Average Joe Hunting Adventures with Dan and CJ

You fellas had an unbelievable 2017 season, your hard work, dedication and time away from your families was rewarded big time with some great animals. I'm proud I served in the same service as you, and getting to know you guys have been a blessing!!!! I know the work never stops so enjoy what downtime you guys do have, I will be in the woods looking for some sheds and improving my lands for this next fall!!!! I look forward to the 2018 season!!

Thanks for following along this year and it’s been a pleasure getting to know you.
I look forward to seeing some of the sheds you find and the improvements you make to the property this year. 2018 is going to be great for everyone!
 
I've written, deleted and re-written this summary at least 15 times by now. I've been trying to narrow down how this season was so special, and give some personal thoughts about life and hunting. You can take it however you want. Unlike most of my posts, I'm going to keep my summary relatively short.

I feel as though the thread does a good job of showing how I feel about the season, but in case you didn't catch the drift... the word is "blessed." And I'm not referring to the animals I was lucky enough to kill this year. I'm blessed because I am able to hunt. I'm blessed because I have a wife who supports my passion. I'm blessed because I have 2 healthy children to share my passion with throughout the future. I'm blessed to have amazing friends and a fantastic community of hunters not only on this forum but everywhere I've been this season. The mix of solitude and people are what made my 2017 season one I can honestly say has changed me.

I spent a lot of time in the field alone this season, and I will always appreciate solitude. There was a moment from early last summer that set the tone for my entire season. As I was walking out the door for a quick scouting trip, my wife said, "enjoy your solitude." She didn't say it in any special way, and I honestly didn't really think much about it at the time. But two words kept ringing in my head all throughout the season.

Enjoy... Solitude.

I believe solitude is a key ingredient to maintaining my sanity and it gives me the time to know who and what I stand for. The Norwegian explorer, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Fridtjof Nansen explained it better than I can when he said, "The first great thing is to find yourself and for that you need solitude and contemplation - at least sometimes. I can tell you deliverance will not come from the rushing noisy centers of civilization. It will come from the lonely places."

I don't think you can enjoy civilization without having spent some time in solitude, and vice versa. My time in solitude made the times I spent with other people much more meaningful. I had some very special moments in the field with great people this season, and I couldn't be more thankful for all of it. But did I "enjoy" it? Of course! How could you not? :)

Lastly, I believe the best motivation is self-motivation, and my hope for this thread is that maybe, just maybe, someone who's made it this far might find some self-motivation to do something they otherwise wouldn't have. Though ironic, and possibly hypocritical considering we just did a long thread about our seasons, I don't believe anyone should try to compare themselves or create standards for themselves based anything they see on social media or other outlets. Be yourself, set your own goals and standards, challenge yourself, be uncomfortable, always improve, and most importantly enjoy your time in the field.

I look forward to what 2018 has in store, and I'll do my best to share it with you as honestly as possible. Good luck to everyone in the draws, and THANK YOU for following along.

~CJ
 
Awesome Post and well said!!!!

I've written, deleted and re-written this summary at least 15 times by now. I've been trying to narrow down how this season was so special, and give some personal thoughts about life and hunting. You can take it however you want. Unlike most of my posts, I'm going to keep my summary relatively short.

I feel as though the thread does a good job of showing how I feel about the season, but in case you didn't catch the drift... the word is "blessed." And I'm not referring to the animals I was lucky enough to kill this year. I'm blessed because I am able to hunt. I'm blessed because I have a wife who supports my passion. I'm blessed because I have 2 healthy children to share my passion with throughout the future. I'm blessed to have amazing friends and a fantastic community of hunters not only on this forum but everywhere I've been this season. The mix of solitude and people are what made my 2017 season one I can honestly say has changed me.

I spent a lot of time in the field alone this season, and I will always appreciate solitude. There was a moment from early last summer that set the tone for my entire season. As I was walking out the door for a quick scouting trip, my wife said, "enjoy your solitude." She didn't say it in any special way, and I honestly didn't really think much about it at the time. But two words kept ringing in my head all throughout the season.

Enjoy... Solitude.

I believe solitude is a key ingredient to maintaining my sanity and it gives me the time to know who and what I stand for. The Norwegian explorer, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Fridtjof Nansen explained it better than I can when he said, "The first great thing is to find yourself and for that you need solitude and contemplation - at least sometimes. I can tell you deliverance will not come from the rushing noisy centers of civilization. It will come from the lonely places."

I don't think you can enjoy civilization without having spent some time in solitude, and vice versa. My time in solitude made the times I spent with other people much more meaningful. I had some very special moments in the field with great people this season, and I couldn't be more thankful for all of it. But did I "enjoy" it? Of course! How could you not? :)

Lastly, I believe the best motivation is self-motivation, and my hope for this thread is that maybe, just maybe, someone who's made it this far might find some self-motivation to do something they otherwise wouldn't have. Though ironic, and possibly hypocritical considering we just did a long thread about our seasons, I don't believe anyone should try to compare themselves or create standards for themselves based anything they see on social media or other outlets. Be yourself, set your own goals and standards, challenge yourself, be uncomfortable, always improve, and most importantly enjoy your time in the field.

I look forward to what 2018 has in store, and I'll do my best to share it with you as honestly as possible. Good luck to everyone in the draws, and THANK YOU for following along.

~CJ
 
Just a little preview for the upcoming season.... but CJ and I have NM elk tags.... :D
 
I just found this thread and Finally finished it after a few hours. I can say with out a doubt it has been my favorite thread. Me and a buddy are about to start hunting our third state and this really got me motivated to try and go to as many places I can. Thanks for sharing!
 
I just found this thread and Finally finished it after a few hours. I can say with out a doubt it has been my favorite thread. Me and a buddy are about to start hunting our third state and this really got me motivated to try and go to as many places I can. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for taking the time to read it Taylor13!
Good luck to you and your buddy this season, we look forward to seeing your stories!
 
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