By Gary Miller
Within the next couple of weeks, just about every state will have opened their bow season for deer. These weeks are always some of the most exciting times for those of us who are anxious to get back into the tree stand after several months off. It is also the part of the season where many hunters’ goal is to add meat to the freezer. The doe are fair game and it’s good to get that first shot under your belt knowing that in a few more weeks the waiting may be longer as you look for that big buck.
Taking doe from the herd is also important for deer management. Since a tract of land can only hold so many deer, one needs to make sure the doe-to-buck ratio is healthy. And one way you can tell it’s not, is if you see doe that have no fawns. This means they are either unable to have a fawn or they have not been bred. Either way, they are simply taking up room which could be used for a more productive doe or for a buck. The comparison to cattle farmers would be like having a cow on your farm that never has a calf. It wouldn’t take long to figure out that that cow is eating grass and is not helping the farmer make money. The principle is the same and these types of doe are prime candidates for early bow season. I hope to not only put one in my freezer but also in some other folks as well.
Perhaps more than I should, I look at my own Christian life in terms like these. I simply ask myself if I am productive or just taking up space. Am I just feeding on God’s goodness and grace without ever producing something besides my spiritual fatness? Is there something to show, outside of myself, for what God has placed into my life? Am I making a positive, fruitful, and spiritual impact on the lives of others? I think all these questions are important, but I also know that, many times, they cannot be answered by me, but only by God. Only He sees the full picture and only He knows what is fully transpiring in my life right now. This means while sometimes I may feel I am not making an impact, I actually am. Or while I may think I am not going anywhere, God is actually working all around me, getting things ready for the time when He sets me down into my perfect place.
So how do I know which is right? I can know I am being all God wants me to be by getting up each morning and simply presenting myself to Him for His will and work. After that, my responsibility is over until I receive His orders. Today it may be I simply write an article. Tomorrow it may be that I speak to thousands – the next day just one. But the contentment for me will be knowing I am a fruitful member of the herd and not just feasting from the field of His blessings.
Gary Miller can be reached via e-mail at gary@outdoortruths.org.