Preparing for Rain

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows beautifully will also reap beautifully.”   2 Corinthians 9:6

 

That time of year is upon us folks. Spring and summer crops are ready for harvest and the tractors and combines are rolling all day long. For us duck hunters, that’s a welcome sight. It means the days of hot, muggy weather are dwindling, and cold fall air filled with whistling wings is on its way. It also means that summer work is about to pay off for those that have put it in.

Summer months are full of planting, building blinds, getting gear re-rigged and cleaned, shooting and cleaning guns, re-tuning calls, and early scouting. Granted, where we are, there’s only local birds to be found at this point in the year. The teal haven’t started making their way down here in large groups yet, so it’s primarily just groups of local woodies, divers, and Canadian geese – but still, it’s nice to have an idea of where they want to be.

I know for the deer hunters reading this, they’ve been hard at it since turkey season ended. Planting, running trail cameras, feed sites, checking and moving tree stands – they’ve had a long summer but it’s about to pay off. Bow season is only a couple weeks away here in Alabama and it’s already getting started for our boys in parts of Tennessee.

This time of year always makes me think of the story of Two Farmers. Both of these men were lifelong farmers, this is how they put food on the table for their family, and this was the worst growing season of their lives. These men were both believers and both prayed relentlessly for rain. The difference in these men, is that only one prepared his fields to receive the rain.

Scripture tells us time and time again, you reap what you sow. Which farmer trusted the Father to provide the rain? Obviously, the one that prepared his fields for it. We, as hunters, can sit around and talk about killing ducks and deer all day – but if we don’t prepare for the upcoming season, how can we expect to be successful?

Someone is out there right now preparing to have a successful season. Someone is cutting fields, tuning calls, sighting in guns and bows, servicing motors, building blinds, hanging stands, and getting ready to have a great year in the woods. But saying all that begs the question:

Which farmer are you? 

Hunting in 2019 – Hobby or Way of Life?

For me, hunting started out as something fun to do with my grandfather when I was young. It was a way to spend time in the outdoors when I couldn’t get on a baseball field instead of sitting in front of the TV playing video games or watching a show. In short, hunting was a hobby; it was something that I did for fun. What I didn’t know, is soon enough, this “hobby” would blow up into a full-blown obsession in just a few years.

I went on my first duck hunt with my grandfather at the age of 10. I can vividly remember standing up from behind a driftwood blind we had built that morning and firing off a shell from a single-shot 20 gauge shotgun, and absolutely whiffing on the first duck I ever shot at – all while letting the recoil surprise me and promptly filling the barrel with mud as I dropped it straight into the bank of the river. I don’t so much remember hunts as I remember moments with my grandfather when I was learning how to hunt, track game, recognize animal behavior, properly clean kills, and respect/appreciate the animals we harvest.

I can remember many teaching moments with the man that taught me everything I know about the outdoors. For example, my first deer was a button-buck, that I thought (because at 11 years old I knew everything) was a mature doe. My grandfather tried to warn me of this, but in the end I was too excited and shot the deer anyway. As I approached this deer that was much smaller than I expected, I was extremely emotional as I had never taken the life of an animal before. Right then and there, my grandfather explained that anytime you take the life of an animal, and especially the first time, it’s an emotional process. Dealing with death is never easy, but it’s all about how you respect and appreciate the animal you’ve just harvested. I think it’s important that from time to time, we as hunters take a step back and think about the first time we took the life of an animal. Everyone has had that moment where the magnitude of taking a life really hit home; it’s a life-changing experience.

Fast-forward another 12 years from my first duck hunt, now I’m not sure how I lived without it. My thoughts, my actions, even my dreams are now occupied in a swamp, flooded field, or on the river. 60 days of the year, I’m duck hunting; the other 305, I’m wishing I was. Hunting, and especially duck hunting, has transitioned from a hobby when I was young, to an all-out obsession. While, of course, I love killing ducks, I love everything about duck hunting as a whole.

I even get excited about cold weather now. If you’ve ever met me, you know I’m a summer person. I love to fish, I love the beach, I love just being outside in the summer months of the year. However, walking out the door wearing 10 layers of clothes with a steaming cup of coffee and a crisp bite of cold air is a whole different level of excitement. Every day in the boat is something new. Different ducks, different holes, different tactics and strategies – something changes every day.

Sunrises are like snowflakes. No matter what, they never look the same as the day before. Some are a deep purple, some are a firey orange, some even as red as blood, but never the same as one we’ve seen before. God’s magnificent artwork is by far my favorite. From the first whistle of woodies through the trees, to the last group of divers taking their mid-morning seat in the middle of the river channel – it’s all a part of the Father’s eternal canvas.

At this point, my favorite part is working ducks into the spread, and watching a good dog run retrieves. Everyone likes to kill ducks, and I’m by no means an exception, but the joy comes in the little things. Duck hunters have a special bond. I haven’t figured out yet if that bond is because of shared interests and fun hunts, or just because we’re the only ones crazy enough to get up hours before dawn in the wind, rain, snow, and hail to chase these birds around regardless of weather or anything else.

At this point, duck hunting isn’t a hobby. Duck hunting isn’t just something fun we do when we get a chance. Duck hunting is full of trials and tribulations- just like life. What’s important is how you respond to those trials and tribulations and make yourself better for facing them.

Duck hunting isn’t just what we do, it’s how we live.