Look Past the Purpose

It’s that time of year, at least in Texas, where deer season is coming to a close which always saddens my heart a little. There is always other hunting and fishing but there is something about chasing whitetail and when it’s almost over or over in your county it’s bittersweet. The Christmas and New Year break was the last time I would get up to our ranch to hunt deer for the season but that’s just the way it goes.

As the season draws to an end there are many opportunities that present themselves to me to enjoy the land as it is without filters or opinions or hurrying to get into my stand or blind. Although the weather had been cold and drizzly, there were some of those perfect crisp winter days where you have to get up and walk around outside. The temperature is cold but the sun is so inviting that it almost reaches out and grabs you and pulls you outside. There are no cars driving by, no noisy city annoyances, no long lines at the grocery store, no crowds, no computers, no phones ringing (yes I will take my phone to take pictures but ill leave it on silent haha)…just peace.

I get out and walk with no agenda, no set path, no direction; just walk and look and discover. Many times my husband and dog will go with me. There is very little talking, no rushing, no to-do list, no checking fences, stands, or blinds, and no boundaries. Just walk and breathe. Put your hands in your pockets, walk slow without a purpose, breathe in the untouched beauty, look, listen, smell and soak up all that is around you. Stop, close your eyes and breathe deep. There is nothing in the world that can beat these moments; no amount of money, no man-made contraption or tool, no gadget, nothing. Just breathe.

For 5 years we have hunted this land and walked it, scouted it, mapped it, and planned out hunts, but whenever we just get out and walk I ALWAYS see it from a different and new view. All the other times there is a purpose for it; is this a good tree for a climber, is this a good spot for a ground blind, how close are we to a pond, where can we put a trail camera, which way is the wind blowing, how close are we to the fence, where is the bedding area and so much more that clutter your mind sometimes that you can’t see past the purpose, the purpose of hunting. Every year we take walks without a purpose and every year I find something new about the land, something I missed before, something that excites me and ignites a passion inside of me that refreshes my soul. It’s a cleansing of the senses and a re-birth of your mind that can only be accomplished in nature.

This year I found a magnificent tree shown in the picture. Many times when we are walking I am looking out or down, very rarely up, and I decided to change my view for this walk. As we walked and crunched along the leaves of an area that we hunt, near a tree we have a climber in, near a path we drive down, close enough to see every time we have been out there for 5 years, I looked up and found a truly breathtaking piece of art. Here in the middle of ‘where we always are’ is this beautifully warped, bent, crooked, swayed oak tree with a massive base, extremely large limbs and no clutter on the trunk. How had we missed this unique tree that has been handcrafted by nature all these years? Even my husband admitted he had never actually seen it. I’m sure we had passed by it numerous times but it wasn’t until that day we SAW it and lived in the moment of its beauty. This tree didn’t just appear overnight either. Its structure and stature indicate its been there for years, we just missed it! The best part is right next to it is a nearly straight, much smaller oak tree. Two complete opposite’s standing proudly.

Now, some of you might be saying, “goodness, it’s just a tree!” but it’s more than that. It’s the reason I love hunting and being outdoors, it’s the little things like a bent tree that fills my heart, and the journey it took to find that tree. It means I was able to free my mind for a moment and truly see beyond the purpose of why we are normally on this land. Instead of hunting or working cows there are those few moments that surpass all the others and make all the hard work completely worth it.

So at the end of your hunting season or even in the middle of it (if you can do it without disturbing your area) go for a walk. Alone or together, take a walk, limit your talking and technology, breathe and walk. Make sure you choose a different path and view each time because it will change and make sure you take a moment to look past the purpose.