In North Carolina swan hunting has been a tradition and a pastime for years. Each winter as the migration occurs and birds move south thousands of tundra swans make their way to North Carolina. These swans migrate to many fields, ponds, impoundments, and refuges along the NC coast giving waterfowlers the opportunity to harvest one of these glorious birds. Each year the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission gives out 5000 permits, this year I was fortunate enough to be drawn and lucky enough to harvest my first swan.

Duck hunters are a completely different breed, whether it be sleep deprivation or hunger, nothing will stop them from accomplishing another day in the field. With little sleep, 3 am came fast on January 17th as I headed to Washington County to meet a few friends for our hunt. Once I met up with them around 5:45 we headed to a private field close to the Pocosin National Wildlife Refuge to try to fill our swan tags for the year. Arriving around 6:00 am in a bitter 9 degrees we head for the ditch to set up and await our shot at a tundra swan and maybe even a shot at a snow goose or two. We got settled in the ditch and one of the guys realized he had forgotten to put his plug in so away he runs back to the truck and made it back with 20 minutes to spare. As legal shooting time slowly got closer we had the opportunity to watch thousands upon thousands of snow geese make their morning trek across the sky. Next in line were a few swans and ducks in numbers that would make your head spin. Shortly thereafter the swans started to fly and were flying strong. Throughout the morning there was a stream of swans that seemed never ending as they continued to make their way across the sky and giving us the opportunity of filling each of our tags. By 7:30 am we had filled 2 of the 5 tags in the ditch and the swans continued to come. A single swan is headed our way, it’s my turn, I wait for him to get close enough and BOOM, down he goes. It was bitter sweet for me as it was only one shot but unreal as I held a bird many in the US will never have an opportunity to harvest. As we sit waiting to fill the last two tags we notice a snow goose closing in fast and much to our surprise in the decoys he lands. Two of us decide to sneak down the ditch and get as close as possible, as we get close we noticed he is preening himself paying us no mind. We hop out of the ditch to try and jump him and he doesn’t move, finally he jumps and we take him. In one day I harvest not only my first swan but also my first snow goose, UNREAL! By 9:30 am there had been a few misses, some guns that did not want to cooperate, more birds then you can count, and 4 of the 5 tags filled. Finally, the last tag was filled but it wasn’t over head. The swan was hit prior and we never saw him go down in the field. As we sat waiting for the one last swan we notice a swan about 600 yards out in the field and we knew it was the one that had gotten hit that we never saw drop. We gathered our things and head to the truck to drop some things off and head to the injured swan. The last swan tag was now filled and another awesome hunt to tell about for years to come. What a great way to spend a January morning. There is nothing like hunting with friends, meeting new friends, a few “firsts”, and all in all a hunt I will never forget.

We have been honored to have a guest blog from Mr. Michael Waddell himself. Great read for everyone so here ya go…

Whether hunting public or private land, the fundamentals of calling elk remain the same

By: Michael Waddell

We heard the bull bugle at first light and snuck into his core area. When I hit a lick on my bugle, the bull sim­ply came unglued and stormed our position like a tank, crashing through brush and small lodgepole pines like they were match­sticks. Before we could react he was in our lap and we were pinned down, myself hiding behind a camera, too afraid to even touch the tripod for fear of my shaking hands would run the footage. All I could see of my partner wedged against a stunted pine was the tip of his undrawn arrow shaking uncontrollably on the rest. Before a shot presented itself, the bull smelled a rat and disappeared as quickly as he arrived. While this experience didn’t result in a dead elk, it did hopelessly addict me to calling them.

It seems that in all walks of life, be it the animal kingdom or humans, communication is a key ingredient for all social interac­tion. However not all living things communicate to the same degree. If you ask my wife, I am sure she will tell you I lack in the communication department, in fact I am sure she believes I don’t listen to her at all, but when it comes to communicating with animals I can barely shut up. Of all the animals I love to communicate with elk rate right at the top.

By nature elk are very vocal. The uninitiated often simply think of bulls bugling, but cows, calves and bulls make all sorts of noises year around. If you encounter a larger herd of elk while you might not hear a thing from a distance, if you get close you will hear lots of subtle vocalization. Most of the time these are sounds of contentment, but depending on what’s happening the vocalization reflects it. Elk can convey contentment, danger, curiosity, or a cow in heat. Bulls for instance only bugle primar­ily in the rut, but they also communicate to establish a pecking order. After spending a considerable amount of time chasing the mighty wapiti, I’m convinced every elk in the herd knows each other by sound alone. This happens with the cows as well as the bulls and based on my evaluation somewhere in this mix is the deadly secret to calling elk archery-close.

Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

It seems that the more vocal a herd the better the odds are for success at calling them. Some cows call subtle, while others are loud-mouth ladies actively looking for a date. By listening it gives you a better opportunity to imitate the particular tones and intensity of the herd.

By calling we are automatically intruding into the social club without an invitation. The closer we can sound to a known elk, and match that intensity the better the odds are of filling a tag. Even though we may sound like an outsider to the herd, luckily for us, love crazed bulls are not looking to be intimate with just one or two cows they are looking for all the love of every cow in the world, so taking advantage of their sexual frustrations and promiscuity is what we aim to do.

It doesn’t take a world champion elk caller to trick bulls within range. By simply paying attention to the herd and under­standing simple elk rhythm, tone and more important volume when calling, a hunter can depend on an elk call to be a valuable asset to dulling broadheads.

Public Versus Private Land

Since I started hunting elk 16 years ago, on private as well as public ground, I have realize that comparing these two different types of ground are like comparing night and day and it is all about the amount of pressure each receives. Generally speaking private ground bulls are way easier to call than public ground animals, but this is not always the case. Some private land does get a lot of pressure, which can make for some pretty tough calling duels with elk that can serve you up a humble pie every time you bust out a call. While conversely some public land either through sheer remoteness or hard-to-get tags is like calling the best private land in the nation.

Hunting un-touched land and cow calling to bulls that have never heard a Hoochie Mamma would obviously be nice and it wouldn’t take long work­ing over these uneducated elk to start feeling like an elk calling pro only to be deflated the first time we went to the national forest and mixed it up with bulls so well-known by local hunters that they have knick names. However, regardless of where you hunt the basics of calling remain the same.

Start with mastering the cow call and all its various inflections. Your basic reed type calls are the easiest to learn as well as get proficient with. You will find two kinds; both are bite down reed-type of calls, one being enclosed and the other having an open reed or reeds. These calls make a very realistic sound and before your wife can run you out of the house you will master the basics.

This public land bull didn’t sound like much when he bugled, but he turned out to be a lot better of a bull when he responded to some subtlecalling and snuck into 16 yards.

I rely heavily on the cow call and think most of the time hunters are better off sticking with it over a bugle no matter where he is hunting. But learning how to make a basic bugle is important, especially for locating bulls at a distance before getting close and working him with your cow call. In addition, sometimes it is the bugle that finally provokes a dominant bull to commit, especially during the early season when bulls are still sorting out their peckin’ order.

Earning Your Public Ground PhD

Lets face it, unless you have deep pockets much of the private ground in the West is pretty much off limits, so you have to learn to hunt public land. This is not a bad thing as public ground comprises millions upon millions of acres across the West and happens to have some of the biggest bulls found anywhere. While it can be tougher than private, once you learn how to hunt it you won’t be disappointed. Over the years, one of my favorite places to hunt is the Gila National Forest, in New Mexico, and even though this is a trophy area tags are fairly obtainable through application.

In the Gila, the trophy potential is off the chart, sporting some of the biggest bulls in the country, but just because the big ones live there doesn’t mean that you automatically make one call and they come running to get in the back of your truck. These mature jokers have a PhD in avoiding hunters.

Over the last six years I have hunted this area religiously and have had the op­portunity to shoot some nice bulls all by using elk calls as an aid to close the coffin.

Notice I said, “as an aid”, meaning the call was just one thing in a bag of tricks to help smoke these monarchs. My biggest bull that came out of the Gila was a 378 P&Y bull that had earned the name Professor because he always seemed to take you to school when you applied too much pressure. However, this bull was vocal and would bugle his butt off. He also seemed to be fairly easy to find, not only by his gnarly, raspy bugle that set him apart, but frequently he could be found early in the morning in a large meadow just south of a particular water hole that always attracted a large herd.

The Professor was not the only bull in the area that had large headgear, but it was The Professor that seemed to call the shots. I had caught this bull in the open several times, but calling seemed to really make him uneasy when you were in close. The Professor however would bugle hard to distant cow calls and seem to be whole heartedly interested, but had a sixth sense when you moved in for the attack.

Finally we decided to have a caller stay behind as we worked him coming off the meadow at daybreak. By doing this we could keep him interested and bugling as we stalked in closer. The caller always was no closer than 80 yards behind me. While the caller kept him occupied, I slid within 50 yards and gave him a G5 Tekan right behind the shoulder. This hunt was really a stalk, but the call and caller had a big part to do with his demise. Once we started quartering the bull up, we found a piece of an old arrow lodged just below the backstraps, so obviously someone had him in close before and gave the Prof and education, which explained why he was so wary.

The Double Team

As this old bull showed, hunting with a partner can work extremely well. It not only puts the hunter out in front of the call, but it gives the hunter a chance to move and adjust the angle based on where the bull might be ap­proaching. Likewise, the caller has the flexibility to move as well and apply a lot of different calling techniques.

The double team plan worked again on another hunt. It had been hot and the bulls were only bugling early and late. As soon as the sun would rise the elk woods would turn in to a ghost town.

Just after daybreak on the fourth day of our hunt we heard this bull bugle. He hit it only two times, both very weak and he sounded like the littlest rag horn in the land but with no other game in town we went after him. Getting as close as pos­sible to where we thought the bugle came from I eased up and sat down by a pine stump while my buddy moved back and to my right about 40 yards. Neither of us were very optimistic about our chances. My buddy made one or maybe two very soft cow calls on a two reed diaphragm then he started raking a tree and rolled a few rocks. We sat there for possibly 10 minutes in silence, then out of nowhere appeared a wide 340 inch 6 x 6 coming directly to us, at 25 yards the bull let out a soft chuckle, looked over his surround­ing and kept walking in the direction of where the last rock had been rolled, which led him 16 steps from my pine stump. By now I was at full draw waiting for a broadside shot. When the arrow left my bow, I knew we had killed a call shy monster by keeping it low key and stay­ing patient. Needless to say, I was never convinced by the two times he had bugled earlier that he was a shooter. This was a lesson in itself. Never judge a bugle until you can see what is making the sound.

The most exciting way to bag a bull elk is to get him in close, and the best way to do that is with a call. Confidence in your call is critical, because if you’re insecure about using your call there is a good chance you will spook elk. Have confi­dence in your calling ability and become just another elk in the herd where you are hunting. Find a call that works for you and not what works for some else. Think like an elk and do as elk do. Real­ism, rhythm, and volume control can make the difference between bringin’ them in or running them over the next ridge. And remember its not always about calling, it can be just patiently listening to the sounds around you and applying minimal calls, while practicing good woodsmenship, and stalking skills that could help you put that monster on the back of the truck.

The “Professor”, Waddell’s largest bull came from the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. Public land bulls like this can be call shy and may require some double teaming with a separate caller to fool. Master the cow call and you will call in elk bow-close. Use the bugle to locate as well as seal the deal on an aggressive bull.

Bible Study Verse
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. (NKJV)

Thoughts
(Kevin & Tom, Part II continued from yesterday)
Kevin hacked away at some weeds in Tom’s garden like a man chopping wood. Tom stopped his own work and watched as Kevin’s fury intensified until finally he threw the hoe, dropped to his knees, and began to sob audibly as he dug up fists full of dirt.

Tom walked over and again put a large calloused hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Wanna talk about it?”
Kevin shook his head and looked up at Tom. “Everything I thought I loved is now gone. I’ve lost my job, my car, my house is being foreclosed on, and my wife left me this morning.”

Tom looked sad. “So, Tammy left too, huh?”

Kevin nodded again.

Tom continued, “You know, Kevin, the Bible says in Proverbs 12:15 that a guy that listens to good counsel is smart. Well, that’s my own translation of it. So, will you listen to me?”

Kevin nodded again.

Tom spoke softly to Kevin. “Did you know that God is absolutely crazy about you, Kevin? Did you know that He thinks that you are awesome? Kevin, you were so important to God that He gave His Son to die for you and He’s got bigger plans for you still to come.”

Kevin wiped his face. “When, Tom?”

Tom smiled again. “Don’t know for sure, buddy. But you’d better get ready, because God is waiting on you to get some stuff straight with Him so He can bless you big time.”

A hint of a smile came across Kevin’s face. “You think so?”

Tom helped Kevin up from the ground. “I’ll bet that bucket of tomatoes that God has a big plan for a hot rod like you!”

For the first time in weeks, Kevin laughed.
(Brian H)

Action Point
People hurt. There’s no two ways about it. At some point in your life, you will be one of the hurting ones. But, with God’s help, at some point in your life, you will also be one of the helping ones. Have you found yourself just getting tired of being around people? You know what I mean. You get tired of grumpy and grouchy people that honk at you in the parking lot or that grumble at you when you’re taking too long in the checkout line. Let’s face it, people can aggravate us to no end. But, why are they that way? Have you ever thought that the guy that’s yelling at you out the window of his car may have just lost his job?

God loves people. There’s no two ways about it. If you’re breathing, then God loves you. Today, look for an opportunity to douse somebody’s anxiety with a good bucket full of love by way of a few kind words. You don’t have to preach to them. Just give them a good word, a very quick proverb with no strings attached, or just a friendly hand on a slumped shoulder. Our world if full of anxious people that are teetering on the brink of depression. A good word can make their heart glad.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
A wooden box made out of 2 X 4s with clear plastic over the top makes a great winter grow box. You can raise lettuce, radishes, and onions in a box like this to enjoy a great garden salad during the winter.

Bible Study Verse
Proverbs 12:11-12
He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. The wicked covet the catch of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit. (NKJV)

Thoughts
Kevin smirked as he leaned up against his fifty thousand dollar sports car. His neighbor, Tom, was sitting on the tailgate of his worn-out pickup truck filing a hoe that he used in his garden. Pushing his sun-glasses back up his nose with one finger, Kevin sauntered over to Tom. “When are you going to give this garbage up? You’re out here every day sweating, working, and for what? A bucket of tomatoes? I’ve got a sweet deal about to go down at work. Sure, it’s a little shady. But, I’m going to earn enough this month to buy all of the tomatoes in this state!” With that he headed back to his car. He revved the engine and tore out down the road with radio thumping.

Tom smiled, shook his head, and kept filing the old hoe.

That very afternoon, Kevin rang the doorbell of Tom’s house. He was clearly broken as tears ran down his face. “It’s over, Tom. My boss found out about my big deal. He said that he didn’t do business that way and he fired me. Now, on top of that, the other company is suing for my actions. I guess you were right all along, Tom.”

Tom placed a big calloused hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “The Bible says that we don’t have any understanding if we follow frivolous things, Kevin.”

Kevin was quiet for a minute. “Tom, how can I learn to be more like you and less like the jerk that I’ve been?”

Tom smiled again and handed Kevin a hoe.
(Brian H)

Action Point
Attention! Attention! This is a call to work and a call to live in righteousness! Just picture the writer of the Proverbs standing up on a hill overlooking the city. He clears his throat, cups his hands, and shouts out that line. Now, that’s probably not how this proverb was written. But, no doubt, I have your attention now. Have you noticed a theme in the evening news over the last few years? I have seen two things:

* How can I get more money or things?
* If what I’m doing is wrong, I just need to change the rules so it is now right?

I can’t think of any attitudes that are more contrary to the above mentioned verses! You can always find a clear contrast between worldly thoughts and what God has to say. You’ve seen the two themes of the world above. Now let’s state those thoughts as God did in His Word:

* Wealth is not evil, but you have to work for it.
* The Bible is ultimate truth. Align yourself with it and live in righteousness.

Now compare and contrast those statements. Mull them over in your mind. Does your life square up with the Bible, which is ultimate truth? Do you work for your wants and needs or are you looking for a get-rich- quick scheme? Are you living in righteousness? Read the entire chapter of Proverbs 12. The root of the righteous yields fruit. There is life and no death.
(To be continued. . .)

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
Even if you don’t have a place to put a garden, you can fill some five-gallon buckets with soil and plant tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. You should be able to raise enough vegetables to supply your table for the summer. Yes, it’s a little extra work, but it’s a blessing that you don’t need to miss out on!

Bible Study Verse
Romans 5:3-8
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (TNIV)

Thoughts
This fall held one the most challenging trips we had taken. Nothing was going right. The weather was nightmarish, the deer weren’t moving like expected, and we had tried various locations while moving to three different motels. We weren’t seeing hardly any deer, let alone the big ones we had gone there for. Yet at any point the rut could change, so we kept getting up at 5 in the morning and hunting the whole day. Finally after six days, someone flipped the switch. I harvested a really nice 10 point.

I’m sure you can think of challenging times you have had in the field or on the water. You wanted to give up, yet kept at it, and your perseverance was rewarded. Sometimes in life we want to give up due to circumstances, yet we are reminded of all Jesus has done for us. We have something to hope for, no matter what is happening at the current time.
(Ross G)

Action Point
Putting your faith and trust in Jesus is easy to do when things are going well. Use the challenging times to develop your character and to remember the love Jesus has for you. It’s the tough times that will strengthen your faith in Him.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
Have a backup plan. On this trip, we had several. Sometimes when things aren’t going like you hoped having other options will be enough to keep your spirits up. Planning for the unexpected can keep you in the field instead of encouraging you to head home.

Bible Study Verse
Proverbs 30:2-3
“I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man’s understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.” (NIV)

Thoughts
Years ago I read Robert Ruark’s The Old Man and The Boy. The story is about a grandfather who teaches his grandson about fishing, hunting, and life in general.

While recently looking over the book again, I came across the chapter, “X+Y to the Second Power= Bluefish.” In that chapter, Ruark writes about the old man telling his grandson about knowledge:

“Bear this in mind. Knowledge is an accumulation, like a pack rat hides things. Things you never knew you knew have a way of popping up later. You’re supposed to fill your skull with a lot of things, against the day when you might need one of them. And remember this too: you can’t pour a gallon of knowledge into a one-quart brain. The idea is to make the brain big enough and flexible enough to handle what it has to handle. I want to see better marks next month, or we might just find ourselves not shooting any quail this fall.”
(Tom L)

Action Point
Many Christians including myself admit that we don’t have a deep knowledge of God. This lack can cause believers to have an inconsistent walk and prayer life.

To know God is to have intimacy with Him. Knowing God is more than having ideas about Him. It involves opening our total innermost being to Him: intellect, emotion, and will. Daily reading and studying God’s Living Word will increase your knowledge and produce an intimate understanding of who God is and His unending love.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
If you enjoy reading about hunting, fishing, relationships, and are interested in the old man’s philosophy, check out the book. You can find it in print at Borders.com.

Bible Study Verse
Matt.5:13a
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.” (MSG)

Thoughts
Here’s another way to put it, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in this world. God is no secret to be kept.”

When I think back to my years growing up, I was most attracted to men like you reading this article. Sportsmen, hunters, adventurers, cowboys that rode rodeo & risked their lives, and especially if they had wall mounts of their conquests. My Christian parents worried that their maverick, rebel, and renegade ways would influence me away from Christianity, but they didn’t. Instead they opened my eyes to the God-colors of this big beautiful world and encouraged me to explore and to expand my horizons to discover all that God made available to us as men.
(Wes W)

Action Point
Most of us are dads, grandpas, uncles, employers, guides, husbands, and friends. There’re young men watching and looking for a hero. You may not think you have much of a christian testimony, but hero you do have an audience. Be “the Man,” be courageous, live the adventure, fight the battle, and win your beauty. Get the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge; it will get you started.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
Ever since my wife bought me this little point and shoot camera that fits in my shirt pocket, I’ve been noticing God-colors everywhere. God-flavors that I use to not notice.

Bible Study Verse
John 9:25
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (NIV)

Thoughts
The year? 1976. The tag? Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep in Hunt Unit 40A. In Arizona you can draw a sheep tag multiple times, if you are very lucky. But, you are allowed only one kill in a life time. Needless to say, this was a very special tag.

My friends were supportive and wanted me to harvest a really good trophy ram. The problem was, I had never hunted sheep and knew nothing about the animals, especially what they looked like in the mountains. That seems funny, but it is a physiological fact that you see what your mind is looking for. But, I had never seen sheep in the wild.

So, enter my friend, Jim, a premier sheep hunter. He put me on a herd of sheep and left me there for two days, just me, my spotting scope, and those sheep. By the time Jim picked me up, I could see sheep. It was like I had been blind before, but now they suddenly stood out up there on the side of the mountain.

I did get lucky and killed a nice trophy. I’m looking at it right now on my office wall!
(Cliff S)

Action Point
We can be spiritually blind for a variety of reasons. We may have never heard of Jesus and His gift of salvation. Maybe we’ve heard, but haven’t had it explained so we can understand. It could be that we’ve listened to teaching that has blinded us to the truth of the Savior, that He is the only way to a relationship with God. For whatever reason, we might be blind to the truths of Jesus Christ.

Now, enter the Holy Spirit, perhaps through reading the Bible, through the testimony of a friend and believer, or maybe through the teaching of a local pastor or a great evangelist such as Billy Graham. However the Holy Spirit has brought the truth of Jesus into your life, suddenly you can see. You can understand your need for a Savior. You can believe in the truth that Jesus can bring into your life.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
Before any hunt, get out into the mountains and “get your eye back” by spending time with your optics looking for the animals you will be hunting. It will really help once the excitement of the hunt arrives.

Bible Study Verse
Matthew 14:31
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (HCSB)

Thoughts
Peter climbed out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus. Then the wind blew hard and his mind began to wonder and doubt. He began to sink and asked the Lord to save him. Of course, the Master of the Sea reached for Peter and saved him, then asked why he doubted.
(Bink G)

Action Point
The hard part for me would have been getting out of the boat. Can you imagine what people would say today if you stepped off the bow of your boat and tried to walk on water? Why does it take miraculous signs and wonders for us to believe in the omnipotent power of Jesus Christ?

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! If He tells you to walk on water, don’t hesitate – get your feet wet!

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
When someone steps on your boat, make sure you tell them where the life jackets are stored, just in case.

Bible Study Verse
I John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV)

Thoughts
One of our favorite wintertime activities is cross country skiing as a family. If you stay inside for too long in the winter months, a person can go buggy. Cross country provides us a cheap outlet to get out of the house and get a breath of fresh air. For us to do this, my wife and I have had to teach each of the kids how to ski.

Cross country isn’t hard once you get a little experience under your belt, but those first few lessons reinforce how easy it is to slip and fall. All it takes is being off balance a little bit and down you go.

The important part of this learning curve is, “How do I get back up?” So a quick lesson ensues getting your skis parallel while you are laying down on your side, and then using your poles to help push oneself back up. It’s a simple lesson, but if you don’t get back up, you won’t ever reach your destination.
(Dave M)

Action Point
Spiritually, everyone falls down. The key is to get back up. God designed and created you for a life of purpose. The enemy, Satan, wants to keep you down and beat up. That way you are ineffective for the kingdom of God. Sin isn’t good, but when you fall, go straight to God, ask for forgiveness, and get back up. God’s forgiveness is quick and complete – accept it and learn from your mistake(s).

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
For those of you, who live in a snowy climate, buy a roof rake to get the snow off your rooftops. Don’t go up on your roof to shovel it off – you’re inviting trouble. You do have to get the snow off though or you are looking at too much weight on the roof and potential leak problems with the ice backing up.

Bible Study Verse
Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywherein Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (NLT)

Thoughts
The two bucks started with a simple scuffle. It was nothing serious, kind of like two boys on the playground. The two young bucks continued and the fight intensified.

Soon, what I was witnessing was an all-out brawl. One deer would push and shove the other backwards. Then the second deer would grab his footing and return the favor. They pushed, twisted, and flailed until I thought they would break each other’s neck. The power displayed was enormous.

Finally, the exhausted deer broke apart and one was left alone, victorious.
(Dennis W)

Action Point
Some people love the power in cars, others seek power from their jobs, and many take power in relationships.

Power is one of the temptations that Satan used. He promised Jesus, the Creator of the entire universe, all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down and worship him.

Yet all the power we ever need for everything we face is found in the Holy Spirit. God Himself is living inside us, empowering us to live for Him. Those of us who are in Christ Jesus don’t need the power from an outside source.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
Some guys will opt for power out of the archery equipment instead of accuracy. (It is fine in the summer on the range in a t-shirt.) Be sure you aren’t pulling too much poundage out of your bow. When it comes to the moment of truth and a monster steps out in an awkward place, you must be able to draw the only weapon in your hand.

Bible Study Verse
Exodus 20:8-10
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. (NIV)

Thoughts
It happened to me during a scouting trip for deer. The day had drawn to a close and I was heading home. I decided to stop in a nearby town for a bite to eat. As I approached the intersection, I noticed a man standing on the side of the road with the usual “will work for food sign.” This is when I sometimes have a crisis in my compassion. Trying to overcome it, I stopped and asked the man what kind of work he was willing to do. I knew I could not offer him any, since I didn’t even live there. I figured if I received a legitimate offer of landscaping, roofing, etc., I would give him some money.

Although fairly young and apparently healthy, he informed me that in fact he was not willing to work and was just there to get money from passersby.
(Brett M)

Action Point
I have been a Christian for some time and thought that I knew a little about the Bible. But, do you ever have one of those days when someone reads a verse to you that you have read a million times before and suddenly it has a whole new meaning.

That happened to me with the above mentioned scripture. Reading it since I was a child, I always heard the command, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” It never dawned on me that it also said, “Six days you shall do all your work.” This is commanding not only that I keep the Sabbath holy, but that I also work six days a week. I do not believe this to mean that I have to be in the office or at the fire station six days a week. It includes performing chores around the house, volunteering, etc.

In II Thessalonians 3:10 Paul writes, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat,” (NIV). The important point here is “will not work.” It does not include those who cannot work, only those who will not work. If you like me have a crisis in your compassion, remember what God says. We need to help the many, many people right now that have been laid off from work, are willing, and are able to work, but cannot find it. They probably are not going to be standing on street corners, but are in your church or in your neighborhood.

Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
If unable to remove your entire big game animal from the field on the night you harvest, hang the savable portions in a tree at least fifty yards from the gut pile. These two precautions will help prevent meat loss from predation.