I was getting my gear ready this weekend for my hunts this coming week and I was freaking out because I could not find my knife. It is a 14" PIC Bowie Knife that was made in the 1950's in Germany. It is just a knife but this summer it became MY knife. I NEED this knife with me at all times in the field and I was worried I was not going to find it. I mean I did leave my headlamp in the field last time out. But, I did find it and that got me thinking, what other things that are "Musts" haves for me in the field whether it is a piece of gear or a ritual of the hunt.
We all have our "Thing" or "Things" that we do before, during and after the hunt. Weather is wearing a lucky hat, playing the same Lead Zeppelin song, getting your lucky arrow ready or even a post hunt drink to commemorate a good day in the field. We all have some quirk that we do whether or not you believe in luck and some are more zany than and entertaining than others. I don't believe in luck, fate or chance, to me things are set in motion from above and they are what they are. But, that does not mean I don't want my Matthews or HS Strut hat on my head or my Easton ST. Axis 340 with the single blue and two white blazers with the work KILL written on it. Heck no, I am a man of routine in the field that is my thing.
People who know me may not believe it, but I have a militant regiment when it comes to getting ready for the hunt, how I dress and even how I draw my bow. My though is if I do everything the same way 10,000 times the one time I am really needing consistency it will be there. I even go as far as making sure my arrows are completely lined up when I make them.When my arrow is nocked the NAP Bloodrunner 2 blades are horizontal to the ground, the Easton ST. Axis logo is perfectly inline with the blades and the Single blue blazer is in the Vertical position with two whites followed by a neon green H nock. It must be that way for me. Some call it OCD, I call it precision.
A friend of mine has been a guide in Alaska for many years and is a die hard bear hunter. His ritual is after every kill he takes a shot of good Bourbon in reverence for the hunt and the life they took. He has a deep respect for the animals that he hunts and that is how he shows it.
We all have something we do to make our hunts our hunts, what are some of your ticks or rituals that you do before, in or after the hunt? Leave a comment I'd love to hear back from you.
Thanks,
The Bearded Boar
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