RUSSELL THORNBERRY OUTDOORS

May, 2010 RTO Newlsetter

FCA Outdoors Making an Impact

Pro football Hall of Famer, Jim Kelly, FCA's Randy Waterhouse and Russell Thornberrry join efforts at the Elk FoundationPrayer Breakfast in Reno, Nevada, on March 6, 2010.

My winter and spring speaking events have taken me on a whirlwind journey from California to New York with lots of stops in between. The men’s outreach events sponsored by so many great churches have been a blessing and encouragement and I thank them all for the honor of getting to share God’s awesome grace with so many men. God is doing a great work in the hearts of men and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

I had the privilege of being the invited speaker at the Safari Club International Prayer Breakfast and the Elk Foundation Prayer Breakfast, both held in Reno, NV.  Both events were facilitated by the newly formed FCA Outdoors under the direction of Tim Eason.  FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, has had a major impact on all levels of organized sports in high schools and colleges across the nation for many years, but the Outdoors facet of the FCA is brand new.  The FCA Outdoors mission is to inspire sportsmen to use their passion for the outdoors and their influence as outdoorsmen as a platform to share the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.

 

FCA Outdoors exists to assist outdoor oriented organizations succeed in their outreach efforts. Director Tim Eason says FCA Outdoors’ objective is to be a facilitator and even at this early stage it is amazing to see the demand for and acceptance of their mission. If you are thinking of using your passion for the outdoors as a mission outreach I can think of no organization that could be of more help to you. Check them out on the web at www.teamfcaoutdoors.organd see how they can assist your efforts.

 

FCA Outdoors and Team FCA Outdoors
Tim Eason
95 Smokerise Drive
Carrollton, Georgia 30116
770-301-4985
teason@fca.org

 

Only Two Openings Left for Sept. 1-5 Elk Hunt

 

This hunt normally fills up almost as soon as I establish the dates but because of our rough economy I still have two places open.  There is, however, an upside of the economic downturn and that is that Spirit of the North has reduced the price of 300-inch-class bulls to only $3000 (down from $4500), so if you ever wanted to cash in on the elk hunting opportunity of a lifetime at a price that we might not see again, now is the time.  For full details click on RTO Trips. ONLY TWO PLACES LEFT!

 

Coming of Age

 

Hogsters: Russell Patterson(L), Barry Patterson (C), Trent Warren (R)

If ever there was ever a poster child for “Wild at Heart,” my oldest grandson, Russell Patterson, would have no equal. He’s been all about adventure since he was born, and if there was no tangible adventure at his disposal, he would invent one.  I remember when he was just a little tike (he turned 13 on March 6^th) and someone asked him to turn off the TV. He did as he was asked but in the most adventurous way – he had an imaginary sword fight with the television, eventually winning the battle, and off went the TV. At the ripe old age of eight, he ran a mouse and pack rat trap line under his house, which he checked every morning before school. At age 9 I had the joy of helping him shoot his first white-tailed buck while sitting on my lap in a box blind in South Texas. I’m not sure which of us was most excited.

 

So, what does one give a Wild at Heart boy when he turns 13? I don’t know what happens in other families but the obvious and ultimate “coming of age” gift was a trip with grandpa and father, Barry Patterson, to west Texas for a wild hog hunt.

 

Our host was Trent Warren of Abilene who took us to the family farm, which just happened to be crawling with the “hoggy” objects of our affections.  On the first evening, just at dust, “the ground began to crawl with hogs of every size,” said Russell the younger.  The big hog appeared on the unexpected side of the blind, which necessitated a quick switch of shooting positions resulting in a rushed shot and a miss. Day 1: – hogs 1 – birthday boy 0.

 

The second evening the hogs didn’t appear and it looked like the hunt would end with a near miss. At last a lone boar came close but hung up in the brush and it looked like he’d stay there until darkness fell. Russell and Barry could see glimpses of him but never a clear shot. It looked like the hogs would win the day until a change of fortunes showed up in the form of two white-tailed does that came into the feeder and began feasting on the corn.  That was more than Mr. Hog could bear.  The competition was too much for him so he threw caution to the wind and charged in scattering the does. That was his undoing and the birthday boy made good on one fat curly-haired spotted blond feral hog.  What could possible be a better birthday present.  Our collective thanks to our gracious host and “Hog Master” – Trent Warren!

 

My Sincere Thanks

I wish to thank all of you who have prayed for me during this past year and through my cancer surgery on April 5^th.  The last 16 months have been pretty rough beginning with E coli poisoning in my bloodstream in Jan. 2009 that very nearly took my life. The search for a solution to the unrelenting E coli poisoning resulted in the discovery of cancer, so all things surely do “work together for good . . .” I am gaining strength daily and healing well. My thoughts are drifting on to fly-fishing and future hunting trips, which I take as a sure sign of healing.  God bless you one and all for your prayers and support.

Russell

Also in This Issue:

 

Field Tips: Freedom on the Ground

The chair that makes ground blinds work better.

 

May Feature Article: “Almost Mine” by Russell Thornberry

If you think filming TV deer hunts is fun then read this. You might change your mind!

 

Real Life: Will Democracy Save Us?

Can a democracy survive apart without God?

 

FCA Outdoors Making an Impact

 

Hall of Fame Pro quarterback Jim Kelly, Randy Waterhouse and Russ Thornberry at the Elk Foundation Prayer Breakfast in Reno, Nevada, March 6th, 2010.

My winter and spring speaking events have taken me on a whirlwind journey from California to New York with lots of stops in between. The men’s outreach events sponsored by so many great churches have been a blessing and encouragement and I thank them all for the honor of getting to share God’s awesome grace with so many men. God is doing a great work in the hearts of men and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

I had the privilege of being the invited speaker at the Safari Club International Prayer Breakfast and the Elk Foundation Prayer Breakfast, both held in Reno, NV.  Both events were facilitated by the newly formed FCA Outdoors under the direction of Tim Eason.  FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, has had a major impact on all levels of organized sports in high schools and colleges across the nation for many years, but the Outdoors facet of the FCA is brand new.  The FCA Outdoors mission is to inspire sportsmen to use their passion for the outdoors and their influence as outdoorsmen as a platform to share the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.

FCA Outdoors exists to assist outdoor oriented organizations succeed in their outreach efforts. Director Tim Eason says FCA Outdoors’ objective is to be a facilitator and even at this early stage it is amazing to see the demand for and acceptance of their mission. If you are thinking of using your passion for the outdoors as a mission outreach I can think of no organization that could be of more help to you. Check them out on the web at www.teamfcaoutdoors.org and see how they can assist your efforts.

FCA Outdoors and Team FCA Outdoors
Tim Eason
95 Smokerise Drive
Carrollton, Georgia 30116
770-301-4985
teason@fca.org

Two Openings for Sept. 1-5 Elk Hunt

 

This hunt normally fills up almost as soon as I establish the dates but because of our rough economy I still have two places open.  There is, however, an upside of the economic downturn and that is that Spirit of the North has reduced the price of 300-inch-class bulls to only $3000 (down from $4500), so if you ever wanted to cash in on the elk hunting opportunity of a lifetime at a price that we might not see again, now is the time.  For full details click on RTO Trips. ONLY TWO PLACES LEFT!

 

Coming of Age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost Mine

 

Bowhunting is an invitation for disappointment.  So many things have to go right.  The stars have to line up just so, and still, the most miniscule of minutia will deny you of your dream.  My dream was wearing 12 tall points on a wide, palmated frame at least 25 inches wide.  He was one of those “take your breath” bucks.

I was hunting a hardwood bottom about 50 miles from my home in Montgomery, Ala.  It was a television hunt so an unnamed cameraman was perched in a tall oak tree right behind me.  The rut was coming on and I had my rattling antlers in hand.  I know that many hunters believe you can’t rattle up a buck in Alabama and admittedly it is tough but it can be done when the weather and the early stages of the rut cooperate.  It seemed like a perfect day, especially considering that for the three previous days it had rained non stop, washing away the fresh scrapes that outlined every creek bottom and timber line.  But now the sky was clearing and the wind calming. Maybe the rut would come alive again.

I tickled the tips of my rattling antlers gently and paused for five minutes.  Then I smacked them together with some authority for a minute or so.  That’s when I saw a buck slipping quietly through the canes, heading my way.  The cameraman was on red alert and soon it was clear that this buck was truly a lifetime deer.  I hung the antlers on a limb and froze.  The buck meandered around, never coming closer than 40 yards from us, and then bedded down in the canes – broadside!  I could see his huge rack sway when he turned his head.  He was actually close enough to shoot but the canes provided him with enough of a protective shroud that I dared not chance it. 

He was obviously waiting patiently for the fight to continue and was in no hurry.  A buck of that magnitude never is. They have far more patience that their hunters.  For 30 minutes he stayed bedded … taunting me … tormenting me … daring me. Finally he stood, stretched and walked away in the direction from whence he came.  My heart sank.  I don’t think a whitetail has ever made me cry but this one came close.  I felt the same way I did in the 7th grade when I was snubbed by the girl of my dreams.  Love dies hard, and so does a deer hunter’s anxiety when he sees a buck of such rarity.  “Helpless” doesn’t begin to describe the feeling. Neither does “aching,” “sick,” “nauseous,” nor “deflated.” I simply couldn’t believe I had rattled that monster in to 40 yards and could do nothing about it.

The cameraman and I sat quietly, not even looking at each other, mutually grieving.  Another 45 quiet minutes dragged by and darkness started to settle on the treetops.  It looked like the hunt was over and I was just waiting to hear him announce that our filming light was all gone. I glanced up at him and saw him with his head turned sharply to his left.  Suddenly he turned back to me with eyes as big as saucers and pointed behind him. When I looked around the tree my heart almost exploded.  Our buck was back – and standing only 10 yards from our tree.  He stood like a statue straining every sense he possessed like radar.  Had I been in the cameraman’s stand it would have been all over, but I was in my stand and was as helpless as a “kitten up a tree.”

I tried to control my breathing and hoped the buck couldn’t hear my heart beating as it thundered in my ears.  The buck wanted to walk past our tree and finally he was standing at arm’s length from it, still directly under the cameraman’s stand.  He would start around the tree on one side and just before he would give me a shot he would back up and start around the tree on the opposite side. He did this three times as precious seconds of light ticked away.  Finally he started around the tree on my side and I thought the unthinkable was actually going to happen.  When I saw his head clear the tree trunk I knew he was committed.  I hauled back on my bowstring as gingerly as one can pull 70 pounds, praying that I wouldn’t spook him.  Just two more steps and this adrenaline-packed drama would finally end in my favor.

He took another cautious step.

Just one more step, I urged under my breath.

The buck started to step forward into certain peril and then stopped mid step and dropped his nose to the ground.  At that moment my heart turned to stone and the dying rays of daylight revealed my nemesis – a skinny orange plastic jerky wrapper that the cameraman had dropped unknowingly.  I knew how it would end.  The buck blasted a snorting alarm and bolted back into the canes.

He was almost mine.  So close – so very close.

There is nothing to be gained by describing the horrors of the torture I envisioned for the cameraman. But suffice to say that boiling him in oil would have been an act of kindness compared to what I had in mind!

Illustration by Chris Armstrong

 

 

Can Democracy Save Us?

I remember long ago hearing a man say, “If it is in the hearts of men to do evil, democracy is the most dangerous form of government in the world.”  It didn’t make a lot of sense to me back then but as I watch what is and isn’t happening with our federal government these days, those words are growing clearer in my understanding.  Government for and by the people is a grand idea but it has become perverted by politicians who have put power, control and money ahead of their elected responsibilities. And so we as a nation find ourselves asking if whether or not honest governing with the best interest of the people is even possible any more. Can democracy save us or can it even survive?  The answer is a definitive NO.

Democracy apart from the love of Christ in the hearts of men is as much a disaster as communism.     The late Edwin Cole author of “Maximized Manhood” made some profound statements that were never more poignant than today. He said (as I remember): “The character of the kingdom can never surpass the character of the king.” Apply that to our government and it is a very sobering thought.  I recall another of Coles statement, which went something like this: “Much love equals little law. Little love equals much law.”

When have we seen less love and respect shown between people than today? And when have we been so strangled by more and more laws and corrupt lawsuits than we now see. It is a sign of the times. History has proven beyond a doubt that government and laws cannot fix a broken society.  Only the love of God in the hearts of men can do that. So, perhaps we need to stop looking at our government as a hope for saving us and start turning our hearts to the only hope we’ve ever had: the love of God.

Freedom on the Ground

 

 

While I have shot 99 percent of my bowhunting whitetails from treestands, I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when a ground blind would have served me better. And I tried commercial ground blinds on several occasions only to find myself so limited by the stool or chair on which I sat that when a shot presented itself I could never get properly positioned. Finally I gave up on commercial ground blinds for reasons that were really the fault of the stool rather than the blind.  Subsequently, when I just had to have a ground blind I built one of available shrubbery tall enough so that I could shoot from a standing position.  That often defeated the purpose, creating too much cutting of shrubbery that tipped off the deer.  In some cases I abandoned a perfect ground blind location for a lesser position in a tree.

Then while perusing the aisles of the annual Archery Trade Association Show I stopped abruptly at the HuntMore Booth where I gazed in amazement at a stool made for hunting from the ground. At a glance I realized that the 360 Degree Chair had addressed every malady I had ever experienced while trying to hunt in a ground blind.  It had adjustable legs, which I loved because I am extra long from the knee to the ankle. It would enable me not to have to sit peeking between my knee caps. The 360 degree silent swivel feature was perfect, as was the excellent silent adjust padded back rest and seat. The large feet were designed specifically to keep the chair from sinking into the ground. The chair collapsed and fit into a bag for ease of travel. To say that the 360 Chair revolutionized my willingness to hunt from commercial ground blinds would be an understatement.  The same blinds that were once impossible for me now work beautifully. The best ground blind on earth is of little value if you can’t get comfortable for your shot. The 360 Chair is truly the ground blind hunter’s best friend.  And lest I forget, sitting quietly in the 360 Chair in a ghillie suit often eliminates the need for a blind of any kind!

Check out the 360 Chair at www.huntmorebiz.com.

This product is one that I use and encourage others to use because of its practicality and quality. I am not sponsored by the manufacturer nor am I paid to promote it.
RT