate the beauty of a pumpkinseed sunfish until it is held in hand; the delicate colors mingling in stark contrast to one another tantalizing a vision that is not seen while sitting on the couch. One may not stand awestruck by the iridescent feathers of a wood duck without letting the light of the newly risen sun reflect off the wet body.

That is unless one generation left something for the next to encounter and remember.

Mechanical Failures

I am a service manager at an automobile dealership for my day job. While performing routine maintenance on most vehicles, I also regularly have to play ‘doctor’ and sometimes break bad news to the owners regarding major repairs. Often I get questions such as “what caused it?” or “was it something I did?”

Many times the response is as simple as explaining that their vehicle consists of different mechanical systems, and anytime you have something mechanical it is prone to break due to rotating parts and wear over time.

What makes certain mechanical devices extraordinary are the ones that can keep things simple with fewer moving parts and survive over time.

In 1910, John Browning, who was a firearm designer for Colt before launching his own firearm manufacturing company, developed a repeating pistol. The U.S. military began trials for their next carry piston with six manufacturers. One by one, pistols were eliminated due to failures until Colt and Savage Arms remained. Over a two day period, with John Browning observing the trials personally, his M1911 pistol fired 6000 rounds without failure. When the pistol became too hot, it was simply dipped in a bucket of water to cool it down to continue testing. Over the same trial, the Savage failed 37 times. A simple but tested design that proved to be the hallmark for future firearms.

Now, why am I paying attention to mechanical failures? Well, for one I went through one on something I did not expect the other weekend. I have experienced failures before, even on firearms. I once had a shotgun fire with the safety still engaged. Fortunately, the person that was holding it had the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and no one or nothing was harmed in the accidental discharge. Not only did it teach the person that was holding the shotgun a little respect for potential mishaps, but it reinforced something I already knew. I knew things like that could happen because it is mechanical in nature.

The weekend in reference I was setting up a new bow. The bow did fine. The problem came with my release. For those that do not know, a release is a device that has a set of jaws that hold the bow string while drawing and holding. When the shooter is ready to release the string, his finger or thumb, depending on the style, squeezes a trigger which opens the jaws.

I was getting ready to pull the string back on the bow to check if the peep sight, which is located in the string, was positioned properly for my line of sight. Just before drawing the bow, I decided to nock an arrow on the string ‘just in case’. The person who was installing the peep sight asked was I going to shoot since the sight was not properly tied in yet, but I explained I was not going to shoot but I wanted to be safe instead.

The reason it is safe to actually nock an arrow on the bow is a ‘dry fire’ can destroy a bow. So, if I had an accidental discharge, an arrow would fly and the bow would be intact.

Forethought is wonderful. The release I have had since 2005 and shot thousands upon thousands of arrows with broke, releasing the arrow down range, lodged high on the wall 30 yards away. Bow was ok, arrow was salvaged, two people completely startled but ok, and a broken $45 release.

You cannot predict when something mechanical will fail. You can do everything possible to prevent it from failing and take precautions in case it does.  

Road Trips Tips

Valentine’s weekend is here and occasionally, even the most dedicated outdoorsman needs to reward his spouse for her understanding of your last few months of manly activities. A cross-country road trip can be fun, interesting, and exciting as well as just the ticket to an eventful time together. They can also be boring, tiresome and expensive, so here are 5 tips to make your trip a memorable experience.

Get everyone involved in the planning.

When taking the family with mixed ages and interests, it can make the drive more bearable if everyone has something to look forward to along the way to keep the trip exciting. Look over your route and see if there are any points of interest. On a trip to Niagara Falls we planned our lunch break at the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia, and then stayed in a hotel two blocks away from a haunted cemetery in Pennsylvania.

Prepare your vehicle.

Before you leave make sure you check your vehicle’s tire pressures and fluid levels. If you are making a 2000 mile round trip and your oil change is due in 1000 miles, get it serviced early. When planning your trip do an online check of gas prices in the different states you pass through. For instance, filling up in South Carolina when you still have a quarter of a tank of gas can save nearly 50 cents per gallon over fill-ups in North Carolina or Georgia.

Take periodic stops, not frequent breaks.

It is important to take breaks, but not too many. Usually a stop every two to three hours allows the body to stretch and stay alert. People with ailments such as diabetes may need those stops closer to the two hour mark to prevent swollen feet and legs and help with blood circulation. A hunting trip to North Dakota with my father included stops at nearly every Bass Pro Shop, Cabela’s and Gander Mountain along the way, which was conveniently spaced about every two hours of drive time. Another trip involved us stopping at each state line rest stop we passed and getting photos next to the welcome signs.

Ride comfortably and pack smart.

You have to be comfortable on a long road trip or it will wear you down quickly. Wear slip on shoes while driving so you can remove and put them on easily. Do not keep your wallet in your back pocket in order to prevent a tired and hurting tush. Keep items you can use on the trip near hand while packing clothes and beauty items in the trunk or storage compartments. Keep a small cooler with drinks and snacks nearby.

Change the return route.

Make it a true adventure. If you can alter the return route without losing too much time or miles, it will keep things fresh for the whole trip. New places to stop and explore and different scenery will make everyone happier. One trip we planned carried us through mountains and Amish country on a weekday while heading towards our destination, while the return trip was along the East coast passing through New York City, Baltimore and Washington D.C. during the weekend, thus avoiding traffic woes.

And if the cross-country trip doesn’t work out for a Valentine’s surprise for her, just make sure you don’t buy her a toaster or new ironing board. That probably will not work out very well. In fact, you may receive a gift from her afterwards that resembles a to-do list that will last you through next year’s Valentine’s day.