Life Coaches and other people who are far more knowledgeable about such things than I am will tell you that the best way to actually achieve something meaningful in your life is to set specific goals for yourself and then set a course toward achieving them. Accomplishing certain things as a hunter should be no different.
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| One of the author's dream hunts is moose in the Yukon. Photo courtesy of the HuntingConsortium.com. |
It's Personal
Perhaps you already know exactly what you'd like to accomplish next hunting season. I do. I'd like to finally draw that Wyoming mule deer tag that I've been after for the last two years and thus go on my first ever horseback hunt in the mountains of western Wyoming. I'd also like to make a return trip to Iowa for whitetails, as I have some unfinished business there from an unsuccessful hunt a few years back. Finally, I'm also hoping to make it out to Kansas or Montana for the first time to chase whitetails. Perhaps you have similar goals, or maybe they're quite different. Maybe you want to make this the year that you finally take a trophy buck with your bow, or bag your first coyote, or maybe at long last fill a limit of ducks. It really doesn't matter what your goal is, but by articulating it and setting your mind to accomplishing it, you are well on your way.
Be Realistic
One of the most important keys to achieving a goal is to ensure that it is at least somewhat realistic. Sure we'd all like to take an animal of some description that qualifies for the Boone & Crockett Club's record books, but making that your actual goal is a bit of a stretch, considering that record book animals are extremely rare in even the best hunting areas. If your dream is to someday take a 180-inch whitetail with your bow, start with a bit more reasonable goal of shooting a 130-inch deer first, then perhaps a 150-inch trophy, and hopefully eventually work your way up to your ultimate goal. The point is that small victories and accomplishments along the way serve to encourage us and drive us forward toward bigger goals, while constant disappointment can lead even the most driven and dedicated among us to eventually throw in the towel.
The Bucket List
Being realistic about your goals doesn't mean you can't dream. Create a "Bucket List" of hunts you'd like to go on one day. I have one. It contains such trips as a flooded timber duck hunt in Arkansas, a brown bear hunt in Alaska, a moose hunt in the Yukon and a Cape buffalo hunt in Africa. The idea is that if you dream small, that's what you will achieve, but if you dream big, anything's possible. Here are some tips to Make Your Dream Hunt a Reality.
Good hunting
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