What I’ve learned from Being a Sportsmen
What I’ve learned from Being a Sportsmen
I’ve spent more than 35 years in the outdoors and learned many life lessons in the process. Following are some of my observations, and I hope the Iowa sportsmen reading this piece nod in agreement on some, laugh out loud at others, and maybe even gasp in disbelief at a few.
The best-laid plans rarely survive first contact…
If you’ve ever planned a 3-day fishing trip, 6 months in advance, and watched it rain every single day after you arrived, you know what I mean. The lesson to learn is to expect plan A, prepare for plan B, and embrace the suck when you’re have no other choice but to go with plan C. Some of the best fishing I’ve ever experienced occurred after being forced to break with tradition, improvise a new plan, and try something new.
You can’t eat tracks…
When I was kid, road hunting was our best strategy for bagging a pheasant or rabbit. Hunting after a fresh snow was something we longed for all season, and there was just something special about seeing tracks in the snow. However, after a long day and hundreds of miles in the car without success, my Dad’s patience would wear thin. For hours Dad would hear us boys squealing from the backseat, “Dad, slow down there’s fresh tracks back there!”, or, “Dad, turn around there’s gotta be a bird back there… Look at all the tracks!” Inevitably he would get out in the mind-numbing cold to humor our certainty that a rooster or cottontail was lurking in the weeds. Unfortunately, more times than not, he was repaid with nothing but cold hands and wet feet; hollering at us, “You can’t eat tracks boys!”, upon his return.
If I was a fish, I would be dead…
Over the years, I’ve found myself on the water with a chip on my shoulder. I studied weather data, water conditions, and barometric pressure; convinced the fish would be biting. I tediously and deliberately rigged my family’s poles; chuckling to myself, “The fish won’t know what hit them! How could they possibly turn their noses up at THIS offering? If I was a fish, I would eat that!” Many hours and a sunburn later, I swear I can still see and hear the fish smiling and laughing at me from the screen of my Humminbird.
Lures catch more fisherman than fish…
Although this one references fishing lures, it encompasses any outdoor product that is long on promise and short on delivery. For example, how many different types and colors of crappie jigs are really necessary? I know I am one to feel the woe of shiny new jigs over the years and have hundreds in brand new packages as proof. However, although they lack the glitz and glamor, in my experience a juicy nightcrawler or minnow under a bobber still gets the job done 9 times out of 10.
That’s why they call it hunting, not killing…
No matter how much scouting you’ve done and ground you’ve covered, there are no guarantees when you’re in the field. About the time you’ve got it all figured out, Mother Nature will humble you. For example, veteran deer hunters loathe that intuitive, old, doe that somehow busts you from 50 yards upwind, and bird hunters despise the cunning, long-spurred, rooster that always flushes too early or too late for a shot. Sometimes it just feels like the animals know you’re coming and are ready to ruin your hunt.
Sometimes being lucky is better than being good…
Two years ago, I was muzzleloader hunting on a good friend’s farm. We were enjoying the last days of the season and the last minutes of the day when an unexpected monster buck appeared at the field edge. I confidently took the 115-yard broadside shot from my trigger sticks and completely blew it. However, to my astonishment, as I reloaded the front stuffer and the smoke cleared, the buck turned and ran right at me! At 50 yards the 150” bruiser turned broadside and nonchalantly started walking from right to left. I seized the opportunity and fired; dropping the amazing buck in his tracks.
The Lord indeed works in mysterious ways…
Have you ever noticed that sometimes you have to endure pain, suffering, misses, and sacrifices, before something good happens? For example, have you ever waited all season for a buck to come into bow range just to miss it? In more than 20 years of bow hunting this has happened to me a few times, and in almost every example, I ended up shooting a nicer buck afterwards. I think the Lord uses these opportunities to make sure we don’t get “too big for our britches” as my Mom used to say.
Never underestimate the value of bread…
If you decide to camp on a sand bar on the Mississippi or some other remote location, make sure to bring enough food. You don’t want to find yourself dipping ketchup and potato chip crumb sandwiches in fish grease.
Don’t forget the sled…
2 years ago, we had fresh snow during first shotgun season, and I couldn’t wait to sit in the stand with my daughter. As we excitedly trudged a half mile in knee deep snow to the ladder stand, my stomach suddenly dropped. In my zeal to get going as soon as possible, I had forgotten to bring the ice fishing sled in case Violet shot a deer. By now you know she did shoot a deer, and it was a big-bodied buck to boot. To make a long drag, I mean story, short, that night Violet shouldered her pack, my pack, and the rifle, while I dragged her deer the back-breaking and frigid half mile to the truck. I will never, ever, forget the sled again.
You gotta let ‘em take it…
I can’t wait for open water season to watch, “…the bobber in the pond go up/down, up/down, up/down!” However, what I’m not looking forward to is watching folks, me included, whiff on fish, because we didn’t let them take the bait completely. Learn to understand what is a nibble versus a bite, and set the hook when the bobber is going down, not on the way up.
If you can’t swim, wear a life jacket…
This is an absolute no-brainer right!? If you can’t swim, you have no business being by a swimming pool, lake, river, or even a mud puddle without a life jacket. I am one of the “swimming challenged” by virtue of chronic ear problems as a child and have never learned to swim a stroke. However, doesnt deter me from fishing and boating, or prevent me from being the rescue from drowning on at least 2 occasions when I wasn’t wearing a life vest. Whether you’re “swimming challenged” like me or an Olympic swimmer, please remember to wear your life jacket. Your friends and family thank you.
Don’t forget the plug (and make sure its in the right hole) …
Since the invention of the boat, folks have been forgetting the plug. Fast forward to the modern era when some boats have a bilge hole and at least 2 live well drains, its not enough just to remember the plug. Always remember the plug, pack a spare, and make sure you have it in the right hole!
Sometimes its best to take the long way around…
There may be nothing I hate worse than back tracking. Unfortunately, this obsession with efficiency had dire consequences during one sub-zero pheasant hunt with my buddies. After walking switch grass along a creek for more than a mile, we reached the end of the property. Being unfamiliar with this farm, we neglected to drop off a vehicle at the end to ferry us back to the road. As we took a moment to catch our breath, we began to fully appreciate the fact we’d have to walk all the way back the way we came. Unacceptable! Moments later, somebody in the group had a “brilliant” idea.
If we all crossed the frozen beaver dam we’d passed, we could simply hunt the other side of the creek back to the trucks! We’d planned to hunt that side anyways, and this plan would knock two birds down with one stone! After very little consideration, we all double-timed it to the beaver dam and were soon tip-toeing and teeter-tottering across the precarious mud and stick architecture. Suddenly, we all heard a loud crack followed with cussing that would make a sailor blush. Shawn had stepped through the dam, plunging waist deep into the frigid water. Our “brilliant” idea and ultra-efficient strategy had turned into a rescue mission, and the hunt was over.
When you’re stuck, you’re stuck, and pride won’t dig you out…
Whether you’re in snow, mud, or sand, it’s important that all sportsmen can swallow their pride and acknowledge when they’re stuck. Just like refusing to stop for directions when you know you’re lost, the longer you “rock it”, “wedge it”, or “punch it”, the worse things will get. If you’re lucky you’ll get out of the hole with a bruised ego. If you keep pushing it, that hole will claim your pride, transmission, or maybe worse.
Don’t horse him!
I reckon most, if not all, Iowa sportsmen have heard this one while fighting a fish, no matter the size. I know my Dad’s frequency and volume would increase in direct correlation to the bend in my pole. All jokes aside, it is sage advice, especially on big and hard fighting fish. Let the rod and the drag do the work and tire the fish out before trying a risky net job on the side of the boat or bank.
Its hard to soar with the eagles when you’re hooting with the owls…
This is another one of my Dad’s classics, and it’s as true today as when we were kids. He put the fear of missing out in us many times, and we often thought he was going to leave us at home when we wouldn’t get up. However, he always waited until we were ready to go no matter how late we were running. He couldn’t go bird hunting without his dogs, I mean boys, anyhow.\
The early bird doesn’t always get the worm…
Many would argue with me on this point, but on the lakes my family frequents, we are rarely get a reward for showing up at the crack of dawn. In fact, we always do better after the sun has come up and created a little breeze and chop on the water. So, the next time you sleep in by accident, don’t assume the entire day is lost.
Always trust your dog’s nose…
The bond between a hunter and bird dog is a special thing. It is built from love, trust, and mutual respect. After a long day in the field, don’t discount your dog’s superior instincts and sense of smell. After all, they’re number one goal is to please you, and you should always give them the benefit of the doubt. Praise them for a job well done when they bust that rooster out of cover you thought was too small to hide a mouse.
Don’t put off until tomorrow, that which can be done today…
If your family has experienced loss like mine has, this lesson is especially poignant. Life is short and none of us can guarantee tomorrow. Instead of talking about that hunting trip out West or fishing trip up North, set a date and commit to it. When friends, cousins, brothers, and fathers, are gone, there isn’t time left for hopes and wishes. Take advantage of every second you can with friends and family today. Make those dreams come true and memorialize them so you can inspire your children to do the same.
by Joel Johnson
May 2020
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