Like Our Fathers Before Us

We've been blessed with a land that has abundant bounty. Our fathers hunted this land and their fathers before them. Keeping the traditions alive and keeping our stomachs full. Like our fathers before us, we'll venture out this fall, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Sierra Nevada's, from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes...all across this nation hunters will venture out like their fathers before them. The times may have changed, but the tools have not. Our hunting bag looks basically the same as our fathers before us.What's in the bag, you ask...the same gear my father taught me to bring.Obviously, there is a rifle, a sidearm, ammo for both. Water.A small pocket knife and skinning knife.A compass.Those that came before didn't need much to provide. If it isn't broke don't fix it, the old adage says.

Today we have rangefinders and GPS...nothing wrong with it. There is some nostalgia that is lost though. Some disconnect when the technology makes things almost way too easy. There should be a challenge to embrace, to struggle against and overcome, like our fathers before us.Like our fathers before us, we embark on these journeys not only to provide but to appreciate all that we've been given. To appreciate the rich tapestry of the outdoors. Whether we are trudging through thick brush and woods or making camp on the mountains, much remains the same. The game and the scenery may change, but the simple feeling of man versus nature and the primal instincts it unlocks...reconnecting with those long since gone. Fathers and mothers alike who braved the frontier, who had to hunt to survive.We pay homage to them as we embark. Recognizing their struggle and appreciating all that we have now.Rifle, sidearm, ammo, pocket knife, skinning knife, and compass.Simple.