Bringing out the best in one another

Nick, Steve, and Thom
Nick, Steve, and Thom on a hog hunt.

I recently read a post from Nick Viau that got me thinking quite a bit. If you haven’t read AMBITION AGED 34 YEARS I’d suggest you take a minute and go read that before you continue.

I read that the day it was published, and I decided to sit on it and think a while. I read it again this morning and I really like what I read.

I try to be a “up for anything” hunter, so long as my vacation days and bank account can support it. When Steve said he was ready to do a hunt he’s dreamed of for decades, I knew my answer was yes regardless of what or where we were going. Looking back, it’s probably not an accident he asked me the question. That was my chance to bring out something in Steve.

We had a wonderful hunt that was incredibly successful in every measure. Upon return Steve penned a wonderful story that I’m sure will grace a magazine or be a chapter in a book someday in the future. He asked Nick to give it a first proof read. After that, and doing some reflecting, Nick wrote the article I linked up top here. Steve’s story drove Nick’s philosophical inward discovery.

When I finished Nick’s post I had one thing that had gotten under my skin: “If Steve is a hunter who writes, and Nick is a writer who hunts, am I that guy who says he’s a writer but never writes anything???”

With that as inspiration, I launch this website. Nick, thanks for the encouragement you didn’t know you were giving me!

Bucket List Hunts

Reading Dennis Dunn’s books about the North American Super Slam has left my head swimming! I do not intend to pursue any of the “slams”, but I should organize my thoughts a little. This journal page seems like a good place to put it.

Booked:

  • Ontario moose and black bear combo 2022

Planning:

  • Montana elk 2021 – tag draw?
  • Africa bush pig 2021
  • Argentina hog 2021/22
  • Wyoming elk 2023
  • New Zealand 2022?
  • Hog trips in Europe, and Asia

Done since I started this blog post:

  • Texas aoudad, deer, hog 2020 – DONE!
  • Georgia hog 2020 – DONE!
  • Australia buffalo, scrub bulls, hogs 2019 – DONE!
  • South Carolina hog 2019 – DONE!
  • Oklahoma hog 2019 – DONE!
  • Michigan fall black bear 2018 – DONE!
  • Wyoming mule deer 2018 – DONE!
  • Africa buffalo hunt 2018 – DONE!
  • Africa plains game 2018 – DONE!
  • South Carolina hog 2018 – DONE!
  • South Africa buffalo and plains game 2017 – DONE!
  • South Carolina hog 2017 – DONE!
  • Wyoming pronghorn 2016 – DONE!

Then the ones I need to figure out a little better:

  • American buffalo; where, when?
  • Caribou; what type, where, when?
  • Mountain goat; draw potential, where, when?
  • Something in Europe? Hogs in Hungary or caribou up North?

The Problem with Momentum

I’ve learned a lot about momentum over my years of building and testing arrows. When you have great momentum in an arrow, you get great results.

The problem I have had lately is that the idea of publishing my hunting journals and stories spread across many different websites, magazines, and a pile of notepads had no momentum. For several months I’ve been looking at this blank website with a terrible case of writers block.

With this simple post I am going to take an action and pray the momentum follows. Many great stories will be coming soon.

Thom