The best and most essential piece of equipment in any hunter’s arsenal is rarely mentioned or known. It is the hunter’s mindset.
Table of Contents:
- Hunting Preparations
- Go afield with a good attitude
- Choose to take responsive actions
- Confidence and Patience is required
Hunting Preparations
A lot of preparation goes into doing a hunt in a foreign country. It is often a once in a lifetime event for many hunters and every detail is given priority prior to departure to make sure he/she will have the ultimate experience. As an outfitter, we help and one of the many pieces of information we share is a packing list.
Most of all come with an open mind ready to have the time of your life.
Go afield with a good attitude
‘Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person.’ Fred Bear
Go afield with a good attitude – your mindset is your mental attitude; your state of mind.
You must be positive in spirit, mind and your whole being when you go out to encounter African game. This is true for all hunting no matter where you are, but even more so when you endeavor to hunt on the vast terrain of the African plains. Like in everything you attempt to do, a positive mindset is paramount and will take you to great heights or trophies in this case. A positive attitude will and can make a hunt. On the contrary, wrong expectations, poor preparation [fitness and practice-shot placement] as well as an entitlement attitude can ruin a hunt.
Choose to take responsive actions
Reactive actions are taken after a happening, in this case a shot taken versus responsive actions are positive approaches to the situation (the hunt) instead of just acting in what comes natural to you. You will often encounter the unexpected and/or challenging on a hunt, and your attitude will determine the success or failure of the outcome.
Confidence and Patience are required
Being positive must be practiced by a hunter until he succeeds. Be positive while you visualize the shot before it is taken. Proper preparation i.e. having a reasonable level of fitness and having practiced your shooting is essential but your attitude still determines how you implement what you know out in the field. Combine the above with patience in the field and being confident in your approach and your success is guaranteed. This confidence is the result of the right mindset. Difficult and trying conditions whilst hunting can easily break your confidence. That is why a hunter needs to be mentally tough. You need to acquire it at all cost and you do not acquire it from a book or talking to your hunting buddies. It is an attitude and mindset that you need to develop and as you grow into it you will be more successful in the field. The conclusion is: Mindset is more important than skill when you hunt.
One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted… If one were to present the sportsman with the death of the animal as a gift he would refuse it. What he is after is having to win it, to conquer the surly brute through his own effort and skill with all the extras that this carries with it: the immersion in the countryside, the healthfulness of the exercise, the distraction from his job. Jose Ortegay Gasset
For a hunter to conquer the surly brute through his own effort and skill he needs the right mindset.
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