Hunting

One of the highlights of the year for me is hosting an outdoor adventure retreat for boys from the Brookshire community. For the past several years, Cheryl and I have hosted this Spring Break retreat at our off-grid property outside of Big Bend National Park. Watching the boys enjoy and learn from these adventures is one of the best things ever.

A few months ago, my nephew Ryan Rogers and I were talking about how God has used the Big Bend retreat to allow boys and their mentors to build deeper bonds. In our conversation, we talked about giving the boys a new opportunity to spend time with their mentors in the great outdoors.

Encouraged by what he heard, Ryan offered to host a shooting retreat at Flat Creek Ranch in Dimmit County. The sprawling 2,100+ acre ranch offers amazing opportunities for boys to experience the great outdoors in one of the most rugged settings in the Lone Star State.

My friend Dennis Turnipseed, the executive director of Eyes On Me, a ministry that works in some of the toughest communities in the greater Houston area, and I met to plan the retreat. Dennis invited a select group of older boys from the Brookshire community who have previously participated in the Big Bend retreat and other adventures in Colorado.

Our plan for this retreat is to provide the boys with their first opportunity to learn about hunting in Texas. That all begins with gun safety. Dennis and my old friend James Meredith led the gun safety orientation session for the boys. We spent a lot of time teaching about the fundamentals of firearm safety before taking the boys to the shooting range on the ranch.

This retreat, however, is about much more than firearms and marksmanship. It is part of a larger effort to shape the character of boys through outdoor adventure.

Boys need adventure. They need opportunities to step away from screens, enter unfamiliar environments, attempt difficult things, and discover what they are capable of doing. They need challenges that require them to listen carefully, act responsibly, manage their emotions, and persevere when success does not come easily.

The outdoors is one of the best classrooms for teaching these lessons. This is adventure with a purpose.

At the shooting range, the boys learned that every detail matters. They must listen to instructions, remain aware of those around them, and understand that their decisions have consequences. We repeatedly emphasized that handling a firearm requires maturity and self-control.

The boys learned that before they ever place their finger on the trigger, they must know where the muzzle is pointed and be certain of their target and what lies beyond it because a bullet can travel a long way. And they learned that they must obey the instructions of the mentor responsible for the gun range.

The lessons they are learning here extend far beyond the shooting range. Life also requires us to pay attention, exercise restraint, and consider how our choices will affect others. A young man who learns to act responsibly in the outdoors is developing skills that can help him become a responsible man.

Outdoor adventures are important because our culture is making life too easy for boys. Many boys spend too much time in carefully controlled environments where comfort is maximized, and they can avoid failure. But boys do not grow stronger by avoiding difficult things. They do, in fact, need opportunities to experience frustration and learn how to work through it.

That is why the shooting range is a good place for boys. They need to miss the target, adjust their aim, control their breathing, and try again. They need to discover that improvement requires patience, practice, and perseverance.

A key part of this retreat is the time boys get to spend with good men. They need men who will teach them how to handle responsibility and deal with setbacks. The outdoors creates natural opportunities for men and boys to have good conversations about these things.

At the end of this retreat, I hope that the boys will remember the men who stood beside them and took the time to help them succeed and to take another step toward manhood. Over the past couple of days, we have taught boys how to handle a firearm and safely hit a target responsibly. Ultimately, we are helping them aim their lives toward something greater. And that is a key reason why boys need adventure.

I did not grow up hunting, although I come from a family of hunters. Never really had much of an interest. But all of that changed a couple of years ago after I bought a shotgun for our off-grid cabin. Just wanted to have some kind of protection against snakes or pesky varmints but certainly not because I wanted to become a hunter.

My friend Gil Harris is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. We both enjoy outdoor adventures and have traveled together internationally. When Gil found out I had purchased a shotgun, he and our friend Dennis Turnipseed invited me to join them on a turkey hunt at The Five Seeds Ranch — Dennis’ place hear Hallettsville.
I did not shoot a turkey but I did shoot my first feral hog with a rifle that Dennis had loaned me. I was hooked. Feral hogs are a nuisance to ranchers who are always more than happy to decrease the hog population. I was happy to do my part.

Gil was determined to get me on other hunting adventures and took steps to remove any excuses. He bought me a Mauser M18 .243 caliber rifle complete with a scope. That’s the same rifle I had used to shoot my first hog. “No more excuses now,” he said, “when I invite you to go hunting.”

After shooting more feral hogs, Gil and Dennis urged me to think about deer hunting. My nephew Ryan Rogers learned about my new interest in hunting and said he wanted to guide me on my first deer hunt at Casa Monte Lodge — an outfitting service that Ryan’s dad founded outside of Carrizo Springs. Ryan’s dad Robert Rogers has written several books on whitetail deer and hunting in Texas.

Earlier this week, Gil and I drove out to Casa Monte for my first deer hunt. After we arrived at Casa Monte, things unfolded quicker than I expected. By late afternoon, Ryan and I were seated in a blind, surveying corned cenderos, and waiting for the deer to show up. The deer did not disappoint. They showed up in big numbers.

We patiently watched until a mature eight-point buck arrived on the scene. Ryan patiently coached me, much in the same way that Gil does when we hog hunt. I breathed slowly, watched the activity through my scope, waited for the right moment — and then squeezed the trigger.
One shot right behind the left shoulder. The deer jumped, ran about fifty yards through the brush, and then collapsed in a dry wash. We waited to make sure the buck was dead and then hurried off to pick up Gil from a nearby blind. Together we walked into the brush and found the buck lying on its side.

After taking a few pics, Gil and Ryan dragged the deer out to an open area. Ryan initiated me into the deer hunting family by dipping his finger in the deer’s blood and then wiping it across my cheeks and forehead. Official member of the club now! With darkness fast approaching, we tossed the buck into the truck and headed back to Casa Monte.

At 64, this was an amazing experience for me. To share this adventure with men who love the outdoors made it even better. Apart from the kill, the fellowship in the blind and around the table at Casa Monte was great. The meals alone at Casa Monte are reason enough to book a hunt. Beyond amazing and totally delicious!
I am grateful to Gil for encouraging me to take up hunting, even at my age. To Dennis for his encouragement and opportunities to hunt at the Five Seeds Ranch. To Robbie and the Casa Monte staff for a great experience at the lodge. And special thanks to my nephew Ryan for making it possible for his old Uncle O to shoot his first deer. Thank you all for blessing me with an amazing adventure.