I’ve been home for over two weeks from our trip to New Mexico.  I have been so busy I am behind on getting this blog posted.  A lot of people are wanting to know how we did in New Mexico.  We had a great trip.  We took two bulls and one cow.  As you can see in the picture that I was successful as was Rick Browning on his 5X5 bull, and Mike Dean took a real nice cow elk.  Joe Nemecek had opportunities at some cows but chose to wait for a bull.  We all really liked New Mexico.  I plan to return there one of the years I can’t draw Colorado.  You hunters out there that are returning from your western hunts, send me some photos and stories about your experiences!  

And so we will.  My good friends Rick Browning and Mike Dean from West Virginia, and good friend Joe Nemecek from Oklahoma and I head west for our annual adventure.  Horses in tow and more “stuff” than you need as we make this 1700 mile trek to New Mexico.  Rick and I have made this trip together for the last five years.  Last year was Mike’s first time with us, and Joe will make his Maiden Voyage on an all out bow hunting, horse back riding, sleeping on the ground, eating spam for 10 days, drinking creek water, freezing all night, muscle cramping Elk hunt.  And we think this is fun. We love it.  I’ll bring back plenty of pics for future posts.  A couple “notes” about these guys.  Rick and Mike have to use my Ohio address when they apply for the license as New Mexico won’t allow people from West Virginia in their state.  And Joe Nemecek never does anything but sit behind a desk, so, I am anxious to see how he gets along climbing those mountains.  We’ll see.

It was in 1985 when my great uncle Elmer Lamb began to talk once again about his favorite place and time on earth.  I had heard all of this before, but I was always ready to hear it again.  The “place” was Colorado and the “time” was Elk season.  That day, after the stories were told,  I asked Elmer and his son Herbert, When can we go?  We decided right then that the next year we would all go to Colorado.  And we did. Long story short, we didn’t get any Elk on that trip.  Some never even saw an Elk.   But, it has always been and I suppose  always will be great memories for me.  Colorado was everything that Elmer had described….and more.  Uncle Elmer and Herbert are both gone now but I always think of them as I gather my things together for another trip to hunt Elk in Colorado.  I think this year will make about 15 times I have went to the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of Elk.  This year I am going to New Mexico.  After the long drive with my friends Rick, Mike, and Joe, when I mount my horse “Flicka” and start up the trail into the basin ahead of me, I will remember how these adventures got started, and those who took the time to show me some of God’s most beautiful creation.

How do you succeed in Life?  One key word is preparation.  I’ve thought about this a lot in the last few days as I “prepare” for my upcoming Elk hunting trip to New Mexico with my friends.  Actually, I am far less prepared this year than I have ever been before.  There are different reasons for this.  The first one is I am just being lazy about it.  Second, I have been pre-occupied.  I have been so busy with recording, traveling, making videos, ect. that I have neglected my preparation for this trip.  Pictured here I am finishing a 4 mile ride on my horse “Tucker.”  If I fail to get an Elk on this trip it will probably be due to my lack of preparation.  It will be my fault.  

Be sure to not fail to “prepare” for eternity.  We can get too busy in everyday life to look ahead and realize we won’t live forever on this earth.  By excepting Jesus as our Savior we can make our preparation to go to Heaven.  When we do this, we have really begun to succeed.

From time to time I want to tell you all about true friends that I have.  The Bible says if you want to have friends, show yourself friendly!  It works!  Bill Stone and his wife Ramona, from Winchester, Ohio are true friends.  He has went with me as far as Winnepeg, Manitoba to help me get to my concerts when Theresa wasn’t able to go, We’ve fished together in the Bahamas twice, Bear hunted in Minnesota, deer hunted many times, and I’ve even went golfing with him in Florida although I don’t golf.  I took this picture of Bill a couple years ago.  They have always supported my ministry here at home and my work over seas.  I appreciate them.  Many of my best days hunting have been with Bill and other friends on his farm, not to mention I took my best buck there too!