Outdoor Truths

I woke up this morning and there was frost on my truck windshield. It was the first of the year. The temperature said 36 degrees, but the deer hunting temperature said hot! There's no doubt, deer love these cooler temperatures. Nearly all animals do after months of sweltering heat. October is the worst month for snake sightings as well. While the nights are cool, the days remain hot. And after a hot day, the snakes will slither out in the late evening and night to lay on the roads and rocks, because these places will be the last to relinquish their heat. All in all, this is a great time for wildlife.

I've only hunted one day this year. That's not terribly unusual. I usually try to wait until late October, so I don't get tired during the best part of the season. For me, November and December are the best times to see big deer. If I start hunting in early September, I usually find too many days to sleep in, during those best days. The key right now is to fight the urge to go, and fight the thoughts of missing out, for knowing what is more likely a sure thing in a few weeks. That's easy now that it was when I was younger. I lot of things are.

I have mentioned this acronym before. FOMO. The Fear OF Missing Out. It's used in so many areas of life. It is especially real for anyone who is new to a particular field. And if you add some plain ole human immaturity, it's even more addictive. For instance, I can remember when I was taught the art of trading - or buying and selling. I would buy a knife or a gun at what I thought was a good price and then try to sell it for a profit. Thankfully, there were times I made a profit. Other times, not so much. The difference, many times, between profit and loss, was FOMO - I bought something because I thought it was so great of a deal, I couldn't wait just a little longer to make sure. These occasions were hardly ever good. I can remember when one old-timer told me, "You have to remember, there are good deals ever day." He was right. I found out if I missed today's deal, there will likely be another one just around the corner. And maybe one that's better. So, are you panicking about missed opportunities? Just be patient. Another one will come. When it does, maybe you'll not only be able to take it, but you also might just find that God kept you out of a mess that you would have been stuck in for a long time.