Colonial Outdoors

Novembers Trophy Buck

2012-01-26T16:17:00.004-05:00

The mornings dawned, clear and cool on November 1^st, 2011. Thousands of tiny diamond-like droplets still cling to the colorful autumn foliage from a hard rain the night before.

I had taken the day off from work with the express purpose of trying to get a shot at a nice buck. By daylight I had my Summit climbing stand situated overlooking an old logging road in the woods near the Cape Fear River in Harnett County, North Carolina.

Noticing a scrape nearby, I freshened it up by sprinkling some doe in heat lure in it. Then I walked about 30 yards down my shooting lane and made an artificial scrape and doctored it generously with some “Tink Stink”

By 9:00 AM I still hadn’t seen one single deer! The squirrels scampering around kept me from getting totally bored.

I stood to stretch my legs and check out the woods behind my stand back toward the creek. Suddenly about 70 yards away I caught a glimpse of a big deer passing between two trees. Immediately on full alert, I scanned the thick woods for more movement! There it was again a big body moving quickly through the thick stuff up the hill by my stand. I thought I caught a brief flash of another in the morning sun then it disappeared. All was quiet, leaving me wondering if I had just imagined all that.

Disappointed and determined to make something happen I begin to make several series of loud doe bleats and buck grunts. I sat looking and listening for about ten minutes when down the shooting lane appeared a big doe or so I thought until I put my scope on it. I realize then it had antlers! As it began walking toward me down the shooting lane I realized it was a “shooter buck” with at least eight points! By now I began to get nervous and mentally told myself to calm down. The buck walked straight to my false scrape and put his nose to the dirt and stood sniffing. Already standing with the safety off on my Rouger 30-06 I watched him at thirty yards through the scope, waiting for him to turn broadside. Fearing he might lift his head, see me and bolt suddenly, I settled the cross hares on his neck where it joins his shoulders and squeezed the trigger. He dropped to the ground like a sack of hammers right on top of the false scrape, kicked a few times and expired! Needless to say, I was excited when I found he was a respectable nine point about sixteen inches wide and weighing approximately 185 lbs. Even with the help of several friends I had a tough time getting him out of the woods.

God said; “Every animal of the forest is Mine…I know every bird in the mountains and the creatures of the field are Mine.” Psalm 50:10-11

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” Psalm 34:8

By Ted McKinney

Big Bodied Buck: By Chris Crum

2011-12-31T10:36:00.004-05:00

On December 27^th I drove toward my tree stand with hopes of getting a big bodied buck that had been visiting the area for about three weeks. The trail cam pictures showed that he should be showing back up in the evening any day now. I was heading in a little later then I would have liked, but it had been raining all day and the rain suit that I was hoping to hunt with this season was stolen from the porch after it was delivered. Part of the reason I bought it was because I recently learned how much the deer move during a rainy day. The previous day I sat on stand and only saw one doe, that didn’t come within bow range. I put on my gear and headed to the deer stand. Just before I got there I bumped the big buck. I thought, “Wow he is bigger then he looked in the pictures. My hunt is ruined, but at least I got to see him.” I decided to hunt the stand anyway. The deer would either return or I would get nothing like the previous hunt. After ascending the tree and attaching my safety harness, I put my fanny pack around a branch, but when I let go it fell all the way to ground making a loud unnatural sound as it hit the ground. “Well, if the buck isn’t completely spooked, this should do it”, I thought. If he didn’t see me climb the tree the first time, I am going to give him another chance. Before I descended to retrieve my fanny pack, I remembered some past hunts where everything seemed to go wrong, but ended on a positive note. After finally getting settled in the stand, there was a strong wind gust that just caused the tree stand to sway back and forth with the top of tree. I thought it would be best if I stayed seated. At a minimum I wanted to make it back home safe.

This hunt was starting to remind me of life. There are circumstances that happen to us, some of which are completely out of our control and some could be because of bad decisions. It is important for us to keep God at the forefront of our minds. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and continue striving forward. Without this, we can easily let current circumstances or things in our past drag us down, get us discouraged and cause us to loose sight of the plan that God has for us.

I didn’t know if the deer was coming back, but I knew I wouldn’t get him sitting at home. I didn’t know if the Lord would let me harvest that deer; I also didn’t realize that there were more things that wouldn’t go quite right before the hunt came to a close. As I sat in the stand I continued to brace myself when the wind picked up. Eventually it started getting darker as the sun disappeared. I decided to make the most of it and just remain as motionless as possible until quitting time. I was about to check my watch when I heard the leaves crunch. “That must be a deer”, I thought as I reached slowly for my bow. With my bow in hand I looked down to see the deer broadside at about 12 yards. Big body, several points sticking up… it must be him. I started to concentrate on the shot. The front leg was not forward, but I didn’t have much time. I drew back aimed and released in a matter of seconds. He did the “mule kick” and took off. I started shaking. After an hour I started to look for him, but I didn’t find the blood I was hoping for. I went back to eat some dinner and brought my girlfriend back with me to find the deer. She spotted him before I did, but he was lying down with his head up. I couldn’t believe it. There were at least 5 large puddles of blood, it had been over 3 hours and he is still alive. I was not sure where I hit him, but I knew it wasn’t a good shot. We backed out and I decided to come back in the morning. In the morning I found where he was bedded, but he wasn’t there. I made a big circle as my girlfriend went along the path the deer might have traveled. As I made it back around to the deer stand I saw him lying not far from the stand. He had made a big circle before succumbing to the wound. After arriving late, spooking the deer, dropping my fanny pack, gusty wind and a poor shot, the Lord still allowed me to recover the deer. Lord help us to keep our eyes fixed on You and not on the circumstances of this life that could shift us away from Your plan. Help us to live a life for Your glory. Help us to finish well, as we look forward to being with You in Your kingdom.

Ted McKinney's Nice Buck

2011-12-12T10:50:00.004-05:00

The Lord provides to those who persevere...no this isn't a verse that I'm aware of, but it is statement for outdoorsmen. You aren't going to get one if you don't get out there. Ted, who loves the Lord does go out there and did get this nice buck. According to Ted, he

shot this 9 pt. buck at 9:30 am. near the Cape Fear River in Harnett Co. with my Ruger 30-06 . Dropped him in his tracks!

The Moral of the story is to get out there and persevere, just like your relationship with the Lord.

To all the other guys in the group or our brothers from Heart of a Sportsman or Stanleyville, send your trophy pictures and a story with it (and a verse if you want) and we'll put you on our blog also.

Pond Fishing

2011-11-03T09:17:00.002-04:00

It was that time again. We headed out to the old fishing pond (thanks Billy Eldridge) who let us invite parents and children ( and parents who act like children when they get excited about fishing) to his pond.

Here is a video of some of the action captured by Mike Price, Motion Graphic Designor/Editor.

Colonial Outdoors from mike price on Vimeo.

A Theological Reflection on Hunting - By Dr. Don J. Payne

2011-02-26T13:54:00.002-05:00

A Theological Reflection on HUNTING

by Dr. Don J. Payne

Hunting magazines commonly feature articles that offer some sort of apologetic for hunting. While
these articles may seem to “preach to the choir,” many of them seek to assist hunters who find
themselves on the defensive with those who consider hunting offensive. Suggesting tactics for
discussion and debate, this journalistic strategy intends to strengthen the confidence of hunters
against naysayers who claim or assume the moral, intellectual, and cultural high ground while
making hunters look (and maybe feel?) like unlettered holdovers from a barbaric era.

Numerous sociological, cultural, and intellectual patterns suggest that hunters may have to defend
their practice for some time to come. Yet, the day will not be won by simply rehashing or
intensifying current (and, too often, dismissive or pejorative) rhetorical approaches. Vitriolic
apologetics1 only serve to galvanize the self-congratulatory superiority of hunters in their own
minds, avoid thoughtful engagement with complex issues, and deepen the chasm. In a slightly
different vein, while defenses of hunting that demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of hunting2 are important, they will ultimately fail to win the day for those whose reservations are rooted more theologically.

This reflection on hunting is offered not merely for those who find themselves on the defensive with anti-hunters who find hunting offensive or unnecessary, but for those, hunters and non-hunters alike, who struggle to reconcile some aspect of the practice with a well-developed theology of creation (a discussion only recently getting the attention of many evangelicals). Though I consider these concerns historically novel and theologically porous, I do take them and their proponents seriously. I hope not to occupy neither the adversarial posture nor the attitude so prevalent in hunters whose only resort is a sort of bumper sticker dismissal of anti-hunters. As Thomas McIntyre reflects in his own meditations on hunting, “Finding a way of dealing with the inescapable conundrum of death has no minor relevance to the lives of all conscious beings.”3 I will suggest, however, that what seems like a highly informed theological resistance is actually a set of sensibilities that have been shaped by factors other than the text of Scripture.

No particular Christian group or tradition stands in my crosshairs. Thus, my argument should find its path along the contours of the particular questions and reservations that may exist in each reader.

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I have in general view, however, those who take the Bible seriously and consent that it has some
type of God-given authority over faith and life. Hermeneutical (interpretive) assumptions are
unavoidably involved in my own position but I will assume, rather than identify and defend, those assumptions in this essay.

I will attempt to articulate as even-handedly as possible some of the biblical or theological objections frequently raised against hunting. Depending on who states these objections, they sometimes appear to be more visceral than reasoned, though I'm sure my own biases are also reflected in how I hear these claims. Still, I wish to represent them as honestly and respectfully as possible. My intent is to offer hunters a theological framework in which to think about what it means to hunt and to hunt ethically. In so doing, I hope for greater mutual respect and appreciation between hunters and anti-hunters (or even simply non-hunters), not more antipathy.

Hunting advocate Ted Nugent, an ally whom some hunters would welcome with ambivalence,
contends that hunters need not even bother to apologize to those who oppose hunting. He argues
that hunting is the most basic condition of human beings and needs no defense against the
artificiality of contemporary urbanized sensibilities.4 Indeed, to Nugent, a defense of hunting feels strange and superfluous against immeasurable human history in which it was customary to sustain one's life by killing and eating "lower" life forms. Whatever grain(s) of truth Nugent may have grasped, his is neither the only nor the strongest approach to the defense of hunting, especially for those whose priority is that every aspect of their lives be aligned with God’s will as revealed in Jesus Christ and Scripture.

Ted Nugent may think that a defense of hunting is unnecessary (interesting, though, that he still
offers one) because it simply defends what needs no defense and make hunters feel as if they need to justify themselves. However, we now occupy a world in which hunting is often considered morally repulsive or, at best, unenlightened. We hunters may not appreciate having to defend this time-honored practice, but our continued freedom to do so is most definitely at stake. Opportunity follows legality and legality follows credibility. As anti-hunting sentiments gain credibility through a variety of social forces, hunters may well find that this time-honored opportunity has slipped through their fingers while they were asleep.

For those operating from a vantage point of Christian commitment, it is also true that the more we take things for granted and assume the integrity of any practice, the more susceptible we are being culturally hijacked; the “frog in the kettle” syndrome. So, I would disagree with Nugent and suggest that indeed we need a fresh theological framework for hunting, even if it has history on its side.

First, I point to a bit of socio-historical background. A wide variety of factors has shaped the
sensibilities that motivate hunting opponents. The twentieth-century saw massive demographic
shifts from agricultural to urban and suburban settings. In 1942, Spanish philosopher Josè Ortega y Gasset considered the impact of these forces on the public perception of hunting in Europe, stating, “Only in the contemporary period and, within that, only in the most demoralized regions of Europe has an affinity for hunting been held in disesteem.”5 New Age spiritualities and related philosophical systems have sought to deify the created order with its own ontological and moral character. Forces of social democratization have come to define intellectual fashion. Among vast numbers of people these are among the factors that have contributed to an ironic and historically novel repulsion at the practice of hunting.

Some hunting opponents appeal to unethical hunting practices, extrapolating a caricature of the

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broader hunting populace. Nugent points out that the vast majority of hunters practice good ethics and that responding to this accusation actually compromises the credibility of hunting.6 While Nugent has a point, I suspect that his argument relates to a limited number of the situations and relationships in which hunters find themselves on the defensive. Not all who oppose hunting do so with reference to unethical hunting practices. Increasingly, hunting is opposed for moral and spiritual reasons. For hunters not to address these arguments only lends tacit support to the impression that hunting is morally and spiritually indefensible, practiced and perpetuated only by those who have neither the interest nor the ability to live morally informed and reflective lives. Thus, Nugent’s protest falls short.

Thus, I offer the following reflections on some of the common objections I have seen or heard,
objections that are to some degree propelled by theological concerns. As the substance and nature of the objections vary, so do the length of my responses. Some of the arguments overlap but each is sufficiently distinctive to warrant discrete attention. I will offer a response after some of the contentions. At the end I will offer a number of overall responses and reasons why I am convinced that hunting is not only justified but is also commendable within a Christian theological framework.

Objection #1

The first objection is that hunting and consuming other creatures for food is unethical (or at least
inappropriate) because it resulted (directly or indirectly) from sin. It is seen as a symptom of the Fall (see Genesis 3 and 9:2-3), that willful entry of our original human parents into rebellion against God. The Fall not only introduced personal corruption and moral culpability into the human race. It jarred all of the created order with brokenness and alienation as implied in Genesis 3:17, “Cursed is the ground because of you . . .” Consequently, according to Romans 8, “the creation was subjected to frustration” (v. 20) and “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth” (v. 22).7 The tragedy of creation’s brokenness is seen in the backlight of God’s repeated blessing of creation in Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, and 25; then in the eschatological light of the promise in Colossians 1:19 to reconcile all creation.

The practice of hunting, then, was evidently not part of God's original intent in creation and will not be the eschatological situation when God's Kingdom comes in its full expression and all things in Heaven and on earth are reconciled (cf. Isaiah 11:6-9 with Colossians 1:19). Since harmony between humankind and creation (including other creatures) appears to have been our original state and is the promised horizon toward which our present hope and obedience are pointed, we should embody those conditions in every way possible during the present, penultimate age. The eschaton should echo its way "backward" into the present order as a moral structure.

This argument may be especially cogent for Christians who hold to what theologians call an
"inaugurated" or "realized eschatology," and even more so for those whose Christian ethics are
shaped by the integration (collapse) of the concepts of penultimate and ultimate. In that case the
Christian life is to be a contemporaneous embodiment of the coming Kingdom.

Response

Admittedly, the Fall led to alienation between humanity and the entire created order. However, the exact nature of this alienation is more ambiguous than is the extent of that alienation. Hunters can freely recognize these antepeccator conditions of harmony between humans and beasts without

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Conceding the claim that hunting is immoral or unethical. For example, Keil and Delitzsch suggest that prior to the Fall animals were still at the mercy or disposal of humankind and that
sin with its consequences had loosened the bond of voluntary subjection on the part of
the animals to the will of man, - man, on the one hand, having lost the power of the spirit
over nature, and nature, on the other hand, having become estranged from man, or
rather having rebelled against him, through the curse pronounced upon over it, by that
“fear and dread” which God instilled into the animal creation.

They go on to suggest that when God granted permission to eat animals, this may not have
inaugurated the eating of animals by humans, but that God at this point permitted what they may have been doing up to this point against God’s will.9 Thus, we may even concede that prior to the Fall humans did not kill and eat animals. Yet, that fact remains that in the aftermath of the Fall we inhabit conditions in which God saw fit to sanction it. The theological significance of this should not be overlooked.

To extend the analysis of this argument, it must stretch and speculate to suggest that prior to the Fall animals did not kill and eat each other; an argument from silence. Are we to believe that the carnivorous and omnivorous digestive systems of so many creatures developed after the Fall? It may well be that the focal point of God’s sanction in Genesis 9:3-4 was the prohibition against eating the blood of the animals, a practice which some scholars consider to be an expression of pagan barbarism10 or a disregard for the giver of life. Gordon J. Wenham asserts that God’s provision of animal life to sustain human life is paradoxical. To preserve man’s
respect for life, he is forbidden to eat ‘flesh with its life, i.e., its blood.’ . . . Respect for life,
and beyond that, respect for the giver of life, means abstaining from blood. Indeed, in
the sacrificial law animal blood is given by God for the atonement of human sin (cf. Lev
17:11).11

Gerhard von Rad makes a similar point when he states, “Even when man slaughters and kills, he is to know that he is touching something, which, because it is life, is in a special manner God’s
property; and as a sign of this he is to keep his hands off the blood.”12 Without doubt, God’s gift of animals as food represents an intensification of the conditions under which humanity is to survive and relate to the created order after the Fall. Yet, it must not be overlooked that this dispensation was a gift from God in which, as von Rad observes, “[t]he right of dominion over the animals is also reconfirmed,”13 and boundaries are set to keep humanity’s focus on the authority of the Giver through the sanctity of the gift.

Second, this objection is based on over-literalized assumptions about what is depicted in the
prophecy of Isaiah 11. It is not universally recognized among Old Testament scholars that the
imagery of the lion lying down with the lamb is a literal prediction of conditions that will exist in the Kingdom between animals or between humans and animals. Though this type of future condition may unfold, the main point of the prophecy relates to conditions among people. John Goldingay observes regarding this text,

Context suggests that the talk of harmony in the animal world is a metaphor for
harmony in the human world. The strong and powerful live together with the weak and
powerless because the latter can believe that the former are no longer seeking to devour
them. The end to which verses 6-9 lead thus belongs in the same world of thought as

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verses 1-5 and fits with other themes from earlier chapters (e.g., 2:2-4). Indeed, the book
opened by using animals to stand for human beings (1:3) . . .14 Brevard S. Childs sees Isaiah’s prophecy as involving more literal conditions of peace between humans and animals, yet admits that What Isaiah envisioned was not a return to a mythical age of primordial innocence, but

the sovereign execution of a new act of creation in which the righteous will of God is
embraced and the whole earth now reflects a reverent devotion “as the water covers the
sea.”15

Indeed, the conditions of peace and harmony promised in God’s new creation capture our deepest longings and invite our faithful, risky trust in God. Even if we were to recognize Isaiah’s prophecy as a portrayal of literal conditions of peace between human and beast, beast and beast, those conditions do not exist now. At best, such as promised state should beckon to us as a benefit of the resurrected order rather than a moral obligation that overshadows our current participation in an order where such conditions do not exist.

In conclusion hunting reflects neither inherent hostility toward nor disregard for the beasts of the field. To the contrary, hunters are most nobly involved with animals when they have a genuine appreciation and respect for the animals they hunt and when they are grateful to God Who has given them. This gratitude accompanies a sober minded stewardship of God’s creation in the context of the current order. Certainly, this is not the case with all hunters. It is possible to hunt unethically, disrespectfully, and ungratefully just as it is possible to distort any other aspect of human life that God has blessed.

Objection #2

Hunting is antithetical to the ethos of God's Kingdom and inappropriate for its citizens because it is intrinsically violent and, as such, results from the Fall.

Response

Though related to the previous objection, the protest of “violence” warrants a brief, separate
comment. Os Guiness makes an important distinction between violence and force.16 (The Dust of Death). Violence as an act of hatred or disregard has definite moral connotations. We cannot survive in this world without force, however. This objection operates from a rather unexamined and unsophisticated view of violence, shaped more by an artificially sanitized world in which
technology insulates us from the sources and processes of our sustenance. Among thoughtful
hunters, religious or not, one of Gasset’s most recognized and respected claims is that “one does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted.”17 Ironically, and
inconsistently, many who resist hunting as a form of violence will still engage in fishing, which
(even in its fashionable “catch and release” form) is at root a form of what they find objectionable.
The inconsistency goes even further when, if direct and forceful involvement with nature is still too violent for them, they will simply enjoy the local sushi bar where the fruits of someone else’s
“violence” are anesthetized by distance from the act and by the delicacy of an artfully prepared and presented dish. I point out this inconsistency not to inflame antagonism (and hope that it will not do so), but to plead for greater honesty and consistency so that the conversation can be more
5 substantive.

Objection #3

Hunting may be practiced, but as a last resort and as a means of survival. Even under these
conditions it is morally regrettable and should be avoided if at all possible. Should the slaughter of animals be necessary for food, it should never be done for sport. Hunting for sport is immoral, in part because it encourages a love for killing and destruction that is incompatible with an appropriate respect for God and His creation.

Response

This contention is based on a false and superficial understanding of “sport” as it applies to hunting. The pleasure that hunters derive from this endeavor is not simply a love for killing, some type of barbaric blood-lust. McIntyre exposes the inconsistency of this objection.

There is almost no way for one form of life to exist except at the expense of another. An
impala involved in seemingly peaceful grazing is as much a predator on a living blade of
grass as the leopard who bellies silently toward him.

Even when some people can accept the universality of the killing that goes on
ceaselessly around them, they want, to begin with, to disavow any responsibility for it
themselves (an outrageous impossibility), or to insist that below the human level (below
being a very operative preposition) it is conducted out of mindless need alone, that no
enjoyment is ever taken in it. For this reason they will claim to tolerate killing carried out
by native “subsistence” hunters by consigning their hunting to rude necessity, and
relegating such hunters not so subtly to a human status that should be considered not so
enlightened as their own, in effect assuming these benighted creatures to be lacking in
the full register of sincere feelings they themselves possess, and therefore unable to
experience real happiness from any occupation, not just from hunting.18

Gasset observes, Hunting, like all human occupations, has its different levels, and how little of the real work of hunting is suggested in words like diversion, relaxation, and entertainment! A
good hunter’s way of hunting is a hard job which demands much from man . . . So, in
my presentation of it as what it is, as a form of happiness, I have avoided calling it
pleasure. Doubtless in all happiness there is pleasure, but pleasure is the least of
happiness. . . . The truth is that the important and appealing aspect of hunting is neither
pleasure nor annoyance, but rather the very activity that comprises hunting. Happy
occupations, it is clear, are not merely pleasures; they are efforts, and real sports are
effort.19

He goes on to observe that “when an activity becomes a sport, whatever that activity may be, the hierarchy of its values becomes inverted. In utilitarian hunting the true purpose of the hunter, what he seeks and values, is the death of the animal.”20 By that standard, those who think that it is less ethically questionable to eat meat that comes from the industrial slaughter of animals (meat processing plants, then food stores) actually hold the more ironic ethical position. A strictly utilitarian justification of animal slaughter is the greatest failure to appreciate the life of animals 6 through utter disregard or refusal to reflect on the process involved.

The love for hunting is not a love for destruction. There are subordinate loves involved: challenge, conquest, respite from the complexities and stresses of life, etc. None of these, of course, necessitate hunting, though they are involved in the act. At its most basic level, the love of hunting is a visceral love for the connectedness with that basic dimension of our human experience as it is expressed in relationships of risk and dependence with these creatures.

Objection #4

The creatures humans hunt are innocent and have done us no harm. They should be left alone.

Response

This rather sentimental argument assumes that hunting is a form of revenge, which it simply is not. Admittedly, revenge can become a motivation in the rare cases when an animal has done harm or we are in danger of harm. Still, this is a gross misunderstanding and misrepresentation of hunting.

Objection #5

Hunting is an artificial and inappropriate interference with the rhythms of the created order (some would say “nature”) which should be allowed to take its own course.

Response

In no other area of our lives do we use this standard. We divert rivers and build dams to provide
water for our population. We erect fences to keep intruders and even animals whose “natural”
propensities might do us harm. We apply heat to iron ore to eliminate impurities, then alter its
chemical properties to make steel and alloys that can be cut, drilled, and assembled into bridges that facilitate our transportation. The examples are endless. We manipulate our environment for our advantage. Theological conversations about stewardship of the earth are important, especially for those who do not recognize creation as God’s gift and would wantonly exploit it. Respecting the natural rhythms of the created order implies neither passivity nor idolatry in response to the inherent patterns of the world. Humans are part of the created order or “nature’s course,” with our abilities and impulses, and our divinely ordained place vis-à-vis other creatures. Of course, we bear responsibility for our management of and interaction with the rhythms of creations.

Objection #6

Hunting relies on an unfair advantage that humans have over other creatures based on the the
technology of our weaponry.

Response

So what? Hunting is not a board game in which both humans and animals are to play with no unfair advantage. 7

Furthermore, anyone who has genuinely hunted will question how much of an advantage humans really have. The wariness and elusive capabilities of animals send many a hunter home empty-handed (resorting to meat purchased at the local supermarket). This argument should be applied to the raising and slaughter of animals whose flesh is industrially processed and sold over the counter. In those conditions, animals truly have no chance for survival. Again, to quote Gasset, “To exterminate or to destroy animals by an invincible and automatic procedure is not hunting. Hunting is something else, something more delicate.”21

Positive Reasons for Hunting

To this point I have attempted to address some of the common theological or religious reasons
offered against hunting. However, this approach only goes part of the way toward establishing a
genuinely theological approach to the practice of hunting. In what follows I will not suggest that all people should hunt. Many people have perfectly understandable and legitimate reasons why they choose not to do so. I simply ask that non-hunters realize that we who do choose to hunt have equally legitimate grounds. Further, I ask that they think more carefully about their theological reasons for opposing hunting and realize the likelihood that those reasons may very well be less theological than they are simply matters of personal taste, sometimes conditioned by the artificiality of urbanized life.

So, why is hunting both theologically legitimate and even important, whether or not a person
chooses to participate personally?

1. It forces us to stay connected with the source of our physical sustenance, cultivating a greater
appreciation and sense of responsibility for what is involved in that sustenance and for the creatures that die in order for us to survive. Speaking personally, to participate not only in the taking of the life but in the field dressing and butchering of an animal forces me to be integrated with creation.
2. It reminds us that our lives are contingent on the rest of creation. This is true even for vegetarians and vegans, who still depend upon other life forms for their biological sustenance. Life can only be sustained by other living things. Whether those life forms are creatures in the categories of mammal, fish, fowl, or even plant life is irrelevant.
3. Taking the life of another creature can be an experiential, even visceral reminder of the atonement. For Christians, there is no more significant theme than that we are given our lives back by the sacrifice of Another. Hunting can have a sort of sacramental or symbolic quality for those who have come to know what the Bible calls “eternal life” through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
4. It affords the opportunity to gain a greater respect and awe for the creatures whose lives are taken. Photographers and passive observers of nature have no monopoly on stunned appreciation for the beauty, grace, and majesty of other creatures. To take the life of another creature should never be a glib and thoughtless experience, but an experience of gratitude and awe. Hunting is actually a response to creation as God’s gift, allowing and encouraging appreciation of creatures, not a disregard for them. It fosters a holistic ethic by placing hunting in the context of stewardship of creation as a whole.
5. It affords the opportunity for deeper appreciation of the nature of human stewardship over 8
creation. That stewardship is an awesome responsibility because it demands sometimes gruesome activities and decisions that always have a cost.

Specifically, it is a reminder that this stewardship is exercised in the context of the world as it is, not as we wish it was or imagine that it was. This context takes into account all the ways in which the world has actually developed and been developed. For example, the science and structures of game management exist to insure that wild game continues to exist and thrive in a world where the human population takes over and develops increasing amounts of inhabitable land. Whether or not one likes the amount of commercial and industrial development that has come with that population expansion, it is a fact that indeed affects the viability of wild game. Hunting is unarguably the most effective means of keeping various species of wild game at sustainable population levels, protected from either starvation due to over-population or from simply devouring each other. Theologically, the important lesson here is that stewardship of creation has an unavoidable and often overlooked contextual character, in contrast to the idealistic and Platonic notions of stewardship that derive from and foster romanticized views of creation.

6. Hunting reinforces the qualitative distinction between human beings as made in God's image and the rest of creation that is not made in God’s image. For all its wonders, the rest of creation is not qualitatively endowed with the same worth in that grand order.
7. Hunting reminds us that we, too, are part of the created order, including our capacities for
developing technologies that allow us to exercise dominion over the rest of creation and sustain our lives by it.
8. It is good and healthy that we experience ambivalence about taking a creature’s life. That
ambivalence is a sign of our tacit and powerful recognition of the goodness of life in all forms. That fact that all of creation bears God’s blessing and is sustained by God’s presence (Word) suggests that in all truly human acts where our dominion is exercised, that dominion is exercised at a cost to some other part of what God has blessed. This is true when we sacrifice a beautiful area for the sake of providing housing (though the ethics of wanton land development and profiteering is another, and valid, discussion). This is true when we burn wood to cook and provide heat. Only those (Gasset calls them “Cartesians”) who do not recognize the blessedness of all creation – who take a strictly mechanistic view of the universe – can engage in hunting with no twinges of dissonance. For the hunter, this should be a reminder that God’s gifts come at a cost; in this case, the cost of an animal’s life. Never again will that graceful creature roam the earth. Such knowledge should humble the hunter and give texture to (though not negate) the gratitude and pleasure of the experience. How do we understand hunting as sport and the pleasure it brings? It may be analogous to the pleasure involved in making a fine piece of furniture or artwork with a rare piece of wood from a tree that, at the same time, we want to help preserve. Preservation involves management and management involves clearing some growth to make room for new growth.
9. Hunting affords the opportunity to develop a healthier and richer theology of sanctification,
particularly, of God’s work in making holy and beautiful that which by itself is ordinary. That is,
only by God’s sanctifying and defining Word can any part of creation serve His purpose and His
glory. Nothing in all of creation can do that autonomously, as Paul suggests through his magnificent Christological framework for creation (Colossians).
1 Timothy 4:3-5 has bearing on the question in that we are enjoined to receive with gratitude what is provided for us from the created order (and Paul was talking about meat). The act of gratitude has 9 theological significance as the occasion for God to sanctify through His Word of blessing and provision what would otherwise be profane (perhaps even objectionable?) to us. Actually, what might be offensive to God would be the lack of recognition that God has provided and sanctioned our sustenance through the life of other creatures. This is theologically necessary because those creatures are His creatures, just as we are, even if they are in a different standing than humanity as made in God’s image. Those creatures bear God’s blessing in some sense, so only God can give them and declare His blessing on their lives given for ours. One has to be MORE rather than less theologically oriented in order to be able to hunt ethically. The rejection of God’s gift of meat on supposedly theological grounds may be tantamount to an attempt to sanctify ourselves through our own autonomous ethical pursuits, somewhat along the lines of Kant’s ethical program.

Though not writing from a Christian perspective (as far as I know), Thomas McIntyre offers a fitting concluding response to the anti-hunting sentiment that derives from the social forces that incessantly threaten to dehumanize us.

It is the duty of the modern world to drive us every day further from all things natural
and wild, to make us feel increasingly lost and isolated from our true, primitive natures.

We need, desperately, to have a means of escaping such cold days as these and of
revisiting the sunnier past when we had not yet been subjected to the barbarisms of
civilization and were still genuinely human. We need to be able to do this, if only for
brief periods, or go mad.22

Hunting – the seeking, the chasing, the killing, the butchering, the “criminal suspicion”
aroused by the confronting of death, the celebratory resolving of it all in the sacramental
feast – which teaches us the total cost of meat, the price our lives and all lives exact from
the world, is inextricably tied to our humanness.23

McIntyre’s reflections make assumptions that many Christian theologians (including myself) would not accept regarding the original nature of humanity (“humanness”). Still, his words rightly highlight the effects of modern (often Western) culture on the shape and depth of the human experience.

Hunting is not for everyone. However, it should be for anyone. Amidst all the attention given to
ethical hunting (and, thankfully, considerable attention has been devoted to that issue), not much attention has been given to the theology of hunting. Those of Christian faith have at their disposal the most well-developed and integrated framework for the practice of hunting. Of all people, Christians should be able to place hunting within the context of a full-orbed human experience.

As a theologian, I do not know what life will be like in the Kingdom of God in relationship to some
of the issues that hunting raises. I don’t know whether I will be a vegetarian. Frankly, those
questions do not matter much to me. Yes, I want to be “Kingdom-minded” in my life here on earth. Personally, I hold to a “realized eschatology.” Yet, with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I have come to recognize that the penultimate is the only venue we currently live in which God can be known. God intends that the values of His Kingdom shape all that we do here and now. That does not keep me from hunting. It affects HOW I hunt and who I am in that endeavor. I like to think that the practice of hunting within this theological framework helps me be a better Christian rather than less of one.

As always, we must love each other, respect each other, hear each other, and pray for each other that through whatever path our consciences dictate, we may be increasingly transformed into the image of the One we love and Who died that we may live. 10

1 For obvious reasons I will not list specific articles, periodicals, or organizations that reflect this spirit, even though I may even subscribe to the periodicals or belong to the organizations. I have in mind, though, certain fashionable insults such as “greenies”.

2 For example of this apologetic genre, see Kurt Krueger, “Hunters: the nation’s first
environmentalists,” in Vilas County [Wisconsin] News-Review/The Three Lakes News (September 24, 2008), 8A.

3 Thomas McIntyre, The Way of the Hunter: The Art and Spirit of Modern Hunting (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1988), 98.

4 Ted Nugent, “No Excuses,” American Hunter 36:1 (January 2008): 46-49.

5 Josè Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on Hunting (Belgrade, Mont: Wilderness Adventures Press, 1995),

47.
6 He states, “If the guys who consistently talk about hunting ethics believe for a second they are
uplifting the image of hunting and attracting new hunters, they are dead wrong. I’m not falling into this ethical hunting morass, because the more we talk about it the more we become bogged down in the murky mud of suspicion. It immediately puts hunters on the defensive when we have nothing to be defensive about” (48-49).

7 TNIV.
8 C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. I (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 152.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1-15, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, Tex: Word, 1987), 193.
12 Gerhard von Rad, Genesis, rev. ed., The Old Testament Library (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961),
132.
13 Ibid., 133.
14 John Goldingay, Isaiah, New International Biblical Commentary series (Peabody, Mass:
Hendrickson, 2001), 85.
15 Brevard S. Childs, Isaiah, The Old Testament Library (Louisville, Ky: Westminster/John Knox, 2001),

103-104.
16 Os Guinness, The Dust of Death (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1972).
17 Ortega y Gasset, 105.
18 McIntyre, 101.
19 Ortega y Gasset, 42.
20 Ibid., 105.
21 Ibid., 59.
22 McIntyre, 103.
23 Ibid., 104.

Don Payne, Ph.D.
Email

don.payne@denverseminary.edu

Blog

http://www.oilboytheology.faithweb.com

11

Tod Olsen - God Provides the Deer of a Lifetime

2010-12-22T14:15:00.006-05:00

My cousin worked as a guide for years. One day when showing me his best deer, he told me that the one thing that every hunter wants is the whitetail of a lifetime to hang on the wall.

Tod Olsen, core member of Colonial Outdoors was hunting in Ohio on public game land a few weeks back. He told me that where he was hunting was so steep that he had to dig his heels in to keep from falling down.

At 10:00 AM, he heard a ruckus from behind him and this big boy trotted by him. Tod shot him at about 13 yards while the brute was still moving, aiming his bow at the deer's shoulder so as to hit the vitals when he let go. Fortunately, it happened so fast that Tod told me he didn't have time to get "Buck Fever" and his arrow flew straight and it was a quick and ethical harvest.

This bad boy would score in the 130 range and went north of 220 lbs. While I'm not a betting man, it would be hard to say that a bigger one will come Tod's way, at least in the near future so hitting him was the once in a lifetime shot you just don't want to miss. I would regret it every time I went into a stand if I'd missed this big guy.

Tod wrote the final epitaph that sums it all up, "God is good!".

I hope each of you gets a chance to see or get a shot at such a fine animal. Here's to good hunting and that God will bless you with such an opportunity. Just make sure you complete the job like Tod did.

To The Victor Goes the Spoils - And Catfish

2010-12-04T13:09:00.005-05:00

I posted a while back that Colonial won the 2nd annual Ironman Catfish Tournament by decimating the competition.

We finally got to celebrate with the Pastor Malpass who puts up with all of our knife making, hunting, weapons and other shenanigans that are as on the edge of Ministry acceptableness that you can get. To his credit, he supports us and we do our best to adhere to the outreach that the ministry was started for.

We finally had a cookout with the winning fish at Mike Nichols house where we presented the winning plaque to Pastor Malpass. We hope it hangs proudly in his office.

We enjoyed the Catfish, hushpuppies and coleslaw....

November Calendar

2010-11-04T18:25:00.002-04:00

Double Click to open for a full screen view.

Ray and Mathew Pigott - Father and Son Deer

2010-10-28T18:51:00.001-04:00

Saturday morning 10/2/2010: Matthew and Dad climb in a box stand looking over a bean field at 5:15am. Matthew helped build the stand over the summer, his first real construction project. He learned about many tools used by carpenters. He interacted with other men who were more interested in him having success than their own. We were excited about sitting together in the deer woods. Matthew just turned 15 and has never shot a deer.

He spent time getting his hunter certification, range card at the Wake Co. range, and practicing at the range. He has proven to be an excellent marksman although a little skeptical about the black powder gun in hand. The gun makes a lot of smoke and is a little cranky grouping unless close attention is paid to loading it. We sit patiently. At 8:15, while Matthew is fighting off boredom, a deer appears crossing the bean field. I see it first and tell him to get ready. Like an old pro, he steadies the gun, takes aim and asks for the go ahead. I say go, look through the binoculars and wait for the boom. Just before the deer exits into the woods, the .50 caliber sounds off. I see the deer jump straight up confirming a hit. He thinks he missed. We give him 30 minutes and climb down. Less than 10 yards into the woods, we find his first deer. A great shot was placed behind the shoulder. We thank the Lord together for a blessed day.

We plan to hunt again in the afternoon and agree to take a stand in a double ladder for the afternoon. On the way, he asks if we can return to the box. Since it is comfortable, why not? We climb in a 4:00pm and wait patiently. Matthew can’t fight the boredom and drifts off to sleep while I keep watch. At 6:30 pm, three does come out in the edge of the woods. Could Matthew have a chance at number two? The real crazy thing here is that we both harvest a deer out of the group. It was exciting to say the least. What a great opportunity the Lord provided for father and son. We both can’t wait for the next trip. He has the fire ignited inside. We will again ask Him for the opportunity to enjoy His great creation together. With the pressure off, we will search for Matthew a buck.

Austin's Deer Story, With A Prayer

2010-10-27T20:15:00.003-04:00

I met Austin for the first time at this week's Colonial Outdoors meeting. It is always a pleasant surprise to have some young blood in our group, not unlike the tradition of passing on the love of the outdoors to the youth.

I deal with many in their teens and 20's (the age of my kids) and to know there are good folks like this is refreshing.

Here's is the story of his deer:

As far as the buck I shot Saturday evening goes, it was kind of a spur of the moment spot to hunt. It was 4pm and I was taking my climber back into an area I had only hunted once this year. The area is semi swamp land that that has a lot of stagnant bog ponds and low areas that hold water and a lot of reeds.

On the way to this area you have to go through a thick holly patch that has a lot of oaks throughout it. The area has always provided a good travel route for bucks, but is hard to hunt from up in a tree due to the fact that usually you only will have one or two clear 10-15 yard shot and you can't see very far. Well, as I was walking through I come across two fresh scrapes that looked like they had been worked that morning. As soon as I saw them I began looking for a tree near them I could climb, but there wasn't any good ones near them except for one and it would be putting me in a position for my scent to be blowing right across the scape's. Frustrated, I decided to just sit on the ground and see what happened.

Now I said before that you couldn't shoot more than 10 or 15 yards from up in a tree in this area but on the ground it is a different story. There are several shots up to 50 or 60 yards plus you can see for 100 yards in almost 360 degrees. I knew that I would at least have a good chance of seeing some deer by deer by doing this. I found an old tree that had blown down during hurricane Fran and got positioned with the root ball on my back and the trunk to my side. I could only hope this would break me up enough so I wasn't spotted.

For the next couple of hours I did some grunts and bleats and just scanned the area with my binoculars hoping I would arouse a buck. Around 5:55pm I was scanning the woods and I heard a squirrel about 20 or 30 yards away freak out. I figured it had either seen me move ,or him and another squirrel were going at it. I didn't think much of it at the moment because squirrels fussing is a constant thing, and I had heeded their false warning countless times already that afternoon. As I began to sweep the woods back towards the noise of the squirrel I caught a glimpse of a body 30 yards in front of me down wind. I've been wanting to see just how good my scent control and scentlock are and I guess that was a good sign of them working pretty well. Needless to say I was caught of guard at the moment because the deer had just seemed to appear. Apparently the squirrel had been upset for a good reason and I should have been paying closer attention. I saw instantly that the deer had a descent rack and had to scramble to get into shooting position. Fortunately the deer was behind a lot of trees and I had enough time and cover to get ready. I raised up my muzzle loader and found a hole he was about to walk into but I wasn't able to get situated in time. He was quartering towards me by this time and was about to walk into a second hole that would barely provide a clear 21 yard shot. As soon as he stepped in I made a bleat with my mouth and he froze. At 6pm I placed my cross hairs on his front shoulder and squeezed off the shot and placed a 245 g. hollow point in his boiler room. He took off tail tucked and I knew he wouldn't be going far. He ran about 50 or 60 yards, and I don't even know how he made it that far with the amount of blood that he was loosing.

Any time I go hunting it's like a prayer meeting in the woods. Either you're praying just to see a deer, praying the deer comes close or praying that you find him after you shoot him. This buck was one of just being thankful because how short of a distance he ran. That's not always the case though. The first buck I shot this year I gut shot him and his guts closed up his wound so I had no blood. The only reason I had a clue where he was I saw his eyes shining at me when I was looking for blood and I backed out. I went home and just sat for 2 or 3 hours and I could not even eat. I prayed, prayed, and prayed a little more. A lot of times people say they got lucky shooting or finding that deer and I'm guilty of that too. Really luck had nothing to do with it, prayer and the Lord allowing you to find or take that deer is what the real truth is.

The first thing I do when I get in the stand is have a word of prayer because no matter how much time or planning I put into a hunt (or how little) I know the real truth is God can bring a deer from anywhere by me. A lot of times though I think He decides to teach me patients because I sometimes go for days without even seeing a deer. No matter what kind of hunt I have though, even if it's just looking across a field, being out in nature and just enjoying its beauty is just a blessing. I guess I could say I've never met an atheist hunter that I know of. This year of hunting has been my most blessed year. I was able to take my first deer, a doe, with my bow and I have been able to shoot three 8 pointers with my muzzle loader. This will definitely be a year that will stick in my mind.

October Calendar - Deer Season

2010-10-13T19:43:00.002-04:00

Please use this version as the October Calendar. Double click to enlarge or print

Chris Crum, On Thanking the Lord and Obeying the Rules - And a Bear

2010-10-10T19:08:00.003-04:00

As hunters we have an obligation to do the right thing while hunting. I wish I could say that I have never broken a single rule while hunting. I remember one time when I was younger my dad and I went turkey hunting. Our neighbors stopped to chat as we were walking down the road and asked what we were doing. When we said turkey hunting they looked kind of shocked and said not to tell anyone. I thought it was strange. We never came close to getting one, but I had to reread the regulations when I returned because my neighbors’ words still puzzled me. I found that while it was turkey season, it wasn’t in the county that I lived.

I remember when hunting regulations were one page folded into a pamphlet. Now we have a small paper back book to read. Although it makes it more difficult to know every rule, ignorance doesn’t excuse us from not following them.

1 Peter 2:13-15 states: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

So what does this have to do with my bear hunt? Well, I really enjoy bear hunting. Bears are fascinating creatures to me. In the two states that I do most of my hunting baiting is illegal, making it difficult to harvest a bear without the use of dogs. I don’t own any hunting dogs and I don’t know anyone that does that will take me. So this leaves me with the option of going to bear country and hoping that I cross paths with one. This is not an extremely successful strategy. I have hunted bear for the past 6 years without getting one. During this hunt I was not having any luck finding any bear sign until I happened to come across a big pile of moldy, soggy doughnuts and saw bear prints in it. While I didn’t place any of the treats there, it still didn’t seem right hunting in the vicinity of it and I had to relocate. There was another dirt road/trail about a mile away and it had plenty of bear sign and not too much human sign (a perfect place). The first evening resulted in zero bears but my friend saw two. On the second evening I was able to harvest this bear. As we road off in the darkness with the bear on the four wheeler, my friend said, “Doesn’t it feel good to do things right?” Yes, it does. The bear won’t make any records, but he is a trophy to me and I don’t have to be shamed by the presence of his hide or the memory of his harvest.

Thank You Lord for providing an abundance of game. Thank You for the opportunity to spend time with friends in the outdoors enjoying the pursuit of it. Thank You for the harvest You blessed me with. Above all, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross so that all may have the free gift of eternal life. Please give me and every Christian sportsman the strength to obey the rules no matter what our personal opinion on the matter is. Help our hearts to line up with Your will for our lives. Amen

October Calendar - Deer Season

2010-10-06T18:41:00.004-04:00

Double click to open

Our New Bible Study

2010-08-23T13:18:00.003-04:00

Joe Gibbs is taking us through the Bible as a Playbook for Life. What a great study for bunch of outdoor guys. Click on this Link to view the GPFL website.

Here's Joe telling us about the study:

IRONMAN Catfish Champions

2010-08-08T07:41:00.016-04:00

First, let's recognize that the real winner of this annual challenge, as with all things is God. He started and blessed the 3 outdoors ministries at Cornerstone, Stanleyville and Colonial.

But, there can only be one victor in this tournament, so here are the anglers with the winning plaque and some of the small fish that the other churches caught. Our big boys are at the bottom.

As for the actual fishing, let's remember this challenge:

Sometimes words can come back to haunt you as visitor Colonial captured the second annual Ironman Catfish Challenge at Kerr Lake Reservoir on 8/6/10. Just so you can see some of the spoils, here are some of the 64 lbs of Catfish that we took the tournament with....

Here is the great food at the Boy Scout camp that Stanleyville provided. In addition, there was a great devotional on temptations and that we should stay away from our own personal demons.

Running to the Fishin' Hole!

This is a picture of the noodles that were used to catch the winning fish.

Watch this short video of Ray Pigot holding up the winning fish.

August Calendar and List of Events, PLEASE READ!

2010-07-31T21:12:00.002-04:00

1. Additional information on most of these activities as well as sign-up can be found on colonialsports.org

2. A new bible study is starting on August 10th (Game Plan for Life by Joe Gibbs). http://www.lifeway.com/product/005259409/

You will need to pick up a study guide. Also, consider bringing a friend.

3. DOVE HUNT: Colonial Outdoor members will be at two locations (a and b).

a. Weeks Farm, Dunn, NC, Cost $20 (lunch provided) (you will need to pay prior to August 28), please send Chris an email at tyson1978@yahoo.com if interested

b. Stoney Creek Hunting Preserve, Cost: $75 (lunch provided), Contact: at location Elwood 252-939-6395 or from Colonial Outdoors Mike 919-812-7237

c. Other Dove Hunting Opportunities:

- OHT Outfitters, Providence Baptist Church, contact Pastor Joel at 919-326-3000. Hunting over fields in Nash Co., Cost- $30 (lunch provided).
- Anderson Creek Hunting Preserve, Lillington NC. Contact James at 910-578-6613, Hunting over millet and sunflowers. Cost $60 (lunch provided).
- Game Lands; Go on-line to NC Wildlife Commission, click on "Hunting" , then Game
Lands". you will find at least 20 planted fields you can hunt for FREE in Caswell Co., Jordan Lake, and Butner.

September Calendar

2010-07-31T21:10:00.002-04:00

Double Click for a Bigger or Printable version

HEADS UP INFORMATION FOR UPCOMING EVENTS

2010-07-31T20:55:00.001-04:00

While this will be on the calendars which will be posted shortly, please read the following as there are lot of events coming up.

1. Additional information on most of these activities as well as sign-up can be found on colonialsports.org

2. A new bible study is starting on August 10th (Game Plan for Life by Joe Gibbs). http://www.lifeway.com/product/005259409/

You will need to pick up a study guide. Also, consider bringing a friend.

3. DOVE HUNT: Colonial Outdoor members will be at two locations (a and b).

a. Weeks Farm, Dunn, NC, Cost $20 (lunch provided) (you will need to pay prior to August 28), please send Chris an email at tyson1978@yahoo.com if interested

b. Stoney Creek Hunting Preserve, Cost: $75 (lunch provided), Contact: at location Elwood 252-939-6395 or from Colonial Outdoors Mike 919-812-7237

c. Other Dove Hunting Opportunities:

July Calendar and Upcoming Events

2010-07-27T11:42:00.002-04:00

Double click to enlarge it.

Upcoming events:

Please go to www.colonialsports.org to sign up for upcoming events,

"IRONMAN CATFISH CHALLENGE" AT KERR LAKE, AUGUST 6/7 (NEED BOATS)

HUNTER EDUCATION CLASSES AUGUST 20/21 (ALSO AVAILABLE TO SIGN UP AT WWW.NCWILDLIFE.ORG

DOVE HUNT INFO COMING SOON

July Calendar Is Up

2010-07-15T20:27:00.002-04:00

Double click for a larger version.

Ministry Minutes - CO is Not Your Father's Ministry

2010-07-14T09:07:00.004-04:00

We were featured in the Colonial Ministry Minutes, a short clip that is shown prior to the beginning of each service. Normally it is a missionary or some traditional work the church does. Not us renegades.....

Click on the link below to see Fishing, Knife making, Archery (Center Shot Ministries)

Colonial Outdoors

The article by Amy Justice posted on the Colonial Website (click to go there)reads like this:

Some of the most renowned fishermen in history were among Jesus’ first disciples. When He gave them His command in Matthew, He gave them a purpose beyond making a living or feeding themselves and their families. He wanted them to share the Good News of His saving grace.

That purpose fits Colonial’s year-old Outdoors Ministry. When Ed Strickland, a life-long angler, decided to combine his love of the outdoors—especially fishing—with reaching fellow outdoorsmen with the Gospel, he approached Pastor Mike Malpass and soon a new ministry was created.

Those involved in Colonial Outdoors enjoy hunting and fishing—and they are committed to reaching a seldom considered, un-reached people group . . . the American hunter or fisherman. Manny Montoya, Chris Crum, Mike Hayes and other committed outdoorsmen have been busy creating new opportunities to engage outdoorsmen at Colonial. But, they know their mission field is really out in the fields and streams all around us where sportsmen who would never consider coming to church gather.

To better reach them, Colonial outdoorsmen traveled hundreds of miles to the National Wildlife Turkey Federation convention in Tennessee where they joined with other like-minded men to hand out more than 20,000 DVDs with turkey hunting tips and the Gospel. They have also traveled to West Virginia to receive training needed to organize an archery education program at Colonial; and, they’ve worked tireless hours to organize a local fishing tournament, hosted by Colonial that drew anglers from around the state. Our outdoorsmen are busy!

Colonial Outdoors also holds a weekly Bible study attended by 12-15 men. Manny Montoya recently held a knife-making workshop. There have also been classes on hunter safety, fly tying and taxidermy.

Monday, June 14, Chris Crum kicked-off the third Colonial archery class based on the Centershot Ministry program that includes training on International Target Style Archery for kids 10-15 years old accompanied by a parent. There are 20 people registered for the current class, many who do not regularly attend Colonial. Wayne McGrath and his eleven-year-old son, Will, are part of the class and are eager to learn archery for the first time. Twelve-year-old Alyssa Quackenbush and her Dad, Paul, have tried archery through the YMCA Guides and Princesses Program and are looking forward to honing their skills.

Last turkey season Ed and Chris went turkey hunting. Chris is a veteran turkey hunter; it was Ed’s first time turkey hunting. Chris coached and encouraged Ed on their early-morning trip and Ed was able to take his first tom. “What makes this first turkey special is that Chris is not just a hunting buddy; he’s a brother in Christ. He’s a co-laborer in ministry and servant of our Lord,” said Ed.

If you’re an outdoorsman or know someone who is, check out Colonial Outdoors at colonialoutdoors.blogspot.com for information on up-coming events. Be sure to check out the video attached to this story to see Colonial outdoorsmen in action!

June 2010 Calendar

2010-06-16T15:37:00.003-04:00

Double Click to enlard

July Calendar

2010-06-16T15:35:00.002-04:00

Double Click to enlarge

New Archery Class, Sign Up NOW Before It's To Late

2010-06-03T19:25:00.005-04:00

Note: you can double click on the picture for a larger view.
The next class will be starting on June 14^th and ends August 9^th. It runs from 6pm to 8pm. The class is open to youth (age 10 to 15) with their parent or guardian. If you are interested in participating please click on this link to sign up.

Centershot Ministries has been a blessing to both parents and kids of many ages. This course has developed many fine archers and they learn many things spiritually along with the class.

No where else in this area will you get such an opportunity as this. Plus, it's real fun to shoot an arrow and hit a bulls eye......try it and sign up now as these classes traditionally fill up quickly.

A Colonital Tribute to the Vets

2010-05-30T17:49:00.002-04:00

I know that this doesn't have anything to do with Colonial Outdoors directly, but many of the best in the military were hunters or outdoorsman who knew how to take care of themselves and how to complete the job.

Special Hats off to those who made the ultimate Sacrifice.

The last verse of My Country Tis of Thee gets overlooked. Here it is:
Our Father's God! To Thee,
Author Of Liberty,
To Thee We Sing;
Long May Our Land Be Bright
With Freedom's Holy Light;
Protect Us By Thy Might,
Great God, Our King!

Here's the video of the Military being honored by Branch.

Pond Fishing, But with a twist and a Happy Ending

2010-05-28T16:14:00.008-04:00

I wanted to let you know the young man with the nice big bass is John Knight. John and his parents came out to Kid's Day at Harris Saturday with the Colonial Cub Scout pack and fished a little then. He and his dad went and bought some fishing gear to come out Tuesday night with Colonial Outdoors Pond Fishing night. John caught a few small crappie. He kept chunking and winding and working on his casting technique when I heard a splash. When I looked down toward where he was fishing I saw his rod tip bent over and I knew he had hooked a nice fish. I went down to help him and saw the fish "WOW John, hang on buddy that's a huge fish". He landed it like a pro, and well the rest is history. (Editor: chunking and Winding is a David Fritts Technique).

When I saw the pride on his face as well as Johns Dad William, I was reminded again how special fishing can be for all of us young and old. And I was also encouraged at Johns attitude and spirit as he never gave up. He just kept fishing and His reward was that beautiful fish. (Editor: I asked Ed how big it was and he said around 5 lbs. note: that means when you tell the story, it could go 8 or so ;-))

I have a feeling that will not be Johns last big fish. I am just thankful we have a ministry at Colonial that can help foster the passion in a young man like we all have for the outdoors. I must confess, sometimes I get a little discouraged that we don't have better participation for some of our events like this one. But on this night, John was there and so was the fish and we all got to enjoy that special meeting between them two.

John! You keep chunking and winding,

John 21; 2-8

Here are some other pictures, they speak for themselves I think.

Turkey Hunting 2010, Chris Crum

2010-05-11T09:24:00.003-04:00

Turkey hunting has got to be my favorite type of hunting. It can seem so easy and yet some days can be very frustrating. I am fortunate to be able to hunt them in two states.

My hunting in NC has not resulted in any birds in my bag, even though I went after them on 12 different mornings. However, I was able to help a friend (Ed Strickland) bag his first bird on his first turkey hunt. If you haven’t had the opportunity to call in a bird for someone, you need to. It is just as exciting as pulling the trigger yourself. It was starting to look like I may not bag a bird this year, but on the last two days I planned to go hunting in WV, the Lord blessed me with a nice bird on each day.

– Chris Crum 5-3-2010

More Than Just a First Turkey

2010-04-27T13:52:00.003-04:00

Well, as you can see I shot my first Tom, and yes it was a spot on right in the head shot.
It was early Tuesday morning and Chris Crum went out with me to some property I hunt in Orange County. Chris has bagged his share of long beards, so he agreed to go along with me and help me out.

You see folks I bass fish, and when it’s turkey time it’s bass time, so I just have never made the time to turkey hunt although I always wanted to. This year I was committed to get it done.
We arrived before the sun came up and made a thirty minute walk to the side of the land that turkey’s had been reported. At just the right time, Chris hit the ole hoot call and….nothing. I always heard what was supposed to happen, but it was silent. He hit it again five minutes later and BAM, there he was and close. As we decided how we were going to hunt this bird, he just gobbled his head off.

Chris located what he thought would be a good spot to set up; we got in place, a little noisy but got in position. Bird still gobbling and I got all my mess ready and Chris hit ever so lightly on his call he said “Ed be still, I can see the bird in the tree” As I looked it was right there less than a hundred yards from us.

About ten minutes later we saw another bird fly down, then the one in our sight joined it.
We could hear a hen just off in the distance and we thought that bird was heading off in her direction, but we watched and waited. Just over the hill I saw some movement and sure enough here he came.

Chris said “take him if when you get a shot” As I got him in my sights and he was getting close, all of a sudden popped up another tom, and he was closer, real close and still coming. I gently moved the sight on him and boom, big bird down. I guess I watch to many hunting shows because I have always seen these guy’s jump up and run toward the downed bird, so that’s what I did and in doing so I forgot that Chris could have shot the second bird. Chalk that up for a rookie mistake. As you can see in the picture I was a happy boy.

As Chris and I walked back to the truck, we talked about the day, praised the Lord for the opportunity to take that bird and have a great hunt.

As I put as a header, this was more than just a first turkey. This was a milestone, a living testimony to what Colonial Outdoors is about. We discussed how just a little over a year and a half ago we didn’t know each other and here we were sharing a hunt. We also talked about some of the other guy’s who have begun hunting and fishing together that are relationships from Colonial Outdoors. Fruits of the labor, fruits from commitment to the ministry.

What makes this first turkey special is that Chris is not just a hunting buddy; he’s a brother in Christ. He’s a co-laborer in ministry and servant of our Lord.

If you have not been to any of the Colonial Outdoors your missing out on great opportunities to forge friendships and grow not only has outdoor sportsmen, but as followers of Christ.
I will always remember taking this wonderful bird and for the rest of my life when I think about it I will remember that Chris helped me get my first tom, and when he thinks about it he can enjoy the memory as well.

Thank you Lord for this bird and thank you Lord for Chris.

May Calendar

2010-04-20T15:23:00.002-04:00

June calendar

2010-04-20T15:14:00.001-04:00

Ted McKinney gets a Gobbler

2010-04-20T07:58:00.004-04:00

Here is a photo of the gobbler that I shot last Friday in the mountains above Asheville ,NC. near Weaverville. He weighed about 18-19 lbs and had 1 in. spurs. his beard was thick and wide,but short like it had been bitten off !

I'm hoping to post more great harvest's soon!

April Calendar

2010-04-08T20:03:00.002-04:00

Double Click for bigger size or to Print

Colonial Outdoors Fishing Tournament

2010-04-08T19:41:00.005-04:00

Hey folks mark you calendars for June 13th as we hold Colonial Outdoors 1st fishing tournament. Here is a picture of a guy holding a bass I caught (I'll explain exaggeration later).

It will be held at Lake Wheeler in Raleigh.

You can use your own boat or rent an aluminum boat from Wheeler Park (no motors on theirs, can bring your own)

We will have species categories, bass , crappie, catfish and bream. as well as overall total weight.

This is a team two person tournament that can consist of two adults, adult/junior, two juniors as long as one of the two is 18 (lake rules),it can be you and your mother-in-law, hey were easy.

We will have big fish contest for juniors.

So come one, come all. Since we are Christians, we'll face a real dilemma. There is a commandment that says you shouldn't bear false witnesses to your neighbors. But fishermen are notorious for exaggeration. I've seen fish double in size from lake to by the time the story got told in the office.

March Calendar

2010-03-01T19:56:00.001-05:00

Double Click to view a large version or to print.

April Calendar

2010-03-01T19:43:00.002-05:00

Double Click for a Larger version

Onward Christian Soldiers - To the National Wildlife Turkey Federation, Over 20,000 Copies of Lord of the Spring Given out

2010-02-27T18:49:00.007-05:00

On February 18th through the 21st. a team of men from Colonial and our brothers in Christ from Heart of a Sportsman went to Nashville to man the booth at the National Wildlife Turkey Federation.

As told by Ed Strickland:

What an awesome time we had and all but a few of the 20,000 Lord Of The Spring DVD's are in the hands of about half of the 40,000 in attendance.

All of us were just blown away at the event and all that it God was doing through our team as well as the other teams that joined us in this mission.
We were sowing those seeds and we are confident that God will give the increase.

After arriving Thursday afternoon we got settled in and then had a team meeting. We shared our thoughts on the project, got to know one another Jason Cruise from Outdoor Ministry Network encouraged the men with a awesome message.
We arrived Friday morning and at nine AM the gate was opened and it was non-stop all three days.

There is no way to know the fruit God will produce from this project, but folks have already e-mailed the Lord Of The Spring web-site saying that they had been touched by the content and it had an impact on their life. Praise God!

We had our focus on those in attendance as our mission, but like so many times we can get narrow minded forget that God's ways are not our ways, and we had not given the attention to the thousands of vendors present. But The Lord reminded us a we had several opportunities to minister to several around us that sought a couple of our group out for council. A couple of the team spent several hours with one gentleman who needed help and prayed with him in the parking lot of the hotel.

Again, all I can say is WOW! What an awesome God we serve.

Here is the Lord of the Spring clip:

4th Annual WILD GAME BANQUET THIS SATURDAY

2010-02-10T19:28:00.011-05:00

Ted Mckinney gave us notice of this banquet which is on:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH AT 5 PM

Featured Speaker: Keith McWhorter

DOOR PRIZES!!!!

Location:

THE BLAYLOCK BARN located at 345 Caulton Brown Rd off NC 210 North of Lillington

PRICE: FREE

RSVP: via Phone or email
919.624.5633 or
m3blee@yahoo.com

They will be serving:

NOTE: January 30th Breakfast Postponed due to Weather

2010-01-28T13:17:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry to say that the weather is going to force us to cancel the breakfast. Please check back for a new date or follow in the communique for a new date.

Building and Setting Crappie Structure

2010-01-23T15:22:00.004-05:00

First, let's get the name right...I know they call them croppies in Texas and Oklahoma, but this is North Carolina. That means the name is Crappie...like number 2.

Last Tuesday, we prepped about 15-20 Christmas trees that we will place for fishing structure.

Where to put them is of prime importance. The Lake Structure (from Ice-fishing Source.com) shows us the basics.

Lake Structure

The real secret to catching more fish is knowledge! The more you know, the more fish you'll catch. Fish relate to lake structure like people relate to things around them. Here you'll find out what kind of structure fish relate to so you know where to find them.

Look for tips identified by a slip bobber

Chance are pretty good that you live under a roof and have a kitchen. And, if you left your home to drive to a town a few miles away you'd probably take a road and not drive through a field to get there. (At least I hope so )

So what does all that have to do with fishing? Fish need food and shelter just like we do and lake structure provides both. Also, when fish travel they normally follow familiar structure between two points.

Knowing what structure fish like will help you find fish. And finding fish is half the battle!

Some of the most common lake structures are Points, Bars and Breaks.

As you can see in this picture a Point is where visible land extends into the lake. The land is surrounded by water on three sides.

A Bar is shallow water surrounded on three sides by deeper water. The most common type of Bar is an underwater extension of a Point. Another Bar may just be an extension of shallow water into deeper water with no visible above water Point.

The bigger the Point or Bar the better since they attract and hold more fish.

A Break is noticeable change in depth and is sometimes called a drop-off. In many lakes the primary Break line is where the depth changes from around 5-10 feet to 15-20 feet. In shallow, bowl shaped lakes a Break may only be a depth change of a few feet or even less. Breaks serve as travel routes for fish.

The steeper the Break, the better.

The top edge of a Break is called a Ledge. A lake usually has a few Breaks and Ledges that form the decent into deep water.

Other common fish holding structure are Humps and Saddles.

A Hump is sometimes called an underwater island or even a mid-lake bar. This picture has two Humps.

A Saddle is deeper water that leads up to shallower water on two sides.

We can't forget about Fingers, Inside Turns, and Outside Turns. Fingers are small extensions of a Bar or Hump into deeper water.

Inside Turns are where a Finger meets a Bar. Points and Bars have Inside and Outside Turns as well.

The picture can probably do a better job of showing you what these are .

Inside Turns are usually a better choice for finding fish.

Finally, we need to define Inside Weed Lines, Outside Weed Lines and mention Rock Piles. An Inside Weed Line is simply the shallow side of a weed line while the Outside Weed Line is the deep edge of a Weed Line. Outside Weed Lines provide travel routes for fish as well as a great place for fish to hide and ambush other fish.

Rock Piles are important to mention because they're an excellent place to find fish.

The main thing to remember is that fish love structure and finding fish is half the battle!

Now, where do we place them? Ohio State University provides that.

Ohio State University Fact Sheet

School of Natural Resources

2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Placing Artificial Fish Attractors in Ponds and Reservoirs

A-1-98

William E. Lynch Jr.
David L. Johnson

Many ponds and reservoirs in Ohio contain little or no natural underwater structure that could, if present, concentrate fish and increase angling success. Ponds treated with aquatic herbicides are essentially without any type of vegetation that could provide structure for fish. Most reservoirs in Ohio had natural structure (such as trees) removed prior to filling to ensure safe navigation. Natural structure may also be lacking because age has decayed any remaining timber and fluctuating water levels prevent growth of submerged vegetation. Placement of artificial structure in ponds and reservoirs is an effective way to concentrate fish. In the absence of structure, fish are often widely dispersed or travel in hard-to-locate groups known as schools. Angling is often difficult when fish exhibit these behaviors. Research done at Ohio State University has shown that artificial structures can concentrate fish and increase angling success.

The guidelines listed below are based on five years of research conducted in an Ohio reservoir. Many conclusions are applicable to small ponds as well.

Materials for Structure

Three of the most commonly used materials were evaluated: brush piles, stake beds and evergreen trees (Figure 1). While all three materials attracted satisfactory numbers of fish, anglers typically caught more fish from evergreen structures. It was not unusual on any given day for anglers to catch five to ten times more fish from these trees as compared to the other materials. Two other advantages of using evergreen trees as structure are cost and availability. In 1988, the cost of placing seven evergreen trees, considered to be one structure, was $2.80 or $.40 per tree. This cost estimate does not reflect labor - labor needs are best filled by volunteers, either individuals or fishing clubs. The cost is considerably less than $57 for a stake bed of comparable size. The brush pile structure was inexpensive to construct but angler success was much lower than with evergreen trees.

Evergreen trees are readily available during the three weeks after Christmas. Individuals wishing to add structure to their ponds can use their own tree and obtain additional trees from neighbors. The larger size of a reservoir will require the placement of considerably more trees to serve more anglers. Fishing clubs or groups of anglers may want to join together to plan a reservoir project. The largest source of Christmas trees is the thousands collected by public workers in residential areas. Contact your local government offices to arrange for use of these discarded trees.


Figure 1. The three commonly used structure materials tested during the five-year study are shown above.

Attracting Fish Species

Bluegill, redear sunfish, largemouth bass and channel catfish are the species most commonly stocked in Ohio ponds (see Ohio Pond Management, Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 374). All four species should use evergreen trees in ponds if the pond is largely void of other structure.

Reservoirs usually contain many species of fish. During the study, bluegills, white crappies and black crappies comprised about 90 percent of the total catch from the artificial structures. Lesser numbers of largemouth bass, yellow perch and channel catfish were also caught.

How Deep to Place the Structures

Ponds

Place evergreen trees in 6 to 10 feet of water in areas not used for swimming activities. In deep ponds, placement should still be in 6 to 10 feet of water because the deep water is usually devoid of oxygen due to decomposition of organic materials that collect in the deepest portion of the pond. Structure placed in water lacking oxygen will not attract fish.

Reservoirs

Structure should be placed in 12 to 21 feet of water in reservoirs. Angling for bluegills is most successful when fishing 12-foot-deep structure. White and black crappie catches are greatest from 21-foot-deep structure, especially in summer and early fall. Shallower structure, such as that placed in 6 feet of water, will attract harvestable fish only in the spring. Beginning in June, these shallower structures are used mostly by very small fish.

How Much Structure to Add

In a pond, a structure to attract fish need only consist of a few trees (Figure 2). Using more than 100 trees per surface acre can inhibit largemouth bass predation on bluegills, which results in a large but stunted bluegill population.

In reservoirs, create long lines of trees, three to four trees wide, extending from 12 feet to 21 feet of water (see Figure 2). The actual number of trees needed will depend on the bottom slope of the area where the structures are to be placed. Steep-sloped areas require fewer trees to construct a 12 to 21 feet deep tree line. Thus, for the same number of evergreen trees, more tree lines can be created in steep-sloping areas than in areas with gradual slopes.

Tree lines are easier for anglers to locate than smaller isolated structures. They also provide continuous lines of structure that allow anglers to fish various depths depending on where the fish are at any given time.


Figure 2. Recommended stategy for placing evergreen trees in ponds and reservoirs.

Construction and Placement

Individuals or groups need to obtain permission before placing trees in ponds or reservoirs. This is particularly important for reservoirs where improperly placed floating trees can be a serious hazard for boaters. Contact the Ohio Division of Wildlife for permission and direction before placing structure in reservoirs. District offices are located in Columbus, Findley, Akron, Athens and Xenia.

To prepare an evergreen tree for use as structure, gather these materials: one evergreen tree, one 8-inch concrete construction block, a 24-inch piece of wire, a power drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit, and a pair of pliers. As shown in Figure 3:

Drill two holes, 9 inches apart at the bottom of the tree trunk.
Slide the trunk through the hole in the block.
Run the wire through the tree's bottom hole, around the outside of the block, and through the top hole on the trunk.
Twist the two ends of the wire several times, using the pliers if necessary - the wire should be heavy enough to prevent breakage during the twisting.


Figure 3. Attachment of concrete block to evergreen tree. 1. Drill 1/4 inch hole. 2. Slide tree into hole of block. 3. Slide wire through bottom hole. 4. Take around outside of the block. 5. Slide wire through top hole. 6. Pull wire tight by pulling each end of the wire. 7. Twist ends of wire several times.

The easiest method for submerging evergreen trees in ponds is to place them on the ice during winter and let them sink when the ice melts. This method is not recommended for reservoirs, however. Melting ice moves around and could dump the structure in an unintended location. In large bodies of water, evergreen trees with attached cement blocks should be placed by dropping them from the side of the boat. This is best done during warm spring weather.

Summary

The placement of evergreen trees in ponds and reservoirs where natural structure is lacking will attract fish and increase angling success. Evergreen trees placed in ponds should be located between the depths of 12 and 21 feet. These lines should be placed on steeper slopes so as to allow creation of several lines from the collected number of trees. Permission from the pond owner or the Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Wildlife (reservoirs) must be obtained before placing trees.

So what everyone will want to know is where are we going to put them? You'll have to come to our meetings to find that one out! We're going to have to fish these trees to see just what they attract!

Hunter Safety course at Colonial NOW!!

2010-01-16T18:24:00.008-05:00

Part of our outreach has been hosting the hunter safety courses at Colonial. The classes have been full and it has has been a highly successful outreach program.

We've had guest teachers from the game commission and they've commented that we've had a great facility and have been appropriate hosts.

Now the tough part, teaching the classes yourself. Last week, Ed Strickland, Chris Crum, Steve Wade and Tom Barritt took the class to be certified as instructors. One of the men felt a particular calling in his heart to get involved and participate and he obeyed what God was telling him. We should all do that instead of following our own sinful desires. Jump in and help spread God's word to the corners of the earth, starting in Cary, NC.

This is a multi hour course with a certification test afterwords to make sure that they understand the rules and regulations.

So much for the Hunter part. As I stated above, we are reaching out not to gain new members or take from other churches, rather provide a home for those who don't have a place they call their home church and be able to learn not only about hunting safety, but also to hear the Word of God as spoken through our Pastorial staff.

The first class is March 22, 23 and 25, but sign up is open this week.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Also, they could join our Outdoors Ministry (see the calendar on the right at the top of the page and click on Tuesday nights) as we have an exciting schedule this year from learning the word, teaching archery, building knives, building fish structure and much, much more.

GOD has blessed our group which started almost a year ago and we can already see the results of our the efforts he has worked through us as vessels of clay (stayed away from the song title there for you Christian music lovers).

We are a group of guys who love the outdoors be it hunting, fishing, camping or some combination of these and sharing it with others......especially the next generation.

So hats off to the guys who got certified and please pray that their teaching is successful and that God's work gets spread through our ministry.

NC Falconers Guild Meet in Lillington on January 15th and 16th

2010-01-14T16:09:00.004-05:00

I don't know if you've ever seen a Falcon or any Bird of Prey Hunt, but it is way cool. This weekend, there is a field meet of the Falconers Guild. If you are looking for something very interesting or a good parent/child activity, please consider this.....courtesy of Mike Hayes.

All the information you need is on this, click on the sheet below to read about how a real hunter gets it done..... and about training these wonderful creatures that God created.

January Goings On

2010-01-13T08:15:00.005-05:00

We've finished our series entitled "The Quest for Authentic Manhood" and have new events being planned for January.

On Tuesday the 19th, Mike Hayes will be conducting a seminar on how to build a proper Crappie habitat from Christmas trees and other structures. Be there so you can both learn how do do it, and where we will sink them for secret fishing spots!

On the 26th, we'll be getting together at the Golden Corral in Cary for dinner to tell hunting and fishing (exaggerations) stories as well as talk about the rest of the year.

January 30th at 7 AM is the Mens Outdoor Breakfast. Please sign up at this link to reserve your spot (breakfast is on us, you just have to show up). We'll talk about what our ministry will be doing, including the fishing, hunting, workshops, studies and other outdoor activities we have for the year.

Sign up for the Hunter Safety Education Class March 22nd, 23rd and 25th is filling up fast. Information on the classes is at the NC Wildlife site.

Please go to the calendar on the right hand column for more details

Redneck Santa

2009-12-14T16:20:00.002-05:00

Many think of us Christians as stuffy with a lack of humor. Here is a post thanks to Ted McKinney to prove that wrong.

Jeremy Herrill's Huge Buck

2009-12-05T16:42:00.006-05:00

Jeremy Herrill of Cornerstone Baptist Church helped us start Colonial Outdoors Ministry. We are grateful for his help and guidance to get us going, and as a brother in Christ.

It's only right that we show his trophy buck he harvested in Kansas, one that any of us would be proud to have. This big boy scored 145 4/8, a number that any hunter would like to have.

Jeremy loves the Lord and pours his heart and soul into men's lives through outdoor ministry. He has become a dear friend to Colonial Outdoors and we are so glad God blessed him with this prize deer.

Plagiarized from Heart of a Sportsman directly from Jeremy (this is the link to the original blog):

Today was a good day...No, today was a great day! Today, I hunted with my soul brother Alan Davis on his farm in Kansas - and harvested a monster Kansas buck. The events surrounding this momentus kill are much to detailed to describe here (but, you will surely get tired of me telling them when I get home!).

Every whitetail hunter dreams of killing a deer big enough to get his name in the record book. Today, that dream became a reality for me. I haven't got the deer scored yet but am confident that it surpasses the 125 inches to make the Pope and Young record book. God is so good!

I was thinking today as we talked about the deer making the record book, that God has a record book too. His book is called the Book of Life. His book contains the names of every person who has accepted his gift to us, of His son Jesus. Those whose names are in that book will spend eternity in heaven. Having your name in that book is more important than any record book! It is our prayer that your name is there - in God's book ... Revelations 20:15.

Ted McKinney Gets a Nice One

2009-12-05T16:19:00.003-05:00

In one of the earliest posts, I asked for pictures of the hunt or fishing trip. Since Ted sent these photos, up they go.

Here is a nice 6 pointer that Ted got while hunting in Carthage.

From Ted: I shot this buck with my 30-06 on Sat.Nov. 21, morning about 8:30 as he was chasing a doe out into a cut0ver near Carthage, NC. He ran only 20 yds and dropped.
He was about 185-190 lbs. His antlers are 16in. wide outside and 3 1/2 around the bases.

My true trophy was a beautiful 8pt. I shot with my bow. I tracked him for a mile and lost him in a cutover at dark ! Bummer !

Colonial Outdoors Safety Course Produces a Harvest

2009-11-29T12:39:00.005-05:00

How do you know if your programs are successful? What lessons are we learning or teaching?

At any Hunter Safety course, they confirm that passing on the tradition of hunting and the love of outdoors to the next generation is of vital importance.

One of the goals of Colonial Outdoors is to reach seekers who have interest in the outdoors. Here is an example of killing 2 birds (deer) with one stone.

We've begun hosting and soon will be teaching Hunter Saftey at Colonial Baptist as part of the Outdoors Ministry.

One of our first graduates shows off the fruits of her labor and was rewarded with a good hunt.

Lauren Sutphin attends Colonial and Wake Christian. As far as we know, this is the first deer taken by one of our female hunter education class graduates. She was in our class last week and had her first deer by Wednesday.

By any scale, this was a success for the ministry and for the hunting tradition.

Way to go Lauren and I hope the lessons you learned about safety and about the Lord are etched in your heart forever.

In the PotHole - When trouble Hits You

2009-11-08T11:45:00.009-05:00

There is little that is exciting to an Outdoorsman than the anticipation of the hunt or fishing trip. There isn't enough coffee to describe how awake you are and the pounding of your heartbeat when you hear footsteps, the honking or quacking of your prey or a splash on the water right in front of you. These are the good moments that God provides for you.

There are also the challenges during the hunt just like life. This is one of them.

Ed Strickland describes his Canadian hunt below:

Well I have just returned from my yearly trip to Canada where each year several of us head up to do some waterfowl hunting and just relax and enjoy the beauty of that area and each other company.

This was a special year as well because I had my eighteen-year-old son Dale along with me. It has been five years since he has been to Canada with me. This hunt was a graduation gift from Frances and me. Also an Old Friend Odell Thompson who took me up to Canada for the first time about nine years ago. I was looking forward to hunting with the two of them this trip as well as the other fellows I go with each year.

We headed out before dawn Monday to hunt a pothole that had been scouted by a couple of the guys Sunday evening. It was just perfect conditions for a good duck shoot with tall cattails and bulrush all around. The fog was heavy and you just could see the water.

Just at seven AM official shooting time it just rained ducks, three and four at a time they dropped out of the fog right into the decoys wings cupped and flipping right down in perfect range for us all to get good shots. We ended the morning with six limits in about one hour. WOW! What an awesome start to the week.

Afterwards we headed in to have some breakfast and recap the morning and plan try and figure out how we were going to top that hunt.

Tuesday we went out to the field and set up on some Canada geese we had scouted the day before. Sure enough another great hunt and we got about thirty geese and ten ducks on the morning. Half of the geese were greater or big honkers and we had two weighed that came in about thirteen pounds each. These birds were huge.

Wednesday was a bit slower and we had to scout pretty hard to find some birds to hunt for the rest of the week and we decided to check out that pothole again because we knew we had not hurt the population of ducks and it should have settled down enough to have another crack at them one afternoon. So we decided Thursday after lunch to go get’em.

It was just a beautiful afternoon, to beautiful for ducking, but hey we were hunting so I’m not complaining. Sure enough the ducks were there and we had another good shoot. With darkness quickly closing in we decided it was time to pick up. Karl Blackley and myself headed in to get up the decoys and the days bounty.

This pot hole as beautiful has it was from the outside was a mess on the inside with mush for a bottom that the moment you stopped your feet sank about a foot. Well Karl headed to one side and me the other. I headed out to retrieve a duck that had drifted out toward the middle. The water was about waist deep and about the time I got to the duck I started to loose my balance and down I went. I landed on my knee and immediately started to sink in the muck. Well this was not good and my waders were taking on water fast. It was right then the cold temperature of that water hit me and away went my breath. This water is black as used motor oil and as I was going under I knew if I went down and could not get back up the guy’s would never find me, so as I was headed under I called out to Karl that I was in trouble. At that time I started fighting with all my life to keep my head above water and try and dig my way to the bank. I had forgotten and left on a fleece and neoprene pullover and it was getting heavier by the second, to the point I could not right myself back up so I had to dig with my hands and push with my feet all the while sinking in the muck. Each pull felt like someone was adding weight to my back.

Karl was about fifty yards from me, and with that bottom like it was he could only move toward me but so fast and as he tried he kept yelling for me to get to the bank. “Keep going Ed, Get to the bank, don’t stop!” Dale and the other guys could only watch as I struggled to get in shallow enough water to keep from drowning. As I approached the bank and thought I was there the water started getting deeper as I had picked a spot with a drop off close to the edge, but thank God I made it. This water was cold, it was frozen just a week before and I was out of breath and shaking like crazy and Karl was still trying to get to me all I could do wait. I tried to stand up only to fall back in so I just lay there trying to catch my breath until he could help me up and out.

Well wrapped up and in the truck with the heat on I was safe. All that had just happened shook us all and realized how quick things like this can happen.

As I laid in bed that night thinking about the events of the day, a thought came to my mind, you see earlier that day we asked Dale my son to find a pair of waders that fit him so he could help in the water. He’s a size thirteen and the largest we had were twelve’s and he could not get his feet in any we had. And then it hit me, had those waders fit him that could have been him in that water. That could have been me on the bank watching helplessly as he struggled to safety. It was not the he might not know what to do in that situation, or that he would have handled it any different than I did. I just had that peace that I was the one supposed to be in those waders.

A funny side to this story that came to my mind on the plane ride home as I was thinking back, I never let go of that duck. When Karl was getting closer to me I chunked that duck toward the bank and he asked, “What was that?” I said, “It was that stupid duck I went after”. I don’t know why I held on to it so tight.

Later I thought about a verse in Ecclesiastes. Verse 4-10 talks about one that falls and his friend can help him up, but pity the man that falls and has no one to help him. I was glad God and Karl were there to pick me up.

I try to practice safety whether I’m hunting or fishing and we actually have hunter safety courses at our church. But I came face to face with how quickly things can go wrong and how blessed I was to survive. Another thought came to mind about that day. What if I had drowned in that pothole in Canada? What if that were my last hunt. And I realized how Glad I am that I know Jesus Christ has my Savior. And I don’t have to fear death or dying. Do I want to die? Well sure I don’t, Like Paul says for me to die is gain. I would be in heaven with my Lord. What about you friend? If you found yourself facing death in any situation, do you know what your eternal outcome would be? Could you have the same peace that I did and know you would go to heaven? Or is it possible you could spend eternity in Hell separated from God Forever? Be sure! There is only one way and that way is

through the saving grace of a loving God through the Blood and sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ for us.

If you are not sure and you need some guidance call me anytime, because one day your going to be in some sort of pothole and you want have your friend Christ to help you up.

God Bless

Ed Strickland

919-422-1111

Centershot Ministry Takes Off

2009-10-08T19:29:00.009-04:00

Just like the Hunter Safety program that God provided for us as an opportunity to reach out, Centershot Ministry was laid on the heart of Chris Crum.

He spoke to our group and then we prayed for the resources for the training and supplies and the Lord delivered everything, including a full class.

A group went to West Virginia for training and they have begun the ministry which includes Bible study and archery instruction.

Here is an update:

Well, after October 8^th the Centershot Class will be halfway over. It has been great seeing God put this whole thing together and we are looking forward to our next class.

Here is Chris Crum showing the correct nock position.

After only three days of class, we have some real sharp shooters.

Mike Hayes is watching Dirk Steckmann prepare to stick the bullseye.

From left to right Daniel Wood, Maggie Cooley, and Caroline Cearley are emptying their quivers as they practice the 11 steps to archery success.

Yes, God has been good to our fledgling group, but we give him the glory and hope to reach new souls and new hunters.

Colonial Outdoors Holds It's First Hunter Safety Course

2009-10-03T12:37:00.006-04:00

Part of our mission at Colonial Outdoors Ministry is to find a way to reach out to others who love the outdoors. God has provided the ability for Colonial to be able to host the Hunter Safety Course at our facility.

Later, we will be able take classes to become instructors as part of the NC Wildlife program.

This week was our first class. In this pictue we have our mother/daughter participants Ann Marie McCarroll and Devon McCarroll along with Steve Wade and daughter Morgan studying the rules and regulations of the Safety rules including proper handling of weapons, shooting and ethical harvesting of game.

Thanks go out to Officers Brent Ward and Kelly Brantley who came to Colonial. Here they are with Ed Strickland who organized it for our group.

We are proud that over 25 people took and graduated the course including Ann Marie and Devon McCarroll show off their official Hunter Safety Cards, They are Our first mother/daughter duo to attend and pass the course.

Stay tuned as we will offer two more classes before the end of the year

Tuesday's Topic: Quality Deer Management

2009-08-24T09:29:00.003-04:00

Make sure to come to our meeting on the 25th where we have a guest speaker to discuss Quality Deer Management.

Also if you know any young hunters that would like to learn some cool things about deer like how to age a deer from the jaw bone, be sure to bring them or invite them.

If you have some land or hunt lease property and want to maximize you efforts, these are the folks that can help, so come out and support them and their taking the time to come and share with us.

We Meet at 6:30 in the Family center, second floor, room 218/219

UPATE FROM QDMA!!!!

I am pleased to announce the opening of our pre-registration website for next year's Youth Day at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds - March 5, 2010.

http://www.capefear-qdma.org/ncqdma.html

Workshop schedules will be developed based on the interest of those who pre-register before November 15th. Remaining seats will be filled after that on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The NC State Chapter of QDMA is once again playing an integral role in its design, launch, and delivery. Please extend our reach by spreading the word!

Under the umbrella of the Wake County Wildlife Club, youth day organizers including volunteers from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NC State University, NC National Wild Turkey Federation, NC State Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association, and other community-minded organizations have been working hard to identify and define workshops which would be of the most interest to students and best match current standard course of study academic objectives. We think you'll like what we've come up with!

Public or private school groups, home schools, 4-H, Shooting clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Youth Groups at Church, Grandparents & grand kids will all enjoy the day.

Come for an hour or stay for the day!

Each 1-hour workshop will be hands on / interactive
Topics range from wildlife conservation to outdoor skills and wildlife careers - build a turkey call, assemble a personal first aid kit, learn more about that wily white-tail, or bring home a portable composting kit
A special appearance by 13-yr old pro-staffer Zac Cooper will be enjoyed by all
All workshops will be free; parking is fee; goodie bags for the kids are free!
Kids can then walk over to the Dixie Deer Classic (open from 11am - 9pm that day). Youth 12 and under will be admitted for free; Youth 13-18 will be admitted for half-price that day. Remind kids to have their hands stamped on their way out for a free return on both Saturday and Sunday.

Questions? Check out this web link, then send us an e-mail via the pre-registration forms.
http://www.capefear-qdma.org/ncqdma.html; or feel free to give me a call.

Thanks for supporting area youth - the future of Wildlife Conservation and our Hunting Heritage!

Colonial Outdoors Now Offering Hunter Safety Course

2009-08-14T09:59:00.003-04:00

As part of our outreach program, Colonial Outdoors will be offering Hunter Safety Courses at the church. We are working with the NC Wildlife Commission and this is a great outreach program

THE DATES
The first round of courses will be September 28th, 29th and October 1st.

WHOT TO CONTACT
Either contact Ed Strickland at # 919-422-1111 for info, or contact Colonial Baptist at 919-233-9100.

TIMES
Times for class will be I believe from 6PM to 9:30 pm each night. The class has to be 10 hours. People should be aware that even though they may be grand fathered here, other states will require it if they go out of state to hunt.

Ironman Catfish Results

2009-07-27T19:52:00.007-04:00

This report comes to you via Ed Strickland who was there, and a link to The Heart of a Sportsman, our Brothers from Cornerstone who put this on. I'll throw in a few of Ed's pictures, but if you click on the in link above, you can see each of the 3 churches and read their version of the trip as it is good. If anyone knows the blog from Stanleyville, please send it to us and we'll link to it.

From Ed:

Well it's official, the Ironman Catfish tournament is in the books. Did we win?....well no, was God honored? Absolutely. What an amazing evening of what our ministry is all about, fun and fellowship with other Christian men, 70 to be exact between the three churches. Seventy guy's that had never met came together and ate an awesome meal, laughed and acted like we had been friends all our lives.

As many of you know it started out with a ton of trash talking by the guy's from Cornerstone, and that video. And when we arrived, just before dinner they announced that they were in a Christian way going to "put a monkey stomping on us" meaning Colonial and Stanleyville.

Well, I'm sad to announce they delivered, 98lbs later in 10 fish and well... Enough about that! The truth of the matter is we had an awesome time. We had twenty-three from Colonial Outdoors and two ringers in Jamie Olive and David Moss Jr. We really worked hard to prepare for this event. Jamie led the charge with advise for many of us who had never fished for catfish. Chris Crumm went out Thursday night to catch some bait and Dale Strickland, Cody Pigot and David Moss spent almost all day of the event catching our bait in some local farm ponds. We were stoked. But in our defense, none of us but Jamie have ever even been on High Rock Lake. We knew we had our work cut out for us, and we knew these guy's could catch some big cat's, but we felt we could make a decent showing. We are kind of like an expansion team in the world of cat fishing, I mean let's face it, it's hard to go to New York and beat the Yankees, but you give us a season or two and it will be on like donkey kong.

I must say Thanks to the guys from Heart of a Sportsman,Cornerstone Church for all their hard work putting this on, and thanks for including Colonial Outdoors. Thanks to the gang at Stanleyville for participating with us, you guys did an awesome job. And the men from both of these churches are some of the most Christ like guys I have ever met.

You know, the neatest thing of all is this, Colonial Outdoors did not even exist a year ago, and God put it all together, and put Jeremy and the folks at Cornerstone in our life and in just a little bit of time we had the awesome opportunity to participate in an event like this, and I am certain it want be the last. Oh! By the way, we finished third, and it takes a man to admit that.

Gratuitously plagiarized from their website, the words are good enough to reprint:

Impressed by the large number of men at the event, I heard one guy say before we started and after seeing all the boats beached along the shoreline at the tournament that “the night was already a success even if we didn’t wet the first hook.” Another fella said, “it’s awesome to see this many guys who don’t even know each other come together for a night of fellowship.” One church leader said, “Just think, one year ago our guys didn’t even know each other and now we’ve got over 20 dudes together for this event.” That’s what it’s all about. We came together to not only fish but to glorify the one who created the fish, and the lake and the land around the lake: the Almighty God.

Seeing all these men come together made me think of those guys that Jesus used. They were regular men. Many were tough, rugged men - Men who liked to fish – just like these guys. He chose 12 regular men just like this to change the world. Imagine what He can do with 70! It is my prayer that we fish for men as hard as we fish for fish!
God is good all the time...and all the time God is good!

Special congratulations to Brian Cain of Stanleyville Baptist go for the biggest fish of the night (28 pound flat head catfish) and Eddie Ritchie of Cornerstone for the smallest fish (unable to register a weight on the scales). Oh yes, Cornerstone did get lucky and won the Ironman trophy with 98 pounds of cats on the night – but the real trophy was hanging out with 70 cool dudes. Thanks for all the fun...we look forward to doing it again!

Attention Outdoorsmen: They called us Sissies, Wimps and Baby Christians; Catfish Challenge

2009-06-22T08:07:00.002-04:00

Centershot Ministry, Our Guys Get Training to Help Reach Out Via a New Ministry

2009-06-03T11:20:00.005-04:00

(From left to right) Chris Crum, Mike Hayes, Ted McKinney, Manny Montoya and Polly Montoya all completed the Basic Archery Instructor course on May 30, 2009.

It was taught by Charles Larue in Clendenin, WV. The course will enable these individuals to teach International Target Style Archery through the fundamentals put together by National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) www.archeryintheschools.org .

It is the goal of Colonial Outdoors to combine this training with the gospel message through the Centershot Ministries program www.centershotministries.org . The archery class can be available to people of all ages, gender, and abilities by using a bow (Matthews Genesis) that is not draw length specific. The class can connect children to the church, strengthen a relat ionship between child and parent, reach children for Christ, and even allow people with different levels of abilities to compete against others.

“I am excited about the possibilities that will be available at Colonial”, said Manny Montoya. “I know God has laid it on my heart to start this program at Colonial”, stated Chris Crum. The bows have already been purchased and the program is in need of about $1,500 more dollars for equipment to get started.

If you read this and feel led to contribute please contact Chris Crum tyson1978@yahoo.com or Ed Strickland estrick318@aol.com .

Hunting and Fishing for Souls (and New Members)

2009-05-31T18:30:00.010-04:00

Colonial Outdoors had a booth outside the worship hall to help tell about our ministries. There were a couple of fellows who came by to talk and you could tell that their hearts were being convicted to join.

Plus it was fun to wear camo to church.

In the pictures are John Simonds, John Simonds III, Pastor Davey and Ed Strickland.

Some families came up and you could see the bonding between Dad's and Son's beginning. Some came up alone, but (almost) everyone was interested

The biggest smile I saw though was Pastor Davey when he came up and saw the display. It's good to have him support our efforts.

We're praying God will convict a few souls through our ministry.

Lord Of The Spring Video - Please Watch

2009-05-27T20:10:00.004-04:00

We are partnering with our Buddies at Heart of a Sportsman of Cornerstone Church.

Please let everyone you know see this video and help raise funds to reach people for the Lord.

Take a look and enjoy, then let your heart decide on helping out.

What we need to communicate to people is the fact that every dollar raised now is for evangelism. The Booth at the National Wild Turkey Federation and production cost are done. We need $12,000.00 for I believe 15,000 videos and it works up in five thousand increments from there.

If someone would like to partner with us on this project, they can make checks out to Things Men Do and earmark it Lord of the Spring Project. We need to pray for Gods provision on this that He will provide these funds and that He will use this and us through it to further His Kingdom.

Ted and Brian's Great Hunting Adventure

2009-05-24T17:01:00.005-04:00

My hunting partner, Brian, and I had been drawn for a special three day wild turkey hunt on the NC. Game Lands and we were excited at the prospects! We arose early at 5 am, put on our cammo, and grabbed a snack, our guns and flashlights and headed into the woods with high expecations. The barred owls were the only things responding to our calls, and they were putting on a concert. It was too early to use a hen yelp or crow call. I headed down river while Brian headed up river.

Picking my way through the dry noisy woods with the aid of my headlamp, I had barely gotten in sight of the river in the pre-dawn darkness when suddenly from a large tree along the bank, a big gobbler struggled to get airborn, beating his powerful wings in the branches. He sailed effortlessly across the river and crashed-landed in the trees lining the opposite bank.

Immediately, I sat down under a large oak and after putting on my gloves and facenet began softly clucking and yelping on my old slate call. Each time he would respond with a booming gobble or double-gobble. This went on back and forth for at least half hour and by now it was broad daylight. Suddenly I saw him pitch off the roast and sail toward an old clearing across the river. Remaining in the same location, I called occasionally to which he responded on the ground from the other side. Still he refused to fly back across the river. Already the action was smoking hot! Could I expect more of the same?

Deciding a change of location might even kick things up a notch, I relocated on a slight tree cover hill overlooking the river. It reminded me somewhat of an Indian mound and afforded a good view of the swamp to my left, and the 60 yard stretch of beautiful river bottom hardwoods and grassy green forest floor between me and the river. Another half hour of sitting produced no desirable results, so I decided to stalk slowly from tree to tree along the edge of the swamp, watching ahead for movement. Suddenly, I spotted two gobblers and a hen feeding in the park-like river bottom at approximately 60 yards.

Dropping to my knees, I crawled to some trees and brush in order to hide and observe these turkeys and get a diaphram call in my mouth. In response to soft purrs and clucks, all three stopped feeding and stretched their necks to look, but no gobbles. They went back to feeding. I was a little disappointed they did not break into a full strut display, or come running toward me immediately.

Both were mature gobblers, but one was a true Trophy with a huge white head. We later came to call him "snowball head." I wanted desperately to make a "jelly head" of him with my 12 ga. 3 inch magnum copperplated load of number fours ! He was a wise old tom, 20 plus pounds, with many seasons in his ten inch beard. He knew all too well that a "chick" in tow is worth more than ten hens clucking in the bush! He stayed close to his "chick" and fed just out of range.

However, at my urgent calling, the younger of the two toms began to feed in my direction, and would pause to look when I purred. By now, my heart was pounding and I was beginning to shake. When he went behind a tree, I got on my knees and raised the camoflauge Browning pump, steadying it against a tree.I was in the appropriate posture, because I was praying hard he would keep on coming !

Determining the small opening in front of him to be about 30 yards, I aimed the shotgun there. When I saw the red head emerge, I trained the bead on it and squeezed the trigger. There was an explosive flurry of feathers and flopping!!! Instantly, I ejected the shell and prepared to shoot him again, but that would not be necessary. He was down for good !

Here it was only the first morning of a three day hunt and God had blessed me already with an
eighteen pound bird with a nine inch beard ! I was jubilant and praising Him.

I had the luxury of sitting for hours,soaking up the beauty of His creation,reading my little
New Testament that I always carry in my hunting pack, and meditating on the Truth of His Word. There was abundant wildlife to observe also, such as ducks, crows, hawks, owls, squirrels,piliated woodpeckers,and coyotes.

Later I took Brian to my "honeyhole" and he saw a number of gobblers and hens. He shot a large tom, knocking it down,but before he could get to it the bird jumped up and ran off. A
major disappointment- but he eventually shot a nice jake out of a flock of four on the last morning.

What a hunt ! One for the record book- at least our record book !

Enjoying Gods Great Outdoors, Ted McKinney

Pond Fishing Last Tuesday - Pictures and Words

2009-05-15T20:28:00.024-04:00

Last Tuesday, we went to Yates Pond as a group to do a little fellowship via a pole. It was a good group that was able to come. We opened the day with a prayer...then got to it.

Some brought spinning rods, some fly rods, some baitcasters....both artificial and live bait got uses and everyone had lots of high hopes. I even saw the Hank Parker super hook set on a 10 incher ;-)

Here's Ed Strickland hoping for old Bucketmouth to stretch his line...

I think everyone caught either a bass, bluegill or a perch, most about this size

But with out a doubt, the two best fishermen of the day were Steve Wade's daughters, Morgan (11) and Mary Bishop (9),who were wearing out both the bluegills and the other fishermen. I stood next to them at one point and they caught four fish on four casts....

A good time was had by all and next week we'll be back in the classroom studying God's word. On this night at the pond, we got to fellowship with God and each other on his turf.

New Meeting Information, Next Week Is Pond Fishing

2009-05-07T08:37:00.000-04:00

Colonial Outdoors is meeting on Tuesday nights, 6:30-8:00pm, FC218/219.
Next Tuesday, May 12, we will have a pond fishing outing. Meet at the church 6:30pm and bring the kids for a fun time at a local pond that a church member has graciously allowed us to fish in.

Ed will be putting on a fishing clinic on rod retrieval (this in an inside joke). Mark your calendars for the beginning of an exciting study of the word about being an “Authentic Man” on May 19.

If you would like to participate, we can get a study guide for $10. Please email estrick318@aol.com or ray.pigott@pgnmail.com if you want us to get it for you or you can pick one up at Lifeway. It is called The Quest for Authentic Manhood by Robert M. Lewis.

New Date and Room for Our Meeting

2009-04-26T19:56:00.001-04:00

To the Colonial Outdoorsmen:

We will meet on Wednesday for the next two weeks, this Wednesday and next, and then BEGINNING MAY 5TH WE WILL START MEETING ON TUESDAY NIGHTS.
The group that has been getting together decided to make the switch so that many of you that have been involved in other things at the church on Wednesday night would be able to participate with us.
So please mark your calendars for Tuesday May 5th. We will continue to meet in the Family center building. We will have a new room. It is # 218/219.

The Turkey Hunt - By Chris Crum

2009-04-26T07:22:00.004-04:00

This morning I went to a spot where I had been successful in the past. I started walking in the woods at 5:30. I went too far and as I was trying to find the place I intended to set up, I decided that where I was standing didn’t look too bad. I figured if the birds were too far I would just move. The ground was all charred from a recent burn and it made me question my camouflage, but I was happy to have on my “usually too dark” jacket. There was plenty of time before daylight so I just got comfortable and waited for the break of day. As the little birds began to sound off I opened my eyes to find that it might be getting light enough for a tree call. After I did some light tree yelping a gobbler sounded off. Far enough to call to without being seen, but close enough for me to stay put. After a few gobbles a jake sounded off. The jake was much closer and after it got light I could see him in the tree. I was anxiously waiting for the big bird to pitch down to determine my next move. After my “long” wait the gobbler took flight toward the jake and landed up hill from his tree just out of my sight. I gave some calls to let him know where I was. The jake pitched off in the same location and then a third bird (I didn’t know was even around). After a few more calls I waited for them to show. The jake showed and the gobbler was chasing him. They both came into sight and looked my direction. After a look they both went back from where they came. I was thinking, “What happened?” “Did they see me?” “Did I scare them?” I called a few times out of desperation and debated on going after them. As I sat there contemplating the turkeys started to come back. The gobbler strutted again to be sure the jake knew who was boss and they started my way. There were a lot of saplings and branches near the ground and I was trying to keep an eye on them and the bird. That way, if he stopped I would know if I had a shot or not. He didn’t seem like he intended to stop. He was closing ground in a half strut walking position. At about 22 yards I didn’t see any saplings between us and he had come close enough. At the shot he dropped like a sac of potatoes. I ran over to claim my prize and thanked God for providing me with another great turkey this season. The other birds just stood there, looking. I had to run after them to chase them away. Dang, my heart was pounding. -Chris Crum 4/15/2009

Member Mike Hayes gives an Outdoors Report

2009-04-08T09:56:00.005-04:00

Mike starts out with this verse:

Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

It's Spring again, that means it's time to knock the dust off the fishing and hunting gear and get out into the Lord's playground. Crappie are heading to the bank this time of year. They will hit about any small artificial spoons, minnow baits, spinners, jigs, flies, streamers, and live minnow is hard to beat.

This time of year, fish artificial baits slow and near the bottom. Live bait should be fished under a float. I fished Jordan two weeks ago and had good luck landing 17 nice Crappie ranging from one pound to three pounds. Fish were found ten to fifteen feet off the bank, three to five feet deep. I was fishing minnows under a slip float.

This time of year, cold fronts can push fish off the bank, so you might have to adjust your game plan due to the weather. With the Dogwoods blooming, look to the lake's head waters for the White Bass spawn. Water temperature is key to finding fish, and I look for water 58-64 degrees. The same artificial baits used to catch Crappie will work fine on White Bass.

Clouser Minnow type flies and streamers work well for flyfishing. Don't forget about the poor man's tarpon, the shad, they are in all your coastal rivers this time of year and are great fun on lite tackle and on the fly. Shad darts, trailed 6 to 10 inches behind a small spoon, work well on ultra light gear. Any type of bright shad fly will work well, but it must be weighted if fished on a floating flyline. I prefer a slow sinking flyline on a six weight flyrod with a fast action.

Largemouth Bass are leaving their deep winter holes in all our local lakes to spawn and will be heading to shallow water backbays and coves; look for water temps of 65 degrees to get things started. Small ponds warm earlier this time of year, so if you don't have a boat they can be a great place to find some quiet action. Largemouth will hit a variety of baits from soft plastics to hard baits. When asked what is the best bait to be using, I say the one you have the most confidence in.

Ed Strickland and myself were out on Harris this past week and had five fish from about 1.5 pounds up to one that weighted 7.5 pounds. It was a great day.

Turkey season starts April 11, through May 9, 2009. So cut that TV off and unplug that computer and get out into the Lord's playground. You will be truly blessed.

Mike has graciously offered to speak to anyone if you want to call him at 919-481-0331 for help on rigging and gear selection as he's happy to give anyone a hand. I'd take him up on it if I were you!

Josh Strickland's Hunt in Canada

2009-03-28T09:53:00.002-04:00

Here is a picture of Josh Strickland with this huge honker he shot in Sask, Canada. This was his first trip up to our house up there we have with some guy's I have hunted with for several years. We had some great shoots while we were up there. Also had some snow that week. I love the sunrises and sunsets up there with those big wide skies.

God provided well for this hunter

Fishing in San Diego

2009-03-28T09:46:00.005-04:00

This is Ed Strickland and it was his first bass caught sight fishing in San Diego last Feb. It ws awesome, clearest water I have ever seen. They caught about five with the largest about four lbs.

The other is his son Dale caught at Harris last year in the Triangle Bass Anglers Classic tournament. This fish got him big fish money for the day and put him in third going into the last day. He would end up fourth. TBA fishes three lakes in two days between Harris, Jordan and Falls. This Fish was 6lb 6oz.

Both great fish and I'm sure they gave thanks to God for providing good times and a good catch.

The Verse Our Pastor Gave Us for Colonial Outdoors

2009-03-08T14:28:00.003-04:00

Today at Colonial, Pastor Davey gave the state of the Church sermon. He spoke of all the ministries. He mentioned Colonial Outdoors and said he wanted to be on the side of guys who go to Walmart in camo. I clapped at that.

Pastor Davey told us our theme verse should be Acts 10:13 where the Lord told Peter in a vision, "And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat".

After all, as Jeremy told us at our kickoff meeting, we are guys that like to kill things and eat them, how prophetic.

Colonial Outdoors at the Dixie Deer Classic

2009-03-08T14:24:00.005-04:00

This weekend was the Dixie Deer Classic. Some of our brothers including Ed Strickland and Todd Oleson helped out at the S.O.M.E. ministry Booth hosted by Mike Hayes. They got to see some awesome deer and speak to others on behalf of Mike's Ministry.

Pray For One of Our Own

2009-03-08T14:21:00.002-04:00

We received a letter from one of our brothers, Matthew Lesher who is headed back oversea's. Please pray for his safe return to his family and to be able to enjoy the outdoors.

His letter to us:

Just wanted to let you guys know that I am doing well and hanging in there. We
are nearing the end of our training in Camp Shelby, Miss. and about to move onto
to Fort Irwin, California in about a week. I should be home for a brief visit
during the beginning of April before heading over seas. I hope all is well with
you guys. I sure do miss ya and can't wait to get back to the grind of serving
the Lord with you guys. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Take care.

In Him,

Matthew Lesher
U.S. Army National Guard
B. Co. 1/252 C.A.B.

Kick Off Meeting Information!

2009-03-02T16:29:00.003-05:00

The first meeting of Colonial Outdoors will be held on March 4th at 7 PM in room FC217 at Colonial Baptist Church.

I know that Ed and Chris have put a lot of blood, sweat, tears and praying to make this happen, so let's get out there and support it.

Think of it as putting new lines on your rods or cutting lanes for your tree stand. Preparation is a big part of success.

Photo from: Darryl Rogers

Calling all Hunters and Fisherman

2009-02-19T19:36:00.005-05:00

One of the first things we'd like to post is some of our trophies. As an example, here is one of the teenagers and his 8 point buck harvested 20 minutes into rifle season 2008 in Chatham County.

Here's the hunter's dad with 2 nice crappies caught in Central Florida in February.

God was good to both these members of the Outdoors Fellowship.

Please forward your trophy pictures to colonialoutdoors@gmail.com and we'll post them. Please include a brief story and how God has provided for your outdoors adventure.

Welcome to the Colonial Outdoorsman Ministry

2009-02-19T19:28:00.003-05:00

Welcome to our blog. We are a new fellowship with the Colonial Baptist Church Sports Ministries.

We formed as a group of guys who like to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors just like many who like to golf or play tennis.

Our mission is to reach out to other outdoorsmen and share fellowship and our faith in Jesus Christ.

If you wish to find out more, you can contact Ed Strickland at estrick318@aol.com or colonialoutdoors@gmail.com.