Our New Study is Proverbs!

Men, come on Tuesday night at 6:30 in our continuing study of Proverbs.  We are studying it as it applies to our lives and the world we live in.

See you there!

Our New Study Starting in January of 2013 - Boundaries in Marriage

Colonial Outdoors group will be studying Boundaries in Marriage.
 
According to the publisher:

Only when you and your mate know and respect each other's needs, choices, and freedom can you give yourselves freely and lovingly to one another. Boundaries in Marriage gives you the tools you need. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, counselors and authors of the award-winning bestseller Boundaries, show you how to apply the principles of boundaries to your marriage. This book helps you understand the friction points or serious hurts and betrayals in your marriage -- and move beyond them to the mutual care, respect, affirmation, and intimacy you both long for.

Please come one and all (men) for fellowship, learning and studying God's word.

Pete Valentine, Exceptional Gunsmilth.....One of our own

Having known Pete, I knew he was a gunsmith.  I even knew that his current employer gave him his own workshop as he knew Pete's skills.   I didn't put it together until I read this article.

He's a pretty talented guy and a man of God.

Chasing the Goose, Our New Men's Study

We are working our way through Chasing the Goose by Mark Batterson.  It is a convicting book about reclaiming the adventure or living a spirit led life.  Come and join us on Tuesday nights if you are an outdoorsman or just need a new men's group.

Here is a review by someone who attended his book opening:

Mark’s second book which releases on Tuesday August 19, answered my questions and challenged me even more than his message did back in July. Mark states, “In Wild Goose Chase, I want to take it a step further and show you how all of life becomes a grand adventure when we chase trackless, matchless Goose of heaven.” (pg. 10) Mark does exactly that.
The book, named from a Celtic Christian term for the Holy Spirit-the wild goose, takes readers on a excellent journey through the snares that hold us back from living the life of adventure that God intends for us. In review, the book is divided into what Mark would call the six cages that hold us back from living the life that God destined for us to live:

1. Cage of responsibility
2. Cage of routine
3. Cage of assumptions
4. Cage of guilt
5. Cage of failure
6. Cage of fear

What I enjoyed the most about Mark’s book is the fact that he breaks each chapter in to easily identifiable sections, though appropriately named, they were easy to follow and see repeat throughout the book:

• What each cage looks like in our lives
• A Biblical example of each cage
• What each cage can keep you from
• Examples of people living outside of that particular cage
• Challenging thoughts & questions to try and motivate you to move out from the cage or how that particular cage might be affecting you

This simple format will help anyone and everyone identify what areas of their life they are living in cages. As I finished the book I know that I could identify with two cages that I struggle with on a day to day basis.
In life a lot of us are chasing after a lot of things, some very noble and worth our time, but most of us if we admit it are not chasing after the things that matter, the things worthy of Christ-like effort. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day challenged readers to get after it, Wild Goose Chase follows that up and helps readers to understand some of the things in life that might be holding them back from being what we are destined to be.
I would challenge you to get a copy of Mark’s book. While reading it I would take the time to ask yourself exactly what is holding you back from living the authentic adventure that God wants for you. It is one thing to get after it, but it is another thing to chase down the things in life that really matter. Ask yourself the hard questions and be honest in your answers. I think that you will find that when you do, you will discover that what you have been chasing was not really worth it in the first place. As Mark would state, “Every other chase but the Wild Goose chase will leave you feeling empty. Every other chase will leave you with a gnawing feeling that something is still missing.” (pg. 167)
“But the good news is this: you are only one Wild Goose chase away from the spiritual adventure God has destined for you.” (pg. 11)

Calling All Women Who Love the Outdoors

The Women of Colonial are starting an outdoors ministry similar to Colonial Outdoors for men.  There are a lot of women who are introduced to hunting, fishing and the outdoors through their families just as the men were.

They will have bible related studies and activities as part of their ministries and are looking for members to join.

Please contact Kendall Haire at klhaire@yahoo.com to join or go to the website at this link to find out more.

Dan Lowery, Military and Vintage Gun Collector and Merchant

At Colonial Outdoors, each man has his own special talent and area of interest.  Dan started collecting guns about 30 years ago.

It started when he went to an auction in Tennessee.  Once the auction was over, Dan approached one of the vendors about a specific gun.  At that time, he knew very little about old guns including this one.

It turned out to be a single shot Remington Rolling Block rifle. At the time, that was all he knew about it.  Dan offered $100 and the dealer accepted.  Thus began a new career.

A few weeks later, Dan took the gun to a friend who was knowledgeable about old military guns.  The friend looked at the rifle and said that it appeared to be a very unusual caliber.

After conducting a bore cast on the gun and researching it's background, they found that the rifle was used to test the Berdian Carbine cartridge for the US Military.

To make a long story short, a few months later Dan took it to a gun show in Raleigh and showed it to another friend who collected and sold antique military guns.  During their conversation, another dealer walked by and spend several minutes looking at the gun and shell casting, then asked Dan if it was for sale.

Having no idea at the time what it was worth, Dan told him that he had no plans to sell it at the time.  The dealer said that if he decided to sell it, he was willing to pay $1500.  Having only paid $100 originally, the offer 15 times the buying price seemed attractive and Dan was ready to sell.  At that point, Dan's informed friend motioned NO, so no sale was made.

Later, the dealer friend who cautioned Dan not to sell appraised the gun at well over $2500.  Since then, Dan has received offers over $3500 for this rifle, but Dan still has it in his collection.

It was this chain of events that threw the wheels of commerce into motion and Dan officially became a buyer and seller of antiques Guns and does at least nine to ten shows a year in North Carolina, with one venture outside of the state at the Antique Military Show in Baltimore.

Dan is a godly man and a brother at our Colonial Outdoors Men's group.  A Bible study for outdoorsmen who's mission is to reach out to men whose interest is hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and similar activities.

Dan has a unique talent and has helped many people with his knowledge and talent in this area. Stop by his booth and say hello at a gun show where he is a vendor.  It will be worth your time.

A Wet Turkey Hunt

The first day of turkey season came on April 14^th in 2012. Even though I woke up 39 minutes after my alarm was supposed to go off, when I parked my car I was only 15 minutes later then I had wanted to be. I quickly gathered my stuff and took off walking. 

I noticed a strip of trees had been clear cut on the way and the closer I got I saw that where I was headed was also clear cut. It looked like some trees may have been left in the distance and without a back up plan, I continued on my way to the tree I had planned to sit below. I didn’t find the tree, but it seemed the timber harvest stopped just past where the tree would have been. 

I then went a short distance into the timber that was left and there was a familiar saddle that I new turkeys like to visit and set up in this location while waiting for daylight. I didn’t put on all of my gear, because I thought I was going to have to move after I heard a bird. Hooting on my owl call didn’t produce a response. As it got light I tree yelped a little. My second series got a hen to yelp in response and it was quickly followed by a gobble within a good range. I put my gloves and facemask on and then my mouth call in. I had a camera mounted to my shotgun to record the whole thing and just after I got it turned on the hen flew out of the tree. A few yelps later and I had called her in. She didn’t really like the way I looked, but she didn’t get too alarmed. 

After she walked off the gobbler pitched down and a hen to my right pitched down. Shortly, I called up the second hen. She was a little more alarmed at my appearance then the first, but still not enough to leave the entire area. They moved to me left and feed just out of sight. I knew the gobbler had to be with them, even though I didn’t hear another sound from him. I needed to shift around the tree, because I was not in any position to shoot that direction. 

I moved around the tree and it didn’t take me long to see a fan moving around in the clear-cut as the gobbler showed off trying to bring in the fake hen out of the woods and up to join him. I watched for awhile and he moved a little further away. A couple yelps later brought him back to the first place I saw him. I knew this probably wouldn’t last too long since he already had two hens feeding close by and he didn’t see a third turkey where the yelps were coming from. He was within range, but all of the leaf cover and saplings didn’t allow for a good shot. I thought, “The only chance I have is to stand up and take the first shot opportunity”. I stood half way up to run my head into the branches of the sapling I was sitting beside of, so with a half squat position I aimed at the white head of the gobbler and shot. He got air born and I threw another 2 ¼ oz of shot his direction. I aimed and led the bird and let another 3 ½” shot shell fly. That third one felt good and there was a loud thump as the gobbler slammed into the ground. 

I shed my gloves, hat and friction calls as I ran toward the noise, reaching the bottom of the hill thinking I had run too far, but I continued to scan the area and listen for wing beats of a dying bird. I searched the entire adjacent hillside, in every crevasse and behind every log. I didn’t find even a feather. 

After about an hour I made it back toward where it all began. I saw a feather which led me to the crash site and then I followed it back up the trail of feathers and slightly up hill. I was thinking the bird must have gotten turned around after the impact.

I went back to where I shot and gathered up my stuff before I started to look again. I heard a couple of turkeys, but without a response from my yelping I assumed they were the hens returning to where they were scattered from. I ate a couple packs of crackers and thought about the events. “Lord, if that bird is dead please let me find him”, I prayed. 

Now, I looked on the hillside where the feather had led, but soon realized the feather trail was more likely from him going down and not from him running after hitting the ground. “How many articles have been written about recovering wounded turkeys”, I wondered. I thought about all of the time I have spent in search of a dove that I would see fall out of the sky. I went the opposite direction of the feather trail and began my search again scouring the hillside for a bird. On my way back I saw some more feathers, which told me I was on the right path, but also that the bird didn’t die instantly. I drew an imaginary line with feathers and started to look again. 

This would be the third hillside I would examine for the bird. I thought that I would give it a really good look, but if I didn’t find him or more evidence I was going to assume he was walking around. I went out the ridge and dropped down toward the lake to search every spot. I saw a black object near the water and as I looked harder I saw that it was the bird. His head was up and he was alive. It was a horrible shot angle which would result in ruining some meat and I really didn’t want to expend another “high dollar” shell as a finishing shot. I ejected the shell and looked for a cheaper one in my vest. “Lord, please let me recover this bird”, I prayed. I have been very close to recovering an animal on several occasions only to have change of events and they escape once again. As I looked for a shell the shotgun slammed shut with a loud metallic, “Cling”. The bird attempted an escape flight, only to find he was sitting on the water and about 25 yards from me. I put a shell in, quickly seeing that his head was stretched out and I had a much better shot opportunity, but not knowing how long this window would last. As I started to aim the shotgun, I wondered if there were any laws about shooting turkeys on the water. The shot dropped his head into the water and the flopping began.

I looked for a long stick and I saw a tree lying in the water toward were the bird was drifting. With a stick in hand, I was inching out on the dead tree over the water and I thought, “Lord, You really have me on an adventure this morning”. The stick fell way short of reaching the bird and I looked across the water for a bass boat to help with the recovery. I didn’t see a boat close by, so I felt the water and surprisingly it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. I went back the bank and looked at the bird. Now it wasn’t drifting at all and it was in the middle of this little inlet. Below the water was a muddy bottom, but the water was clear. “I could swim out there”, I thought. Even if it is cold, it is supposed to be 80 degrees today, which would quickly warm me up. I took of my boots, socks and shirt and went in. I got in quickly to get it over with and the water was a little colder then it originally felt. I made it to the bird quickly and tried to get back just as fast. Once on shore, I brought the bird and my dry clothes up on the bank to where the finishing shot had taken place and I took a couple of pictures. This is my most memorable turkey hunt yet and I didn’t want to forget it.