With the Pennsylvania turkey opener just days away it is hard not to think about what the coming weekend is going to bring. We would all like to think that at first light we will hear the call of an owl followed by that unmistakable sound of gobblers begining to let loose on the roost. Shortly after that its hard not to picture an old Tom answering the soft yelps of the your slate call and slowly drumming and spitting his way into range of whatever weapon you may choose. For us hunters that live in the real world it probably goes something like this. You hit the snooze button one too many times and are rushing to get a cup of coffee down while you stumble over your boots and try and remember where you put your vest full of calls and other chaos. When you finally make it to the woods you begin to make squeaky yelps and purrs that sound like nails on a chalk board. And IF we are lucky enough to draw a nice bird into range, he hangs up just outside of range and leaves you with a morning full of what ifs.
Well maybe, just maybe this is the year that you do it all right. Maybe this is the year that you find yourself posing behind a wide open fan of beatufil feathers and long spurs telling your friends all about your perfect morning. Is that not what draws us to the woods in the first place? The thoughts of a new season and a clean slate is what keeps us coming back year after year and spending too much of our paycheck on what "Nuge" tells us is the next best thing.
Traveling from Louisiana back to my home state of Pennsylvania to hunt with my father is one of the most enjoyable things in my life. Spending time with my role model in the woods and at the cabin is time that cannot be taken lightly for these are the moments that life is all about. With todays social media it is so easy for us to get caught up in the numbers game that hunting is becoming for so many people. How many inches was the beard? What did your buck score? How many pounds was that fish you landed? Fortunately, Instagram and Twitter and Facebook cannot capture those moments that you have with the ones you love. Sure there are pictures and captions and those pointless hashtags that we all use, but in order for you to really experience the outdoors you have to get out there and completely get lost in your own thoughts and interactions with nature and all it has to offer.
So as we take to the field this weekend let's remember what it is really all about. Let's experience the outdoors the way our grandfathers did before all the social media. Maybe you will have the perfect hunt and kill the gobbler of your dreams. Maybe you will have the opportunity and miss like so many do. What ever happens this season, make it the season of your dreams.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Intro: About me
Hello readers,
My name is Clayton Rotz and I am starting this blog to share my experiences in the outdoors. Let me start by explaining why I named this blog what I did. I was born in the small town of Chambersburg, PA, located just south of the capitol city of Harrisburg. I currently reside in the southern capitol city of Baton Rouge, LA. i.e. "Mountains to Bayous". Throughout my life I have been lucky enough to travel to most of the 50 states and experience some of the best hunting and fishing that this country has to offer. I have been fortunate enough to experience everything from the majestic mountain streams of central Pennsylvania to the swamps of the Atchafalaya basin. I have hunted just about everything that the Appalachian mountains have to offer and I have had the privilege of hunting ducks and geese in some of the best waterfowl holes in the Louisiana delta. Next Friday I will be traveling to Crystal Spring, PA with my dad for the spring turkey opener. Hunting with my father is one of the great joys of my life. Our family farm is a magical place and I cannot wait to hear that first bird let loose on the roost. There is nothing quite like scratching a soft Key Key run on the slate and hearing an Ole' Tom's throaty gobble as he inches ever closer. I hope to have the privilege of a white hot turkey head in the front side here shortly. Wish me luck!
I look forward to sharing my experiences over the coming months. I hope that you enjoy and will share some of yours with me. Stay tuned.
Good Hunting.
My name is Clayton Rotz and I am starting this blog to share my experiences in the outdoors. Let me start by explaining why I named this blog what I did. I was born in the small town of Chambersburg, PA, located just south of the capitol city of Harrisburg. I currently reside in the southern capitol city of Baton Rouge, LA. i.e. "Mountains to Bayous". Throughout my life I have been lucky enough to travel to most of the 50 states and experience some of the best hunting and fishing that this country has to offer. I have been fortunate enough to experience everything from the majestic mountain streams of central Pennsylvania to the swamps of the Atchafalaya basin. I have hunted just about everything that the Appalachian mountains have to offer and I have had the privilege of hunting ducks and geese in some of the best waterfowl holes in the Louisiana delta. Next Friday I will be traveling to Crystal Spring, PA with my dad for the spring turkey opener. Hunting with my father is one of the great joys of my life. Our family farm is a magical place and I cannot wait to hear that first bird let loose on the roost. There is nothing quite like scratching a soft Key Key run on the slate and hearing an Ole' Tom's throaty gobble as he inches ever closer. I hope to have the privilege of a white hot turkey head in the front side here shortly. Wish me luck!
I look forward to sharing my experiences over the coming months. I hope that you enjoy and will share some of yours with me. Stay tuned.
Good Hunting.
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