| Outdoor Truths: Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ Aug. 23rd |
Gary Miller ~ outdoortruths.org
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Bow season is just around the corner. It seems to get earlier each year. But there is one thing for sure right now, and that is hunters are tuning up their bow and shooting arrow after arrow in order to be as prepared as possible for that one opportunity that may (or may not) come their way.
One of the ways that hunters get prepared is by shooting at a 3D range. These are a bow-hunter’s golf course. Usually there are from 20-30 targets stationed at different locations throughout fields and in the woods. Each target is a 3D replica of an animal. The shooting position is marked by stakes. Some part of the shooter’s body must touch the stake while he or she is making the shot. The target has a section that is marked in a way where it is possible to receive scores of 5, 8, 10, and 12. And unlike golf, the highest score wins. The skill that one needs is not only the ability to hit the spot that gives you the highest score, but to be able to judge the distance between the stake and the target in order to hit the mark accurately. It really is fun and is the best way to simulate an actual hunt. Just this last weekend, I shot my way through one of these ranges a couple of times. I discovered how inconsistent I could be in determining distances, especially after a long layoff from shooting my bow.
There are many variables that have to be taken into consideration when determining the yardage of each shot. Each one of these can play games with the mind and cause you to misjudge. Things like the size of the target, the terrain around it, and whether it is elevated or not can all play mind games and cause one to shoot over or under the target. The best shooters are the ones who can calculate correctly even when everything around them is tempting them with false information.
What goes for good shooters also goes for good decision makers. They are the ones who can strip away the veneer of the surroundings and determine the right way to go. They are the ones who are the quickest to recognize a mirage and instead continue in the way that is tried and true. They are the ones we lean on to calm us when the waves begin to overtake our boat. They are not fickle but firm. They are not sensitive, but steadfast. They are not impulsive, but immoveable. And they are who we all should aspire to be.
The world is full of people who are missing the target God has planned for them to hit all because they allow themselves to be confused by uncertain terrain. Stay the course. And remember as someone has said, “Don’t doubt in the dark, what God has shown you in the light.”
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