I Haven’t Got Time For Patience
August 8, 2008 by Tom Sorenson
As someone who hunts, it would seem that patience would be one of my better traits - after all what better way is there to exercise patience than sitting on an elk wallow amid swarms of flies in ninety degree heat while waiting for the master of the woods to make a cameo?
However, I found out this past week that patience is far from my best trait. I’d been working away from home on a borrowed laptop that was running very slowly - I mean it crawled! After hours of frustration and a huge lack of productivity, my wife noticed that my always cheerful disposition had turned slightly less cheerful. She might have stated it a little differently than that, but that’s not what is important in this story. What is important is that I was beggining to see that somewhere along the line, I missed out on the patience lecture provided at the local elk wallow.
You see, while sitting on a wallow and waiting for that majestic elk would seem like a test of patience to some, I’ve never thought of it as such and so I guess that’s why I missed that lesson. I’ve always thought of it as being a great way to spend a morning, and a time to observe and think. This year, I’m going to have the opportunity to hunt an animal that I’ve never hunted before, and as we leave to scout the area this morning, I realize that this animal will test my patience like none before. I drew an archery tag for antelope.
I’ve been on tough hunts before - I’ve hiked tough country and been places I shouldn’t have been with daylight fading fast. I’ve been hungry, tired, and sore to every piece of fiber in my body. But, I’ve never tried spending ten hours in a blind with 100 degree Eastern Oregon heat beating down on me. This will be a different kind of tough and I know I’m either going to learn all about patience or I’m going home empty handed. I think it’s time for this guy to head to the place of higher learning.
Good luck with the antelope hunt. I have some relatives who go west every year and hunt them, and they say it is definitely a challenge. I personally won’t hunt them, because I hate how they taste.
Good luck when you head out though.
Good luck with your hunt!
Patience has never been my strong point. I always say instant gratification takes too long. Still, over time, I have learned to be more patient and Zen about things. Life has a way of teaching you the lessons you need to learn. My guess is your lesson in patience may be taught by an antelope.
Here’s wishing you the patience you might need in order to reach the ultimate goal of your hunt - the antelope.
I never thought of it this way, but it’s true - I am eminently patient in the field, but wildly impatient in front of a computer and on the phone.
I envy you on the antelope tag - my boyfriend brought home some antelope last year after hunting in Wyoming, and I think it is now my favorite red meat - incredibly tender and delicious. Hunt well!
Sitting in a blind at a waterhole for antelope is one of the most patience-testing things I’ve ever done, yet I do it every year. Good luck on your hunt.
ah Patience… it will be well worth the effort to be patient if you come home with an antelope!