As I sit here reflecting on the last few months, I couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible hunting season that just took place. This last year was so much more than just hunting—it was the kind of season I know I’ll look back on for the rest of my life. The highs, the lows, the smiles, the hard times… It was a year that will fuel that hunting tank for years to come.
One of the struggles I’ve had my entire life is explaining the profound impact hunting has on me. It’s not a simple hobby or a way to pass the time. It’s something that brings immense joy into my life. While I thrive during the five months of hunting season, I often find myself merely surviving the other seven. But it goes so much deeper than just hunting or killing. It’s about the time spent with loved ones—time that, as I get older, I’ve grown to cherish and understand the importance of. It’s the memories that last a lifetime, like watching my ol’ man capitalize on the bull of a lifetime, likely one of his last elk hunts. For me, hunting is a place where I find inner peace. Where I can slow down and appreciate the incredible world the big guy upstairs created for us.
How often do we fail to appreciate the finer things in life? Are we slowing down to think about the “why” behind it all? I know that, too often in years past, I was doing it for the wrong reasons. I wanted to be known as “the guy” or cared too much about how many likes a post got on social media. But this year grounded me. It helped me realize just how lucky I really am.
One of the biggest experiences from this season came during my dad’s limited-entry elk hunt here in Utah. It was a unit we grew up hunting—a place that raised me. The hunt carried so much more meaning for the entire family than just chasing and killing a big bull. We spent nine straight days together, riding the highs and lows of an elk hunt, eating good food, and—like I said earlier—making memories that will last a lifetime.
When the stars finally aligned and my dad harvested a giant bull, my wife was there running the camera, doing her best to capture the moment for us. I was so grateful she was part of it because she finally got to see some of the depth and emotion hunting holds for me. After hunting hard for nine days—thinking about my dad’s health and the work and dedication poured into this hunt—the weight of it all came out the moment my dad pulled the trigger. When we walked up to that bull, every single one of us cried. There wasn’t a dry eye for hours as we sat there and took it all in.
It's these moments—moments when time seems to pause—that are my “why.” I hope we all get more moments like these in our lives, moments that help us appreciate that it’s so much more than just hunting.
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