Hunting grounded me in a way I can’t fully describe. It feels like it was always in me, like it was waiting to be woken up. My dad only hunted occasionally. My mom and her parents never hunted. My dad’s father shot a small buck once and went on trips that were more about drinking than being in the woods.
For me it’s primal. There’s a satisfaction in the kill, but it’s so much more than that. It’s watching the woods wake up around me. It’s pausing to choose the next step. It’s making decisions on the fly with nothing to lean on but my own instinct and then finding satisfaction when I chose right. That feeling carries over into everything else in life.
Lately I’ve caught myself in squabbles with my wife and daughter, defending opinions instead of asking if being right is worth more than being at peace. Hunting reminds me to stop, to breathe, to weigh the options, and to choose the step that leads to the best outcome.
I hunt for clean, organic meat that I am invested in and grateful for. I hunt for the community it gives me, for the discipline it demands, and for the purpose that keeps me sharp. But above all, I hunt because it’s a metaphor for life.
Every sit in the woods teaches me something about patience, about sacrifice, about what really matters. And at the end of the day, what matters most is simple. I want my family to feel happy, fulfilled, and acknowledged. That’s the outcome worth choosing every single time.
FIELD TIP
On public land, success in dove hunting comes from scouting and discipline. Glass cut grain, burned wheat, or native seed patches ahead of opener and lock in on flight lines so you’re under the birds, not chasing them. Prioritize the trifecta of food, grit, and water. Birds hit gravel roads and bare dirt for grit to digest seed, so these spots can be just as productive as a food plot.
Ponds with clean banks and nearby feeding fields are also prime. Get in early, stay still, and blend into natural cover. Rotate spots and don’t burn out one field with constant pressure. Pattern your gun, run light 7 to 9 shot, and keep your muzzle moving. Do this right and you’ll walk out with a limit while others go home empty.
MINDSET
The Pause–Plan–Proceed Model
Dove hunting teaches discipline. If you chase every bird, you waste shells and energy. Success comes from waiting, reading the flight lines, and acting with intention.
Here’s a simple model you can use anywhere in life:
1. Pause — Before reacting, stop. Take one breath. Create space between impulse and action.
2. Plan — Assess the landscape. What’s the desired outcome? Which option gives you the best chance at success?
3. Proceed — Move with intention. Take the step you’ve chosen and commit to it fully.
Whether it’s holding fire in the field until the right shot presents itself, or pausing in an argument at home, this model keeps you from wasting energy and ensures your actions align with the outcome you actually want.
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom
Viktor Frankl
Where in your life can you practice Pause–Plan–Proceed instead of reacting on impulse? In the stand, in a tough conversation, or in the middle of your home. What outcome would shift if you took that one breath before you moved?
