Family

Learn From This Mistake

As parents, we want our children to successfully navigate life’s vicissitudes. Throughout our lives, we faced many challenges that could have been avoided if we had both perspective as well as direction. Some of these tests set us back and undermine our ability to succeed. We’re told that rigors that we endure help define our character through our resiliency and determination. While I agree with that in theory, my core objective will always center around offering my sons guidance that helps them evade pain, penalties or worse. As with most teenagers, they disregard much of what I preach. They’re typical young adults who believe that my messaging is either irrelevant or antiquated. To that point, I am going to offer them my experienced wisdom in an indelible form factor. Perhaps they will read and revisit this as they evolve as men.

Risk – I have always feared failure. Perhaps it’s the potential embarrassment of failing that causes me such anxiety. It could also be that I never wanted to confront my own limitations. Either way, this unfortunate reality has, to date, damaged my ability to achieve some of my personal goals. My advice to my sons is to take calculated gambles early in your lives. Your personal overhead is low, and your financial responsibilities are minimal. Believe in your acquired skills, as well as in your willingness to work. Do what is necessary to make informed decisions. Ignore the cynics as many times they’re simply projecting their own insecurities. Own your choices and learn from the results. Persevere through challenges because almost anything can be overcome.

Emotion – Many times in my life I reacted viscerally to tumultuous situations. Once I was able to attain a perspective, and even if I was right, I regretted my initial reaction as it put me in an ineffective position. My advice is to breathe before responding during contentious circumstances. Clear your mind and remove the personal component associated with heated interactions. Once you do this, you can respond smartly and with composure. This will allow you to effectively handle difficult moments without remorse.

Confidence – Belief in oneself is critical for success in life. Self-worth creates a superhero-like shield. For me, faith in my own abilities is sometimes influenced by others. This predicament is suboptimal and will only lead to personal disappointment. My advice is to never let other opinions dictate your disposition or mindset. Know that you have abilities to be resolute in your convictions. Don’t listen to the noise around you once you have made up your mind to achieve a specific goal.

Grind – Maximum effort usually delivers ideal results. Preparation along with attention to detail ensures that the odds of success are in your favor. My advice is that you take on any important endeavor with passion and grit. Do all the things that most will not do so you increase your chances of achieving your goals. There is a level of personal satisfaction that accompanies winning after expending the maximum amount of energy on a stated task.

Focus – Distractions are routine for all of us. Unfortunately, these diversions undermine our ability to achieve our objectives. My advice is that you ensure that you dedicate 100% of your attention to any job that you have committed to accomplish. Don’t waste time and energy on superfluous diversions. Finish those activities that you are responsible for delivering.  

Friendship – I have been fortunate to create dynamic and profound relationships in my life. My most coveted bonds evolved over time. Trust and honesty are the core principles of these alliances. My advice is that you allow relationships to be earned by those that you deem worthy of your devotion. Be patient and cautious with the individuals that you welcome into your inner circle. A mutual and unbreakable loyalty will occur with those that eventually qualify as a lifelong ally.

Work – Making money while remaining happy with how you create your income represents a real conundrum for most of us. As you age, the financial responsibilities grow, and accountable people must settle for roles that allow them to earn a wage commensurate to their lifestyle.  My advice is that you get over-educated and develop those unique skills that can be utilized throughout your career. If there is a field that piques your interest, volunteer to work for an organization that supports that specific career path. Ask to be mentored by people who are successful in the specific field that interests you. Getting up every day enthused, excited, and impassioned are what all professionals strive to achieve.

Love – It’s hard to protect your heart when you share your innermost feelings with someone. Unfortunately, real devotion can only happen if you take an emotional risk. While it doesn’t feel good to get burned, it’s important to wade through the temporary pain to eventually find the right person to spend the rest of your life with. My advice is that you never compromise. Remain patient until you absolutely know that the person that you ask to be your wife is as committed to you as you are to her.

Persistency – Rejection, defeat and failure are unfortunate facts of life. If you’re determined to succeed, however, strong-minded people usually end up overcoming whatever challenges they’re confronting. My advice is that you write down whatever goals you are committing to accomplishing. If you write down your objectives, it’s difficult to procrastinate or ignore the process. Expect that setbacks will happen, but that they will not thwart your mission. Be relentless and undeterred in your approach and great things will happen.

Grace – Mistakes are a part of life. As you get older, errors keep you up at night.  Unfortunately, self-flagellation accompanies personal blunders.  My advice is that you give yourself a break and recognize that you will get other opportunities to shine. Be self-aware and recognize the specific failure points. Commit to not allowing past breakdowns the opportunity to endure beyond their expiration date. The only way to successfully move forward is to end the personal beatdown, and to recommit to never allowing the error to happen again. Finally, offer the same leniency to others that deserve it. Life is complicated for everyone, so empathy is required.

Ty and Jesse, you both are smart, savvy, and intrepid young men. You’ve proven that you are both mentally tough, having endured demanding, stressful predicaments at a young age. I’ve never witnessed either one of you back down from a challenge, and you both demonstrate resolve when it is required. Your character is unshakable, and that attribute cannot be taken away from either of you.

Hunting

Golf – It’s Hard to Get Better

Like many people that are addicted to the sport, I want to be a good golfer. I envy those who find the sport easy to play. Golfers that possess geometrically precise swings, and can launch a ball mile, keep me motivated to work to improve my game. I enjoy practicing, but my range game generally doesn’t translate to a similar performance on the course. My expectation that the latest equipment advancements will help me achieve my scoring objectives generally ends in disappointment. Some of the professional instruction I have received over the last 30 years has helped me execute better than I would have if I had not taken the lessons. I own almost every training aid that has been invented, but only a handful have assisted me in producing positive results.

I have never hit the ball very far, and my ball contact has always been suboptimal. Those issues have undermined my ability to consistently score well. When I was playing more often, and my body was more flexible, my handicap dropped to a 5.7 index for a few seasons. Now that I play less, and I am older, it has become more difficult to create a reliably effective golf swing. My handicap has ballooned to a 9.9 index (even higher at times), and it seems as though I hit an improvement wall.

In December of 2021 I visited the PXG store in Arizona. They were kind enough to oversee me as I tried to get the ball airborne in their facility. My driver swing speed averaged 95 mph and the ball dispersion on the clubface was ghastly. Additionally, my swing path was surprisingly and regularly over-the-top. As I drove away from the facility, I realized that I would have to make radical changes, or golf would become perpetually frustrating for me.

Things began to slowly improve when I incorporated two new training aids. This past winter, I read an article featuring the Rypstick. During my subsequent research on the product, I watched Dr. Luke Benoit, Director of Instruction at Interlachen Country Club, and inventor of the Rypstick, discuss the science behind his device. I was desperate to get better, and unafraid to invest the money, so I ordered one. Once it arrived, I followed the training protocol suggested. Over the next few months, I did almost everything Dr. Luke demonstrated. The workouts were rigorous and swinging outside in cold temperatures was unpleasant. That said, when I was able to get back on a launch monitor, my driver swing speed averaged 101 mph. When spring arrived, and I was able to hit a ball outside, I realized carry distances that I never thought were possible. Unfortunately, my swing path remained over-the-top, and I couldn’t find a way to create an inside-out path. All that said, when I hit the ball squarely, my ball went farther than it had in years.

I ended up hiring a friend, and PGA professional, to help me better my game. For years, I snatched the club inside, and then dropped the club even further inside on the downswing. My miss was a nasty snap hook, but I regularly hit a “draw” loaded with distance-gaining, ground topspin. Late in 2021, I surprisingly got over-the-top, and my ball regularly flew feebly to the right. My instructor told me that my club was not on plane, and he asked me to work on both my alignment as well the shaft position on my backswing. That is what I continue to work on during my practice sessions. The outside-in path remains a challenge for me, and it must change if I am going to continue to evolve.

Early last season, I purchased the Lag Shot Golf 7 iron. Most amateur golfers struggle with rushing their swing from the top as well as casting the club. I am no different, and this flaw is a power-killer. My pre-round routine now includes 10 minutes warming up with the Lag Shot. I try to get a feel of how I should be swinging my actual clubs during the round. When I can consistently hit the ball with the Lag Shot, my confidence improves. That is a good thing when I get to the first tee.

I am far from where I want to be. I will continue to work with my instructor, as well as utilizing both the Rypstick and the Lag Shot. I will remain dedicated to improving my strength, flexibility, and pliability. Golf is hard, and my regular regressions make the game maddening. Quitting is not an option, so I will embrace the struggle.

Please feel free to offer up any sage advice if you feel like you can positively impact my game.

  • If you want to improve your swing speed, and you’re willing to put in the work, purchase the Rypstick. Use this link and enter this code “HUNTFISHGOLF” for 20% off your purchase.
  • If you want to work on your temp and transition, purchase a Lag Shot product. Use this link and enter this code “HUNTFISHGOLF” for 20% off your purchase.
  • If you want to reduce inflammation and pain, while improving mobility, purchase a Kineon MOVE+ product. Use this link and enter this code “HUNTFISHGOLF” for 15% off your purchase. I use the MOVE+ to relieve painful arthritis in my fingers, as well as tendonitis in my elbow.
  • If you want to diminish soreness while you are playing, put STAMINAPRO patches on your body. Click on this link and use code “TFG20” for 20% off any purchase made.
Hunting

Most

It is September of 2022, and most of the citizens of United States of America are angry and divided. Politicians and the media continue to produce contrived narratives that blur facts and undermine the truth. Their actions are deliberate, and they have successfully pitted neighbors against neighbors, friends against friends, and family members against family members. Power and money make up the core reasons for this relentless and corrupt attack against the people of our country.

It is my contention that most American citizens want the devolving of our society to end. We want to live in a free country where skin color, religion, sexual preference, gender, and political affiliation are not a matter of consequence. Most of us want to work hard, raise a family, and experience happiness. It is my contention that:

  • Most people believe in God.
  • Most people are kind.
  • Most people are inclusive.
  • Most people have integrity.
  • Most people are generous.  
  • Most people value a meritocracy.   
  • Most people protect the most vulnerable.
  • Most people appreciate free speech.
  • Most people want to protect the planet.

Americans need and deserve representatives that are honest, transparent, and selfless. Elected officials must prioritize bettering the lives of their constituents versus angling themselves for personal gain. The people that report the facts must disregard their political bias and stop perpetuating obvious falsehoods.  The blatant narcissism and self-aggrandizing must end. The system must work as our forefathers intended if the citizens of this country are going to prosper.

Family, Hunting

The 225 Mile U Turn

I can recall almost every hunt that Echo and I have experienced over the last 5 years. There are some hunts however that stand out because something remarkable occurs. Most often it is Echo doing something so tremendous that the moment is emblazoned in my mind forever. 

On this cold December day, Echo and I took the long drive to our favorite farm in Wray, Colorado. The plan was to meet up with a good friend and his dog by mid-morning. I know the area well, and I wanted to hunt a piece of land that we had not hit too many times over the last few years. The cows had not been let into both the north and southwest corners, so the cover circling the corn field was dense enough to hold birds. The wind was blowing over 10 mph from the northeast, so we started our walk from the opposite corner. Echo and I took a circuitous route to the end of the southwest corner so we hopefully would catch a pheasant napping. Once we got 20 yards out from the combination of grass and tumbleweeds, Echo started to get birdy. While I knew that we were in business, I was feeling a bit groggy from the long drive. When the rooster busted 15 yards to my right, I struggled to square up to the speedy bird. Two shots later, Echo paused her run as she realized that I had missed. My apology was heard, and we continued our work along the edge of the corn field. Echo will point when a bird freezes, and just moments after my failure, she stopped in her tracks. When she suddenly popped up, it caused the rooster to take flight. One shot of HEVI-METAL #4 knocked the bird out of the air.

With a bird in the vest, we continued our walk north into the next corner. There is tumbleweed filled ditches that surround this part of the field. Many times, the birds will evade our pursuit by carefully navigating these channels. About halfway through the middle of the northwest corner, Echo started to move with a purpose. While no birds took flight, I believed that she was pursuing more than one of the targeted species. As we approached the four rung barbed wire fence that abutted a ditch, Echo elevated into beast mode. Fueled by the scent of our quarry, my dog exploded through the bottom rung, but she caught a buckle of her chest protector on a single barb. That contact caused the entire vest to tear off her body. Once I put the fragments of the material in my pack, we started to work both sides of the ditch heading east. Echo remained hot but were not able to get the runners to fly.

My friend Oneal finally arrived, and he and Marley took the north side of the tree line that paralleled the two ditches we had just been hunting. As we walked west, Echo became excited as the northeast wind told her that birds were still present. Once Echo stopped and turned to our right, a rooster got up from the ditch and flew across the road. My first shot was behind the bird, but my next round knocked the bird to the ground. Unfortunately, the long shot was not lethal, and the speedy cock ran through the ditch and under the first fence. Echo was in full stride as she circumvented the lowest wire. She tore across the northwest corner just a few yards behind the bird. As the pheasant cut left it went under a second and then a third barbed wire fence. Echo tackled the bird, and headed back to me with the rooster in her mouth. After grabbing the bird, I noticed that my hand was covered in blood. It only took a few seconds to realize that Echo’s ear was split in half, and blood was gushing everywhere. It took me 30 minutes to slow the bleeding, and make the decision to head home. Almost 4 hours later, we arrived at the veterinarian, and Echo was stitched up.

This was the first major injury Echo suffered in all of our days spent in the field. Unfortunately, it would not be the last. On our first hunting trip after her ear had healed, Echo tore her knee open at some point during the day. The wounds Echo suffered shook me up. I thought I was prepared for handling my dog’s in-field ordeals. I wasn’t, and I am not sure how I am going improve my veterinarian skills.

Working Hard so I can Hunt, Fish and Golf