The phrase from the Declaration of Independence, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” has different meanings for different people.  Some will say that these are rights, but I will stand by my conviction that each one is a blessing from God.  In the    Bible, it states that through God’s breath Adam received life, and from God’s blessings    we enjoy the liberties that brings us happiness in life.

            One of the things that bring pleasure as well as peace in my life is hunting.  There   is a love affair similar to that in any successful marriage between a person, God, and his creation when it comes to being in the outdoors.  A courtship began when I was 6 years   old at the time, and Dad would take me hunting with him.  As we approached the stand,   he would always let me climb the stand first, and I ended up sitting in his lap for the   whole hunt.  We communicated by whispering to each other, and he taught me what to look and listen for that might give away the presence of a deer.  I know I reported many false sightings of deer from all the hanging pine limbs and clumps of bushes that I spotted in my younger days.

            In the fall of 2005, the engagement began with the opportunity to carry a firearm    to the stand.  Dad observed me as I started out hunting with a gun to see what I had learned from all the times I hunted with him before.  The gun I was using has a special meaning to me.  It is a Marlin 30-30 that my brother, Jon Eric, left with us while he was serving our country as a Marine in Iraq.  On October 9, 2006, we found out that he would never return to reclaim his gun.  Jon Eric was killed in action along with two other brother Marines as a result of an IED.  I feel his presence every time I take that gun, and I know that he will help me to get on target if the opportunity arrives to take that special deer I have been searching for throughout the season.  I harvested three deer with this gun in my first year, which is the most I have ever taken in a season.

            Hunting is a very unique sport, which can be enjoyed by the young, old, and those with disabilities.  As an example, my dad and I were talking to a good friend of ours not  too long ago.  He is a pastor at a local church and has been struggling to overcome a   recent stroke.  We were admiring his trophies and his eyes gleamed as he started reliving a few of his most memorable hunts.  Each hunt was etched so deep into his brain that even a stroke could not erase or provoke those memories.  There is no doubt in my mind that he   is still passionately in love with hunting.

            Not only does hunting bring enjoyment to the table but bonding among family     and friends.  My dad and I know a father and a son, with whom we have been good   friends for a long time; they have a stronger bond than anyone I know, especially at this time more than ever.  Not too long ago the father was diagnosed with lung, kidney, and liver cancer, and the doctors have not given him too much longer to live, but even this cancer has not stopped the bonding that hunting brings between him and his son.  The reason he is still able to hunt comes from Proverbs chapter 14 verse 30 which says, ”A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”  There is no jealousy, greed, or hatred inside the man’s heart to bring him down because of the peace that is so evident within him.  I can only think of what memories they are discussing that they have had together while hunting.  When I harvested my first deer, I remembered my dad and I went back to the truck to get the four-wheeler, and by the time we returned the son of the man that has cancer had already loaded the deer onto their four-wheeler.  I will never forget that memory as long as I live.  A very special friendship was formed between our families due to mutual love and respect of our hunting heritage.

            We are taught in life that privileges come with responsibilities.  As hunters and  good stewards of the land, our responsibilities are to protect wildlife and nature in which we enjoy so much.  There is much work involved in this practice.  We start in late summer by removing fallen trees and maintaining roads.  This allows easy access for our  equipment used for bush hogging, tilling, adding nutrients to the soil, and planting food plots to help sustain the wildlife in the area.  Also, this gives landowners awareness in knowing that these renovations probably would not have been performed if not for    leasing to responsible hunters.  This is very important for us to secure future leasing agreements.  In reality, the future of the land can only be controlled by its owner.  Lease land can be sold or leased to other hunting clubs.  It is my goal in the near future to purchase a piece of property that will enable me to secure the opportunity for my family to enjoy the outdoors for many generations.

            It is my strong belief that conservation plays a major role in preservation of our hunting privileges.  Without this important factor, the sport would dwindle and be lost as well as many future memories and special friendships.  The bonds formed in hunting and in marriage reflect the same basis.  Both must be revered and nurtured to form a lasting relationship.  In Matthew chapter 19 verse 6, Jesus gives special instructions to us to  ensure a lasting relationship, “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”