The vast majority of big game hunters are rifle hunters. Some states only allow hunters to use shotguns, but those hunters would also probably be rifle hunters if they could. In Texas, the typical rifle hunter hunts in a wood or fiberglass box blind (either ground or elevated) or a tripod that is set up about 100 yards from a feeder. Most of the time a hunter that is that far away from his or her feeder is not very concerned about the wind, making noise or his or her smell or camo. If we’re honest, the steady rests that box blinds and many tripods offer make bringing home the bacon much easier than shooting from standing, kneeling, or sitting positions outside of such stands.
However, there is a small percentage of hunters who leave the comfort, warmth, weather resistance, and security of their box blinds to get in close to their prey. They also use different tools in the pursuit of their passion. We call them bow and buckshot hunters.
These hunters are a different breed. They stalk hunt or hunt from trees, tripods, ladder stands, or pop-up blinds only 20 yards from their feeders. They take the time to become invisible to their prey’s defenses of sight, smell, and hearing. They completely cover themselves in camo that matches the foliage to the degree possible. They position their blinds to take advantage of the prevailing wind direction. They buy clothing with “activated charcoal” and rubber-soled boots to eliminate their scents and store them in large zip-locked bags. They take showers with no scent soap and apply no scent deodorant. They spray themselves liberally with scent elimination spray. They wear fleece clothing in order to reduce noise and painstakingly make their bows as free of noise as possible by adding string silencers, vibration eliminators, and felt around their arrow rests.
Bow hunters in particular have to practice to a much greater degree than rifle or shotgun hunters. Most of us can put our rifles up in January and then take them out the following November and do fine without any practice. Bow hunters don’t have that luxury. Shooting a bow is much harder than shooting a rifle. A bow hunter must gauge the correct distance to the target and the wind, keep his or her bow arm straight, draw back the arrow as quietly as possible, anchor the nock of the arrow to the corner of his or her lip, have a clean release, and then follow through. A bow hunter must practice throughout the year if he or she is to be successful.
Most of this is true (except the practice part) of hunters who hunt with shotguns with buckshot or hunters who stalk, regardless of their weapons. In short, up close hunting is much more challenging than hunting from a distance.
The challenge is a primary reason why men and women hunt up close. Other reasons include it is more exhilarating (the adrenalin rush); fulfilling (harvesting game against greater odds than rifle hunting), and the increased knowledge that you receive when you are close enough to hear and smell your prey.
The first time that I was close enough to game to smell it was during the 3/23/95 - 3/24/95 FCS Hog Hunt at the Brush Country Bowhunting Ranch near Sabinal (our first archery only hog hunt). On Saturday morning Eddy Chance, Larry Dowden, Ken Farmer, and I did a group stalk in a 40-acre hog pen (the hogs could enter the pen but could not leave it). We chased a medium sized black hog for over an hour. While we were chasing the black hog, a reddish hog bolted and ran the opposite direction that we were heading. We ignored it because the black hog that we were chasing was larger. Ken hit the black hog in the head but the arrow bounced off of its thick skull.
As Eddy was walking by a tank he was startled to see the snout of the black hog sticking out of the water like the periscope of a submarine. Eddy scared the hog out of the tank and then put an arrow through both lungs.
While Eddy was field dressing his hog the rest of us started to chase the red hog. We chased it for an hour without an arrow being loosed. Eddy rejoined us after he finished dressing his hog. Larry, Ken, and I positioned ourselves along a path that ran across the pen. Eddy then went to where we thought that the hog was and yelled and beat the brush with a big stick, in hopes of scaring the hog towards us. But no hog came out.
Eddy and Larry thought that the hog had snuck past us but Ken and I weren’t convinced. We stalked side by side, towards where we thought that it had gone. As we neared a large cedar tree, we suddenly smelled it! It was that musty, rancid smell that only boars exude. Ken went to the right and I went to the left. Suddenly the boar burst from beneath the cedar tree and ran right in front of me, about five yards away. I didn't have time to aim; all that I had time to do was to pull my arrow back and let it fly. I watched as the arrow sailed harmlessly just over the hog’s back and stuck into the ground.
We decided that we weren’t going to get a decent shot at that hog that morning, and we also needed to get Eddy’s hog on ice, so we went back to camp.
God wants our relationship to Him to be like bow, buckshot, and stalk hunting – up close. He doesn’t want us to know Him from a distance. He doesn’t want us just to believe in him. James wrote in 2:19, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” That’s right the demons believe in God, but they certainly aren’t saved. Belief is not enough. James wrote in 4:8a, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” God will not draw near to us by accident. We must, through a conscious act of our will, draw near to Him. Then He will draw near to us. We have to be the initiator. The author of Hebrews wrote in 10:19-22, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” We must draw near to God with a sincere heart through faith.
Some of the many advantages of being in close to God include:
We hear His voice
When we hear God’s voice, we can discern His will for our lives. Isaiah wrote in 28:23, “Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.” Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” We know that we know that we know that we know where our eternal destination will be.
We become imitators of Him
Paul told the Ephesians in 5:2, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
We learn to forgive
Paul also instructed the Ephesians in 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
We have a proper perspective on trails
James wrote in 1:12, "
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”We live a worry-free life
Paul told the Philippians in 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
We are intimate with Him
Job wrote in 29:4, "Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house."
We just don’t know about Him – we know Him! Those of us who are married don’t just know about our spouse – we know that person intimately. The same is true of intimacy with God. If we only encounter Him at Christmas and Easter, He is not going to know us and we are not going to know Him.Some of the many ways to draw near to God include:
Die to self
We must surrender our wills totally to him and allow him to be the Lord of our lives. Paul proclaimed to the Galatians in 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We cannot get close to God until we die to self.
Seek Him
Jeremiah wrote in 29:12-13, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find (Me) when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” We find Him when we seek Him.
Worship Him
We should have an attitude of worship. We should worship Him at every opportunity and everywhere we go. Pretty churches are not the only places where we can worship God. Some of my best worship experiences have been in some pretty ugly deer blinds. We need to be like the wise men, who asked in Matthew 2:2, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him." Jesus made some clear statements concerning worship. During His encounter with Satan in the wilderness He said in Matthew 4:10, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" He said in John 4:23, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” The author of Hebrews also did not mince words. He said in 12:28, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
Pray
For many of us prayer is a last resort – when all else has failed. But prayer is not a “get out of jail free card” (such as are found in “Monopoly”). God wants us to talk to Him about the little things as well as the big things. Paul told the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASV) to “Pray without ceasing.” One of my favorite of the dozens of verses on prayer is 2 Chronicles 7:14, which states, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The Lord Jesus prayed; many times for long periods of time. We should follow his example. Prayer unlocks the power of God.
Read, study, and hide His word in your heart
Psalms 119:9 states, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.” How can we live according to God’s word if we don’t know what that Word says? John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’’ (John 1:1). The Bible is not just a history book filled with good advice. It is the “word of life” (Philippians 2:16a) and it is God in written form. It is the way to find success. Joshua 1:8 states, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” It exposes us for who we really are. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Psalms 119:11 states, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” There have been many, many times when I have been tempted to sin and remembering a passage from God’s word kept me from doing so. You just never know when you’re going to need God’s word. Many times when you need it the most your Bible is nowhere near. Hiding God’s word in your heart ensures that you will always have His word near.
Obey Him
The Old Testament is filled with commands to obey God. We are told in 1 Samuel 15:22, “But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” God told Moses on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19:5a to tell the children of Israel, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession...” Jeremiah commanded the Israelites in 7:22-23, "For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.”
The New Testament is based on God’s grace, instead of obedience to the law. However, we are still told to obey. The last recorded words of Jesus (in Matthew 28:19-20) were, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This was not His only statement on obedience. Luke wrote in 11:27-28, “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” In John 14:15, Phillip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father. Jesus replied, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Jesus continued in 14:21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” Judas then asked Jesus a question about showing himself to the world. John recorded Jesus' answer in 14:23, “Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” By obeying His commands, we stay in His love. Jesus said in John 15:10, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.” When we are obedient to God's commands, He will respond by revealing more of His will to us.
Serve Him and others
Paul told the Romans in 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” Offering ourselves to God is an act of worship! Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 6:13, “Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.” Jesus said in Matthew 20:26-28a (NLT), “But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others...” Paul instructed the Galatians in 5:13, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”
Getting in close to God requires us to get out of our comfort zone, change our behavior, become more dedicated and passionate, and to persevere. But when we get close to God the rewards are great. If you know God only from a distance, I encourage you to draw near to Him. When we get close to Him, we are able to harvest life’s greatest trophy - the indescribable joy of a Christ-filled life.