Staying Present in the Moment

As I mature as a human being and a man, it becomes abundantly clear that staying in my present mind is very important in life and my passions. It keeps me calm in chaotic and unnatural situations that we commonly find ourselves in as archers, shooters, and hunters. The explosions from pulling the trigger on a rifle or flinging an arrow downrange require 100% consistency to be excellent, and if I am not talking myself through a specific process each and every time, the results reflect.

This October, on a rifle Coues deer hunt, I had an opportunity at a really nice black bear. Luckily, I had a bear tag in my pocket and the unit was open. The bear was at 505 yards, sleeping in his bed, and I was prone, waiting for him to stand and present an ethical shot. I was set up on the other side of the canyon, and there was an inconsistent crosswind–just enough to require a holdover, yet tough to judge. To pass the time waiting for the bear to stand, my buddy, who also had a deer tag, was giving me hypothetical situations to ponder.

For example, he would ask, “What if a big buck stepped out, would you shoot the bear or the buck?” and “What if a buck I was interested in stepped out?” Considering we were on a deer hunt, my answers leaned toward taking the hypothetical bucks instead of the bear. Lo and behold, a few minutes later, my same buddy lit up as he spotted a nice buck below us, on the same side of the canyon as the bear. Immediately, things got western and we both set up to make shots. The plan was for my buddy to shoot the buck, causing the bear to wake up and present a shot for me.

It happened exactly the way we planned. BOOM! The buck went down, and the bear lifted his big ole pumpkin head (confused about what was going on, of course, as he was sawing logs) and stood up. In the heat of the moment, I put the crossair right behind the shoulder and touched off. I was confident about the shot and watched the bear through the scope as I levered in another round. I didn’t expect to need a follow-up shot but wanted to be ready for one. I fully expected the bear to expire quickly after he rumbled into the cedar thicket just above him.

To my surprise, he shot right out of the trees, up the canyon, and out of my life forever. The bear was unharmed–I had completely missed. How could I have missed? I thought. I practice a lot and was completely comfortable with the shot at that distance. Recounting the situation, it became clear to me why I had missed. I completely forgot to hold for the wind! Instead of being present in my own shooting process, despite the chaotic situation, I had become enamored with the possibility of a double-up.

At the end of the day, my buddy shot a nice buck, and we made an awesome memory. Even though we didn't get the double-up we were hoping for, it is still a cool story that we will remember forever. It takes missed opportunities like this to keep me grounded and prepared for the next time I’m behind my rifle or bow. It is a harsh reminder for me to stay in my present mind and not let distractions take away from my own processes to be successful.