Hunting Prep

Dr. Joel preps as Isaac makes fun of his dress shoes with Carhartt jeans

Ever wonder what you take in the woods to deer hunt?

I take a backpack full of:

1 Rain Suit (incase the skies get angry)

1 knife for field dressing

2 flashlights (for getting to and from the hunting area in the dark)

1 set of rattling antlers (to pretend bucks are fighting so other deer will come check it out)

1 grunt tube (to pretend I am a buck so other bucks will come try to fight me)

1 doe in estrus can call (to pretend there is a doe ready to be bred...this actually works)

1 set of binoculars

1 rangefinder (to determine how far away the deer is because distance is everything in archery)

1 windchecker (a no scent powder to determine wind direction)

1 pencil for filling out tags

1 set of tags and hunting license

1 rope for lowering and raising my bow into the tree stand

1 camera

1 cell phone for texting my info when the big boy hits the dirt

Whatever food needed for the day

And finally...a bow and at least 3 arrows.

Now, combine that with all the stuff to prep your clothes and yourself, and you have a fairly complex task just to go sit in the tree for a few hours. The time and attention to every detail is actually quite amazing and part of what really makes it all fun.

Yes, I know I am ridiculous...but, it's almost time. Here we go....

Ava turns 5 on Sunday

Ava ready for the Daddy/Daughter dance, March 2009

Since I will be in full "hunt mode" by Sunday, I figured I would write about this craziness now.

My little girl turns 5 on Sunday. That is really weird to me. It seems like she was born 5 minutes ago, not 5 years ago. Even more weird is 13 years ago, Lisa and I were married...13 years from now, our kids will be out of the house. Where does time go? Why does it speed up more with every day you live?

I am grateful that God gave Ava to us. She is a beautiful little girl, inside and out. I could not love her more. She constantly keeps us laughing...and laughing is her favorite thing to do. God blessed the world with a strong little girl when he made Ava. I pray everyday she uses that strength to honor Him and her husband one day. I know she will.

I am still learning how to have a girl-child. They don't make sense to me, which I guess makes sense because they don't make sense to me when they grow up either (except for you, Lisa...you make perfect sense to me all the time**).

It's much harder for me to have a girl than a boy since my protection for her knows no limit...and my understanding of her knows all limit. I grew up in a house of boys...nothing that wasn't logical was allowed in our house and no problem couldn't be solved with a good, old fashioned, fist-fight. Currently, I cannot make that rule apply. I am a work in progress. I am hoping by the time I get to heaven, God will have allowed me to understand girls...even if but for a brief moment...

I'm mostly joking, but it definitely is different than raising a boy!

I am so glad she is growing up happy, healthy and knowing she is loved. What an awesome 5 years we have had and we look forward to so many more. Happy birthday, Ava! We love you like crazy!

**There always is an asterisk in writing that requires further investigation and may only be half true to make the author look better and the reader less offended.

Mom's Birthday

Mom and Lincoln blow out her birthday candle.

Last night we got together to celebrate another year in the life of a remarkable woman. Our mother is one of the most amazing women ever to walk the face of this earth. She taught us how to hunt and fish...(not really, but I thought that would be a great starter). The other 3 are Lisa, Rhonda and Lizzy...but this isn't about them or hunting and fishing.

I can't possibly attempt in a blog to describe how wonderful and amazing she is. It would take a large book to even come close to having enough pages. So, I will just say:

We love you mom....and Happy belated Birthday!

For all of you reading this who think I forgot her birthday, I did no such thing. We celebrated it a few days after it actually happened since she was flying home from Kansas on her actual birthday. You can give me a little credit... I actually knew it on my own on the day it was... yep, being married for a long time helps you prioritize what you remember :)

I am blessed to have incredible women of God all around me in this family. Thanks to my mom, for leading the way.

Why do you deer hunt, Josh?

Find the deer.

I had this question asked of me yesterday. Not from an anti-hunter, but from someone who genuinely wanted to know what it is about hunting that makes it engaging. I was going to write two sentences and make my reply concise, but once I got writing I realized I had too much more to say. Here was my response to her...

*****

Such great questions...and I can't think of any questions I would rather answer right now :)

Here it is for me:

1. Time in the woods was sacred for my brothers and I growing up. It was "man time" and we could only go a few times a year with our uncle...so every time mattered a great deal. It has sentimental value.

2. I see God in creation better and more vividly than anywhere else in my life. He meets me in the trees and I spend time just praying and talking with him in the quiet of the woods.

3. The time with my brothers is irreplaceable. No other time during the year do we get time together without anyone else around.

4. I love to watch nature when it doesn't know I'm there. I like to learn about all the animals and how they survive... I see the amazing way God wove creation together when I watch their instincts. Nothing more fun than watching deer do what they do. So few people actually get to see it.

5. I love deer. Everything about them. The grace and beauty. The speed and power. The way they blend into their environment. The way they seem to be "smarter" than I am.

6. The hunt. I love watching deer knowing they have no idea I am watching them. I watch many of them and shoot very few. I think there is something primal about taking one. There has to be. The way your blood pressure rises and your heart beats fast when you know you are going to take an animal has to go way back in our make-up.

7. I actually eat all the deer I kill. I won't kill it if I won't eat it. I am (believe it or not) sad for a minute after each deer I kill. Thankful to God for the food, but sad to have sacrificed a life of an animal for it.

8. I believe God gave us animals for our use.

9. The thrill is in the hunt. I have had many more thrilling hunts than kills. A close encounter with a massive animal is the coolest thing I could hope for.

That's it. I realize it may even seem confusing, but I absolutely love it.

****

Genesis 27:7 Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat and bless thee...

Great Weekend

77 Summit attenders were baptized at the beach yesterday...so awesome.

This weekend was a whole lot of family fun. We hit the pumpkin patch, watched football, goofed around, did a little bit o' housework, and then went to church Sunday morning and beach baptisms Sunday afternoon. I loved the time we got to hang out together. Check out these year over year pictures. Crazy how fast the kids grow. Oh, and I still have Lisa :) She just wasn't in the 2009 picture...

Last Year Pumpkin Patch (2008)

This Year Pumpkin Patch (2009)

Exactly 7 days and I will be in the woods. Holy Cow.

Shredded Trees

This is called a "rub"

This tree tells me there is a decent buck around. The bigger the tree that is shredded, generally the bigger the buck that shredded it. I know where this tree is and I am going to hunt near it again this year. This buck that did this should still be around. Maybe I will get to meet him in a couple weeks.

I have no other news to report today. I am pretty useless until I get to go hunt. Next week could be rough.

Cautiously Optimistic

"Big" Florida buck I caught on film in October '05

That's me. It describes me better than almost any phrase that I can think of. I always think the better option will happen, but never completely let myself go there until it does. I caught myself using that phrase yesterday and thought "Hmmm. I think that is what I am all the time." I guess "extraordinarily self-aware" is not me. It took me 34 years to figure out the "cautiously optimistic" thing.

Here, I will use it in a sentence:

I am cautiously optimistic that a large buck will walk by my treestand this year.

OR

I am cautiously optimistic that we will receive exactly what we need for our funding on Friday. (Seriously, the bank called and it is approved...just need to see the term sheet on Friday)

There. I am sure that blew your mind. It was a pretty heady blog, so you may have to read it again. That is unless you are extraordinarily percipient and already knew this about me.

Brothers.

The "Joel Buck", 2008

I have no greater friends (except my lovely wife, of course). My brothers are awesome and I love to spend time with them. I am fortunate enough to be able to work with Isaac now and Joel later. I have been blessed...so what I am trying to say is... I can't wait to go hunting. (you can see how easily I made that transition in my head)

The brother's hunt lives on. 12 days until we hit the woods together. I ship my bow tomorrow, so I have to get in some practice today.

There is no way I can write about anything else on here for the next 12 days.

2005

My "doe bleat" buck '05

When this picture was taken:

Joel was not yet married.

Joel lived in Tampa and was a med student.

Isaac was in year 2 of Summit and didn't have a building yet.

Isaac and Rhonda had 2 kids.

I was working at Northland and beginning the building project.

Ava was 1 year old and Noah was 7.

Lisa was working in kids church at Northland.

Since this photo:

Joel moved to Kansas and is a year long fellow in refractive surgery.

Joel is married to Lizzy and has a son, Luke.

Summit bought a building and I went to work there.

Isaac and Rhonda had a son, Lincoln.

I work at Summit and plan Hunter Vision for opening of August 2010.

Ava is 5 and Noah is 11.

Wow, a lot happens in 4 years. It makes me wonder what 4 years from today looks like. Our lives looked nothing like they do now 4 years ago. In 4 years, Noah will be 15 and learning to drive. Ava will be 9 and in 3rd grade. Lisa and I will be approaching our 40's :) and Hunter Vision will be 3 years old. It's possible my entire beard will be grey. Joel and Lizzy will likely have more kids and will be living in Central Florida again. Isaac and Rhonda may have more kids too and Summit will be in multiple locations and likely over 5,000 people attending. Holy cow...

I guess the new addition to the family and the brothers' hunt coming up has made me temporarily nostalgic...which sounds like something you could be relieved of a crime for.

Less than 2 weeks. The countdown has begun...(well it actually began last November when we returned from last year's hunt, but that was a much more dramatic way to end this blog.)

Baby and the Hunting Beard...

I'm selling beard growth secrets for $19.95.

2 weeks ago

This morning

I'm back on it. Last week was nutso (according to the red line under it, that's not a word). Lisa and I flew to Kansas on Wednesday morning to see our nephew Luke. He was a scheduled delivery, so the timing was awesome. We hung out with family and did nothing for two days and that was pretty cool. Even more cool than that was the arrival of the newest Hunter. Luke's birth was just as uneventful as we hoped for. Lizzy is doing great and so is Joel.

I remembered having our kids and what a surreal experience that was for me. It was fun for me to watch Joel and Lizzy as they spent time together with their new son. It was certainly a week of reminders of how big God is....Which brings me to my next topic... The woods remind me of how big God is. I will be 15-20 ft. up in a tree in no time. I can hardly stand the wait... I am ready and my beard will be ready too.

Here is an awesome picture of Joel with his new huntin' buddy...

Luke is Here!!!

Go to Joel and Lizzy's blog!

http://www.joelandlizzy.com/2009/10/luke-is-here.html

YAHOOOOOOOO!

Also, in order to keep my word... The brothers hunt is in less than 3 weeks. Things couldn't get much better right now.

Message for Luke

I asked the kids if they had anything to say to their new cousin since he arrives tomorrow. Here is what they said:

Also, Luke will be born approximately 2 weeks before the beginning of the whitetail rut. This will be a blessing to him for all of his life since the fall will mean birthday parties and hunting. Good job Joel and Lizzy. Here is another picture of the buck Luke's dad shot last year. This time with Uncle Isaac.

I was not joking that every blog would have to do with hunting until I hunt. I am so excited now, that I am terribly unproductive. Gotta pull it together for a few more weeks.

*Tomorrow's blog will be later in the day...

JD

2008, Josh and Joel Hunter

"Joel's 140 class 10 pt"

JD,

It won't be long before we start the clinic and work together for the rest of our lives. But first, you are going to have a son. He will be hunting with us in no time. I can't wait for the day that we all three hunt with Noah, Lincoln and Luke...oh man, what a great thought to wake up to this morning. It's time, brother. This is the week you become a father. You will be a great one. I am blessed to be your brother and Luke will be blessed to be your son. I have one piece of advice and that is all. Here it is: Love Lizzy well...nothing will be better for Luke than knowing his dad loves his mom. I know you will. This is just your big brother imparting a last few, sentimental "words to live by" two days before his little brother becomes a dad. Lisa and I can't wait to see you, Lizzy and Luke. We love you guys.

*In an effort to make sure my blog contained hunting stuff until the big hunt...I posted a picture of us after "the Joel Buck". Could we possibly look tougher?

One of the Early Hunts

Brothers.

This was 5 years ago. It was the first year that we had a digital camera with us to take pics. Every year the Hunter Brothers head to Ohio for 1 week in the woods. It won't be long now. Oh man. I can't wait. I love my brothers and I love the woods.

There will be a hunting theme on here until I leave for the forest. So PETA members can check out for a month and return after I'm back in the saddle.

Update

Prep for Ohio (photo by Aaron Beeson)

I shoot bows. It gives me great joy to make an arrow go exactly where I want it to. I practice as much as possible so that when fall rolls around, I will not miss. Deer season is here and I will likely post about it every day until the Ohio trip.

Now, on with the weekly random update...

I am fired up because:

1. I have a date with Lisa Friday night.

2. We have a new nephew in less than one week.

3. It's likely we have secured funding for the clinic.

4. It's likely we have secured a location for the clinic.

5. The hunting trip is 3 1/2 weeks away.

6. Noah is really working hard in school and developing some great habits.

7. Summit continues to be awesome every single weekend.

That is a very good week. This particular one could not have been much better.

God is good. All the time.

God and Alligators

Florida is cool because you can take pics like this without going to the zoo.

When I was running on Saturday I saw a 7ft. alligator. I stopped on the boardwalk I was on and watched her for a minute as she lay there completely motionless. I was trying to figure out what the heck her problem was and why she was not moving. After a couple of minutes I saw little bits of motion beside her in the marsh. The motion came into focus and the little camouflaged outlines of baby gators came into view. They were about 6 inches long and as big around as a quarter. After I saw the first one I figured out there were about 20 in all. It was amazing to watch. The mom was there to protect and she wasn't about to move.

I pondered ('cause the is nothing else to do when you are running) the amount of time it took me to see those baby gators and how cool it was to be able to see them once I knew they were there. I am pretty sure I miss a lot of life because I don't take the time to really look hard at what God has done. I am trying to do that better. I want to make sure I see where He is. This past week He has been really easy to see everyday, but I know He is just as present the weeks that He blends in to everything I am doing.

Clearly, this is another sign it is time for me to be in the woods. Somehow, that is where all my stories end.

Amazing.

It appears that we will get to take this picture together yet another year.

Yesterday. What an awesome day it was. I needed it. I haven't had a day like that in a long time and the battle had been wearing me down a bit. I certainly didn't have any real complaints and there were plenty of great things in my life...so, I am not complaining. I am just sayin' yesterday was exceptional.

2 Awesome things happened:

1. The bank has agreed verbally (so it could still fall apart) to fund all we need to get Hunter Vision up and rolling. It is potentially such a weight lifted off that I am not even sure how to react. It feels surreal. They were complimentary of us, excited about the project, and said nice things about all of the hard work I'd done. That was nice to hear too...most of the people that I show spreadsheets to prefer not to look at them. They don't ask interesting questions on cell 15 and ask if I meant for the numbers to do the tricks they do in my masterpiece of a spreadsheet. I would have been ok with just the compliments. But, then they actually said they would fund us. I believe it, but I can't. If you are new to this blog, feel free to read back over the past 2 months and see how many times I bring up money for the clinic. I only wrote about it once for every 2000 times I thought about it. That should give you an idea of what the possibility of funding means to me.

2. My amazing sister-in-law (I have two amazing ones, but I am only currently referring to one of them) Lizzy, has arranged for Dr. Joel to come on the brothers' hunt for 4 days. Yes, that is correct, 9 months pregnant and going to have a baby in 8 days- she does the most amazing thing in the history of childrearing. She arranges for Kaci, her sister-in-law to come visit her 2 weeks after Luke is born so that Joel can come and hunt with us. Unbelievable. Kudos to Joel for marrying Lizzy. I believe this act of awesome confirms that she is carrying the child who will pull the sword from the stone. Yes, you heard it here first, Luke will be King of England.

As you can see, yesterday was incredible. I thank God for the gifts. Pretty much if those two things hold true, my car could blow up or I could get turf toe and it still couldn't ruin my month.

Now, I gotta get back to work. Much to be done.

Blupdate...

Bank meeting went as well as it possibly could have. They agreed in principle to fund all we need! The process begins now, but we should be funded by November 1st if all goes smoothly. Thanks to any and all of you who were praying. God is good and I am humbled by His blessing. This must mean we have a lot to do. Holy cow....what a morning.

Bank Meeting

Another Hunter Vision bank meeting this morning. I've had several to this point and none quite as promising as this one. However, I know very well that this could turn into nothing. That's how bank meetings go. But, I am always excited and nervous as I head into one of these. I need to spend some time praying this morning about making sure I give everything to God. It's my tendency to take these things and make sure I am as in control as possible. We have other funding options on the list if this doesn't work out, but I would sure love to not use them. This process is crazy stressful. I just want this part to be over...then we are good to go!

Random Updates

4 weeks until the big Ohio hunt. I hope to see another one like this deer from 2007.

This week has been non-productive. Not un-busy...just didn't feel like I actually got anything done. That is hard on a Type A- introvert. I should start this out by confessing my workout schedule has been crappy this week and that may have a lot to do with how I am viewing this.

Summit was a week filled with meetings. Seemed like one after another all week long. There were so many meetings I have actually posted about it in two blogs this week.

I have spent more time thinking about deer hunting in the past 2 or 3 days than I have anything else. Sad, but true.

Hunter Vision had a couple great meetings that may help get some funding traction. We will see where that goes on Monday of next week.

I am looking forward to getting some house stuff caught up this weekend. Last weekend wasn't exactly awesome for getting housework done. I don't think there was a good reason, I just didn't do it.

Noah signed up for flag football this week. That should start in November. That will be awesome. I can't wait. Also, the blog should have some fun pictures.

Lisa, Rhonda, and Lizzy completed their first chapter(s) of the book they are writing with mom. I am pretty sure the book is gonna be great.

I started my beard on Saturday. It is now a real beard. If I can run a Refractive Surgery Practice as well as I can grow facial hair, we are gonna kill it.

Other than that...normal week.

Ava sings "Poop Song"

These are the things that are funny when you are 4. Unfortunately, if you are me, they are also funny when you are 34.

Some people may think...oh Josh, don't post a video of your daughter singing about poop on the internet. She might be embarrassed or maybe even frustrated with you. To them I say this..."no she won't." This video makes me laugh. It's part of what I love about being a dad. The joy my kids get out of the goofiest stuff adds a little levity to my day. Don't even try to understand the lyrics to this song. It's impossible, as are all of her songs....but boy are they fun. If you ever get a chance to hear her in concert, you should not miss it. Potty songs from a 4 year old are about as hilarious as you can get.

I found this quote and it made me laugh too. I guess I woke up in great mood this morning :)

"A child's laughter is the greatest sound in the world. A child's laughter in a cornfield is the creepiest sound in the world."

Hilarious.