A few weeks back, while attending the annual SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoors, Trade) show I celebrated my birthday. The realization that I’ve been walking around on this planet for more than a half-century got me to thinking. I began hunting before I was born; when my mother was pregnant with me, she was hunting. I began shooting not long after I was born; I was so young when I fired my firs shot I cannot remember it. I’ve been working as a part-time gun and outdoor writer since 1996 and have done nothing but that since 2005.
During that 55 years, while hunting all over the world and shooting all kinds of guns, and being a soldier and a cop, I learned some stuff. Stuff a lot of you probably already know and maybe some stuff you don’t. For the most part I learned it all the hard way, which is of course how important lessons are truly learned.
On the plane ride home I jotted down some of the lessons I’ve learned. You might could say they are eternal truths. On the other hand, it could just be a grand list of bad assumptions or mistakes I’ve made over the last half-century. Either way, I’m sure the list will grow with time.
America is the greatest country on earth. 
Grandpa knew what he was talking about. You should have paid better attention. 
Woodsmanship + marksmanship + companions = successful hunting. Expensive gear equals an empty wallet. 
Few things are as fulfilling as teaching a kid to hunt. 
There’s a reason a good horse cost as much as an ATV. If you don’t know why, you’ve never ridden a good horse. 
It rains, tents leak, zippers get stuck, and mosquitos suck. Prepare for it. 
The closer to a good woman you are, the better. The same applies to the animal you’re about to shoot. 
If you can hunt with your feet, feet-per-second (fps) is not that important. 
Fortunately, modern humans do not have to hunt to eat, because a lot of folks would starve. 
You can learn as much at the campfire as you can in the woods. But, you gotta keep your mouth shut. 
Never underestimate the 30-30 or a man who can shoot one well. 
Wading a creek is more fulfilling than jumping over it. 
If the fire goes out, you’ll get cold; learn how to tend the damn thing. 
When the weather is really bad, sometimes the smart move is to stay by the fire. 
To have never hunted with a dog—a good hunting dog—is to have never hunted. 
If you hold a raccoon up by the tip of his tail, he cannot get you…Don’t let go! 
Good company, good food, and good lodging can make up for bad hunting. 
300 yards is 900 feet. Most hunters need a sandbag to hit anything that far away. 
Trust your guide—at least until he starts doing stupid shit. 
If the success of your hunt is determined by inches, your measuring the wrong way. 
Buy good boots; nothing ruins a hunt quicker than bad boots.
