Lesson From the Woods 3

I was deer hunting recently. On Tuesday afternoon of gun season I was sitting in a camp chair high atop hay bales overlooking a field. Winter clover was in abundance and I had laid out corn the previous week. Tracks revealed that the corn had been discovered and regularly visited.

At 20 minutes to 5:00pm a large doe and two yearlings began to make their way out of the woods. Ever cautious, they slowly walked the edge of the field coming my way. At 85 yards they stopped, the doe staring in my direction. Frozen in place, sighting down the scope, I waited. When she turned and showed her side I took the shot.

MISSED!

Missed? How did I shoot under that deer? I’m an experienced marksman, expert medals to prove it. I was sitting still, elbow propped on my knee, but I shot under the doe. I went home frustrated and perplexed.

Wednesday was warm and sunny so in the afternoon I took the shotgun to another field, set up a target and checked the sighting on the scope. At fifty yards I was dropping 3 inches. The night before at 85 yards I may have dropped as much as 5 inches.

Three clicks up on the scope. More shots, this time grouped around the center.

By 4:00pm I was back in the field, sitting in high brush under the outstretched arms of tree just 25’ from where I hunted the night before. Nothing to do but sit and wait.

4:40pm – a buck wanders out in an adjacent field.

4:45pm – three deer wander the far edge, close enough to be seen, no chance for a shot.

4:50pm – a huge doe leads five other deer out of the woods. They move my way. I’m uncertain if they will make it to my blind before sunsets at 5:10pm.

4:55pm – three of the deer including one big doe linger in the corner of the field.

4:58pm – The largest doe leads two others toward the corn. Safety off, I watch them through the scope.

5:00pm – The large doe stops in one of my shooting lanes. I squeeze the trigger. She’s hit just behind the front shoulder. Clean through the chest.

En route to the processor that night I’m struck once again by a leadership truth. Preparation and opportunity are not enough. Clear focus, vision, for the objective is essential. The only difference from Tuesday’s failure and Wednesday’s success was a refocused scope. Vision made the difference.

Leaders know success is a combination of preparation, opportunity and focus. Leaders lead – so lead.