Defining Success

Success can be defined as “the achievement of a goal.” In doing research for this month’s story, I found perhaps an even better definition of success coined by retired Four Star Gen. Colin Powell. He said, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.”

I can’t think of three better concepts that apply to hunting than preparation, hard work and learning from failure.

Did you set goals for this past deer season? I did, and I had several: 1.) Be safe and enjoy each hunt. 2.) Learn how to shoot a back tension release and arrow a buck with it. 3.) Kill a deer with a bow, a muzzleloading rifle and a muzzleloading pistol—something I named the “Primitive Weapons Big 3.” As of this writing, I have achieved the first two, but I have yet to lock down No. 3.

Let’s apply Gen. Powell’s quote to these goals. The preparation began last summer once I bought the new release. It can be difficult to learn how to shoot one, and yes, I did launch one arrow in a perfect high arc into the trees. But, then after much practice, I arrowed a September buck.

Hard work began at the end of last season. Setting out supplemental feed at the end of the season, putting up trail cams, hanging new tree-stand sets in different areas of the woods and even picking up roadside trash (an agreement that I have with the landowner). Hard work continued after I shot that first buck, and it took about four hours with my son Jackson on a blood trail to find him.

Learning from failure? Absolutely. I admit to flying several arrows on opening weekend at two different bucks without a hit.

However, the most important goal was my first one. Be safe and enjoy each hunt. My No. 1 goal has nothing to do with taking a deer. My hunt enjoyment came from watching the moon and stars drop out of sight with the sunrise, seeing and hearing a flock of geese flying overhead in the morning sky, admiring the pesky squirrels who constantly distracted me during my hunts as they hoarded acorns for the winter and getting a great video of a buck coming to me as I sat at the base of my tree. All of these are rewards of the hunt.

If you shot a deer every time you went hunting, you would get bored with hunting. I’ll share another quote with you that I really like and try to follow: “The greater the adversity, the greater the reward.”

Life can deal really tough challenges. I can tell you that every time I walk into the woods and spend time in God’s great creation, I always feel better as I walk out. Many of life’s problems are sorted out with a little hang time in the woods.

All the best for a successful 2017!

This Month’s Quick Quiz Question: What are your hunting goals for 2017?

The winner will be picked at random from all correctly submitted answers, and he or she will win a prize package from our sponsor. We’ll print the answer next month.

Remember that the answer to the questions are always located within each month’s Outdoor Outpost.

Last Month’s Quick Quiz question: How many major forest fires were there in Georgia in November 2016? Congrats to Camden Davis, 8, of Jasper for providing the correct answer of “three.” For providing the correct answer, Camden wins a prize package from GON.