Instant Gratification?

We live in a society of instant gratification. We have fast food, quick lube and oil changes, high speed internet, express lanes on our highways,
and quickie marriages. There’s even been talk about movie theaters being forced BY LAW to advertise the actual start time of the movie so people
don’t have to sit through the advertisements and upcoming previews.
As a whole, we’ve lost the ability to be patient. We’ve lost sight of enjoying the moment as it presents itself without artificial stimulants.
The other night, my wife and I sat down with our two boys (ages 10 and 12) and taught them how to play a card game called Hearts. Competition runs rampant in our house and there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth…but I settled down and took my defeat honorably. The point is, we took time out of our usual routine to enjoy the company of each other. We let the evening come to us without TV or the internet. We talked, we laughed, and I happily lost the card game to my overly competitive wife.
It is difficult sometimes to slam the brakes on the hectic routine that always seems to surround us and to simply be patient.
Enter the life of the archery hunter.
As soon as the previous archery season is over, we begin making plans for the next season. We’re thinking about stand placements where that buck unexpectedly sauntered through about 60 yards from where we were set up last year. We’re pouring over aerial photos and topo maps searching for an overlooked bottleneck. We’re out scouting for sign. We put in hours of summer practice with our bows. The days immediately before the season
opener are filled with last minute details and apprehension and most of us
are up VERY early and in our stands well before daylight. As we settle down in our stand, we take a deep breath and await the coming dawn.
For me, all the frantic preparations and logistical nightmares seem to fade away as I blend in with the early morning darkness and try to become one with the woods. I actually look forward to that time after I’m in my stand
and before the first rays of dawn start to filter onto the forest floor. Because once it’s light enough to see, I go into active hunting mode.
Hunting has to be one of the most demanding pastimes that require patience. It ranks right up there with waiting for the spring thaw. Archery hunters especially must show extreme patience since we have to get our prey in close in order to get an ethical and humane shot. We have to have the fortitude to wait for that deer to turn just right to give us the most effective shot placement. Our patience is also put to the test before the season even starts. During our scouting efforts we must take time to carefully pattern the deer we plan to hunt in the early season. We must
patiently go over our maps to look for those areas where the deer will vacate to once they realize they are being hunted. We have to have resilience in finding just the right tree in which to hang our stand…and
then take the time to trim out shooting lanes and brush up our stand site.
Our culture does not readily reward those who take their time to gain long-lasting results. But if you want any type of success in the field this fall, you have to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand. Don’t hurry your scouting, don’t run through your practice sessions, don’t
“settle” for a stand site that you have doubts about, and above all, don’t rush your shot. We’ve put too much time and effort into that culminating moment to blow it because we hurried things at the last second. Take the time to put the proper effort into all your hunting preparations
but enjoy the moments as they happen. When you finally score, it will all be worth it. But even if you don’t score on a deer this fall, you can still chalk the season up as a success because you’ve taken the time to enjoy
everything up until then that goes into archery hunting.
Don’t let the success or failure of a season be determined on whether you
get a deer or not. You’ll be disappointed many more times than you’ll be satisfied if you do.