Family, Friends and the Outdoors

Bill Jordan's motto is one that rings true with every hardcore hunter. The combination of camaraderie and creation is a luring characteristic of this wonderful sport. Granted it's always exhilarating to hear a thundering gobble, be within bow range of a giant buck or have a flock of teal buzz past your blind at 70mph, but that's all just icing on the cake to what truly makes hunting such an enjoyable sport.

I've had the wonderful opportunity the last three weekends to spend time in the deer woods with family and friends. And it's given me a renewed appreciation for this passion. Halloween weekend I met up with a friend that I met just this past fall and taped him on a Sat eve/Sun morning hunt in North Mo. We were on public land and never saw a single deer, but I had such a blast spending time in the woods with him and his buddy and witnessing amazing weather and beauty.

The first weekend in November, I traveled back to my folk's place and went out with my brother for another Sat eve/Sun morning run. Saturday night we were fortunate enough to see a flock of turkeys going to roost, but no deer showed up. That was still probably one of the funnest hunts I've been on with my brother though. We laughed and joked around and had a great time together sitting in a tree. Sunday morning we witnessed a beautiful fog/frost, heard and watched about 20 turkeys come off the roost and were fortunate enough to harvest a nice mature doe, capturing it all on camera - and we made it to church on time!!!

My brother Cooper was fortunate enough to
harvest this mature doe and get the shot on camera.
I'm so glad I was able to experience it with him!

This last weekend I made the trek to NE Kansas (not really a trek, only 3 1/2 hrs) to sit in a tree with my cousin bowhunting. Unfortunately deer sightings were at a minimum and I only saw one myself, but was unable to get him on camera. We faced unseasonably warm temperatures and incredible gusts Saturday and literally almost froze our toes off Sunday afternoon. We sat from just about 1:30 til almost 6 and experienced cutting winds and what felt like freezing temperatures. At more than 20 feet up a tree I broke three records: my longest sit in a deer stand, my longest time holding in liquids (I finally used the bottle when I started doing the potty dance!) and the coldest I have ever been!!! To say the least it was an unpleasant afternoon, but I got to spend some awesome quality time with my cousin and witness some beautiful Kansas country.

As we sat perched in that tree overlooking a beautiful pond and surrounded by massive trees and draws, I told my cousin there was nothing quite like sitting in a deer stand. He replied saying that was one of the things he loved most about hunting, was that it was one of the few sports that revered God by glorifying nature and creation. The sunrises, sunsets, towering oaks and passing clouds make for a beautiful panorama that only God could create. Being able to experience that is truly a blessing from above.

The big Kansas bucks didn't show themselves,
but my cousin Brady and I braced extremes of unpleasant weather and enjoyed a great weekend in the stand together!!!

Hunting for me is a passion. I love nothing more than chasing gobbling turkeys and watching flocks of ducks and geese funnel into a decoy spread. The crisp stillness of an April morning and the warmth of a November sunrise fill me with excitement and desire. And of course nothing makes my heart race more than hearing the words "Take 'Em!!!"

But what really drives me to love this sport is simple: Family. Friends. And God's Great Outdoors.

Seeing God's handiwork displayed in creation is utterly breathtaking sometimes.
Although I tend to get bored sitting in a deerstand,
being able to witness this beauty is incredible!

Until next time, you can find me off the beaten path and ridin for the brand!!!

Livin' and Learnin'!!!

Hillsides covered with cattle is a common sight in the
Flinthills of East Central and Southeast Kansas

One of my favorite things about my job is the opportunity to travel a four state area, meet new people and learn about different sectors of agriculture. This week I spent three days in Kansas taking pictures of newly acquired company locations, a soil sampling crew and a large cattle backgrounding operation. As I traversed through Emporia, KS and headed southeast to Pittsburg, I rolled through the beautiful flinthills and was in awe of the continuous miles of rolling grass and cattle dotting the landscape. One stretch of road led me across an ENORMOUS plateau that provided a view of literally thousands of acres of grass, hay bales, lakes and the prettiest sunset imaginable. All I could think as I drove across the endless pastures and prairies was that our Creator delights in pleasuring us with beauty.

Miles upon miles of grassy hills, lakes and occasional creek draws
provide for breathtaking views!!!!

As the sun sets in Southeast Kansas, I am so thankful for the creation God
has provided for us to delight in and the land He gives us to care for and manage

Riding a 4 wheeler over hundreds of acres to collect soil samples
is quite entertaining and enjoyable, despite the monotony of the job

To wrap up the trip, I visited a large cattle backgrounding operation near Hepler, KS and was joined by a co-worker to conduct a photo & video shoot and interview for the magazine. In what has been one of the worst drought years in decades, this backgrounder was able to INCREASE his stocking rate to over two head per acre due to his forage nutrient plan and working with the present fescue grass to maximize production. It was incredible to see the pastures covering his 2,000 acres which provided grazing for 3,000 head of cattle each year. At the end of the video interview, this producer commented that what he loved most about his operation was running calves on grass and grain supplement just one week after weaning and experiencing little stress and sickness because they were content and doing what they were made to do - converting grass into gain.
Following our visit, we were taken for a roadside tour to view neighboring backgrounding operations, including a 7,000 acre ranch that grazed over 15,000 head of cattle this last year and had the goal of running 30,000 head a year in the future. I must say seeing a 1,900 acre section of land in one fenced piece as part of this ranch was truly a sight to behold.

Receiving pens of a small backgrounding operation in Southeast Kansas.
And by small I'm talking a couple thousand head of cattle grazed and sold each year!

 I consider a great joy and honor to meet and witness the people and operations that contribute to our food supply and learn even more about the greatest industry in the nation!!!


Until next time, you can find me off the beaten path and ridin' for the brand!!!

A Luxurious Life

The other night I decided to work with one of my horses and do some fundamental practice with neck reining, developing gaits, giving to leg pressure, and other riding attributes. She was already broke and very gentle-knew how to take cues and respond to handling, but just needed some time to get her polished. As I finished up my workout with her, I proceeded to take her out to the small pasture behind our house and just ride around for fun. After making a couple laps around the 15 acres or so, I stopped her on the rise in the pasture and sat there for a while. The sun was easing it's way closer to the horizon on my left, glowing more and more each minute and casting it reflective shade on the nearby trees and grass. A herd of cattle were peacefully grazing to my right, enjoying the cooler weather of the evening. And ahead of me was our pond, with still waters, spotted by shadows of trees along its edge. As I sat there, the slight breeze circled my head and birds whistled back in the trees and brush. I was at that moment so thankful for the wonderful creation around me and the opportunity to be amidst the beauty while sitting atop my horse. I simply relished the moment and thanked God for the blessings of not only the sights and sounds around me, but the opportunity to experience these wonderful things by living in the country.

I count it not only a blessing, but a privilege to call the county line gravel road my home. It is truly rewarding and enjoyable to work off the land and reap the benefits of the country life. Throughout the seasons, in rainy weather and in drought, through snow, mud, ice and floods, there is something remarkable about being surrounded by nature and livestock. Whether it's driving through the cows on a summer evening, riding your horse down a gravel road, plowing up a field for springtime planting or sitting in the combine cab looking across a field of 7 foot tall corn, the sights, sounds, and smells of the backroads and fields can never be replicated or replaced.
It is an honor to provide beef for the people of this nation and the world and it's reassuring to know your neighbor will always be someone you can turn to for a helping hand.
In visiting with a friend yesterday, we discussed how it would be for a city dweller to spend a week in the country. Would they enjoy the experience or despise it? Would it be challenging for them to be 15 miles from the closest gas station and 30 minutes from a McDonalds or Walmart? Would they learn the different lifestyle or would it be too much out of their comfort zone to even adapt? Granted, there are folks who simply cannot leave the city and have to be surrounded by people, cars, noise and business. But how would their view change if they took a drive down a backwoods gravel road and spent of the evening on the back porch watching the dogs play, enjoying the beautiful sunset and listening to coyotes howl at dusk?
Too many times I think we take for granted where God places us and what blessings we receive by living in the country. There really is something to be said for, pardon the redneck context, being able to walk in the backyard in your pajamas!
I hope I never have to submit myself to living within city limits, but that God allows me to plant my roots in the back 40, thirty minutes from Walmart and Sonic, surrounded by good, faithful neighbors and a scenic backyard view of the cows.

So what do you enjoy most about the country? What blessings do you derive out of the lifestyle of the gravel road residence? And what kind of experience do you think our friends in the city would have if they spent a week as your pickup truck passenger and right man farm hand?

Until next time, you'll find me off the beaten path and ridin for the brand!