Let Go and Get in the Hunt

I was beyond excited this past week to go to New Mexico for an Elk Hunt in Vermejo Park, a 587,000-acre elk haven. Back in mid-summer, I took out my bow and started slinging arrows until my arrow groups became tight. I packed up my camo and gear and got fired up for this adventure. And then the plane landed. And my I-Phone had no service. I said to myself “Uh, oh – this is not good Farbz.” My good pal and hunting companion Pete handed me a burner phone that was sexy for about 30 seconds. Then I realized this was old-school texting, multiple pressing of buttons to spell kind of deal. I will admit to you there was a moment of panic (maybe an extended moment of panic…). And then I let it go. And then the burner phone didn’t work, and I freaked out a little more, and then once again I let go. It was beautiful. The land was stunning, the elk majestic and I was All In on the Hunt. No checking stocks, no texting, just me and my bow and the clean New Mexico air to breathe with nature all around me soaking into my body the way I remember from when I was younger. Back in the day before you could get a call or check your Facebook profile in a tree stand. I thought to myself “God I have missed too much of the things that matter trapped in the addictive clutches of my phone.” I experienced this hunt as it unfolded, with no distractions…and it was life changing, a true wake up. Was this fate? A missing cell tower signal was representing the need for me to slow down, unplug and release myself from the every moment “I need to know everything going on in life real time mentality.” You know, this false prop that makes you feel important and needed when what you truly need is to be right here, right now, in the moment, totally present. For me this meant feeling my feet on the ground, tasting the coffee in that thermos cup, waiting for an 800-lb. animal to come to my cow call and cross my path within 30 yards. I decided to put the rest of the world on hold, and the payoff was incredible. I’ll take an intense, bugling elk over the annoying ring of my cell phone, anytime. This elk hunt is one I would call a true success. Not because of the trophies we brought home, but because I took the opportunity to trust this bump life had put in my path. Knowing my wife would take care of our family, my teams would take care of the businesses, and I could have this time to reconnect and come back recharged and ready for the next hunt.