What does it mean to be a “hunter”?
I googled the definition, and this is what I found:
hunt * er
Function: noun
1) a person who hunts game.
or
2) one that searches for something.
While both of the definitions make sense, It doesn’t appear to me that they tell the whole story.
With oodles of time spent in the tree stand, sometimes literally twiddling thumbs, I have a lot of time to think and reminisce. Watch out world . . . Soberg’s brain is turning gears again. That is always dangerous!
A hunter is more than just someone who chases game or searches for something. The other day, I was pondering that feeling an outdoorsman gets in the fall; that feeling I call getting in “hunting mode”. It is difficult to explain, but you all know what I’m talking about.
A hunter is someone who is absolutely serious about his craft. He will go to great lengths to be successful. He uses extreme wit, physical skill, patience and most importantly, a sense of tenacity, to hunt.
For me, it is extremely exciting and enjoyable to get into “hunting mode”. I’m not always successful, but the challenge drives me, borrowing a popular military cliche, “to be all I can be.”
That means doing what it takes. That means planning and strategizing. That means outsmarting the competition. That means pushing your body physically. That means being as patient as humanly possible. That means being relentless in the stalk. That means making the shot count.
It is like throwing the game winning touchdown in the state championship with 15 seconds left. It is like making that free throw in overtime of a tied basketball game. It is like being the last shootout skater and driving a puck into the net. You have to be a winner.
It is the passion and challenge that makes being a hunter enjoyable.
Be a hunter this year. Take it to the next level. Make every opportunity count.
By Matt Soberg