The word ‘basic’ has taken on a negative connotation in our society. A ‘basic’ person is one who just follows the latest trends. A basic model of a truck is least desirable with the lowest number of features (and price). Everyone strives to be different, to stand out, to make their mark, to go viral. ‘Basic’ is the opposite of these things.
I am a basic hunter.
By that word, I mean I strive to be a stud at the essentials of hunting. The foundational principles of hunting. There are skills and animals and trips and many other steps a hunter can take beyond ‘basic’. My goals do not include those steps beyond the basics.
Whatever I do in life, I want to do it at my highest potential. I learned the truth of this playing college football at the Division 3 level. For those unfamiliar with the different levels of collegiate football, Division 3 is the lowest level of competition. Guess what? That level of competition is still extremely high. Your average high school football player would get smoked on a Division 3 football field, as evidenced by the number of guys who quit during a Division 3 football camp in August. I barely had enough size and athleticism to belong on a Division 3 football field. I had to work extremely hard just to ensure I did not get my head kicked in. If I took my foot off of the gas just a hair, the immutable laws of physics would take over and I would end up on the wrong side of someone else’s highlight reel.
Division 3 football was the highest level of football I could play, given my size and athleticism. I had basically reached my God-given potential. I would not have survived at the Division 2 level; my physical limitations would not allow it. What I learned, however, was that even without world-class talent, I could be better than a lot of people at something if I worked hard at improving myself.
I strive to bring that same mindset to the important things of my life. I want to achieve my God-given potential in whatever I choose to do. My family, my job, my faith, my coaching, and yes, my hunting. All of those things I listed before hunting are of a higher priority. Hunting comes after those priorities.
Be the Hedgehog, not the Fox
As such, I look to apply the Hedgehog Concept. The Hedgehog Concept was popularized in the business community via Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. The concept is actually told as a parable. Collins breaks down people (and businesses) into two groups: foxes and hedgehogs. The fox is cunning and tries to be good at everything in order to attack the hedgehog. He tries one trick one day, and another trap the next, relying on his cunning but never getting results.
The hedgehog, on the other hand, only knows one thing: when the fox comes, curl up into a ball. The hedgehog is best at doing the one thing he knows he’s best at. The lesson of the parable is that companies who go from good to great act like the hedgehog (figure out what you’re best at and get really good at doing that), not the fox (try everything that comes across your path but not being exceptional at anything).
Collins breaks down the Hedgehog Concept into three questions to help people identify how to be the hedgehog. I have answered these three questions when it comes to my hunting, and I encourage you to do the same.
Best in the World
At what can you be the best in the world? – As it pertains to our hunting topic, what can you realistically be extremely good at when considering your competition (the deer you hunt and other hunting competition in your area). As outlined in the hunting equation, I cannot realistically be extremely good at killing big bucks, so I’m not going to pursue being a big buck killer at this point in my life. When I watch Tom Brady throw to the one spot on the field that these world class athletes can’t cover, I’m not thinking ‘oh, I see what he’s doing, I’m going to try that.’ That’s an absurd thought. That’s not to say I can’t learn anything from his work ethic or competitiveness, but I’m never going to be the same athlete. So why do I think I can be Bill Winke or Steve Rinella when I watch their shows? Instead, I take different tips or information that apply to my goals, and then just be entertained at what they are able to accomplish.
What can I be the best at? Hunting efficiently. I want to know that I am making the absolute best use of my time in the woods, because time in the woods is a precious commodity. I want to measure how many times I go hunt vs. how many times I kill a target deer. That’s what I’m striving to get better at every single day, because I can be the best at being an efficient hunter. Ask yourself this – what can you be best (or at least consistently better than the competition) at when it comes to hunting?
Drives Economic Engine
What drives your economic engine? This is an easier question to answer in the business world than in hunting, but it has been instrumental in guiding my hunting decisions. At the end of the day, what behaviors or actions actually help you achieve your goals? For me, these are the fundamentals of hunting: gaining permission to property, scouting property, shooting efficiently, knowing the best spot to hunt. While that may seem like it applies to all hunters (it does), I know specifically what drives me to my goals.
Let’s take shooting efficiently as an example of how this concept applies to a basic hunter. Remember, ‘basic’ here has the meaning of ‘fundamental’. Fundamentally, I want the most efficient weapon I am allowed to use during any given season. During archery season, that indisputably means that I will hunt with a crossbow. I simply have more opportunities to kill a target deer with a crossbow than I do a compound vertical bow.
I’m not talking about a $3,000 Ravin; I’m saying that when I have a choice on where to spend a few hundred dollars, a crossbow drives my economic engine more than a compound or traditional bow. Admittedly, I sacrifice the ability to condescendingly brag about using a compound as I look down upon the sissy girls who use a crossbow. My ego doesn’t fill a freezer or kill a buck; my crossbow does. I can have a proud bowl of tag soup or a delicious backstrap. So, as a basic hunter, I want to be really good at what drives my economic engine (i.e. shooting a crossbow). Based on your goals, what drives your economic engine?
What are You Passionate About?
This is the final question of the Hedgehog Concept. I have answered this question with three things: having meat in the freezer, killing a buck of my desired age class, and enjoying God’s creation. These are the things that keep me coming back every year. They’re what drive me to want to make myself better as a hunter and hopefully attract friends and family into sharing those experiences with me. Maybe you are passionate about killing big bucks, or maybe you’re passionate about feeding your family, or whatever it is. Answer that question honestly, because hunting can be tough.
The Man In the Arena
Hunting can suck (this is not part of the hedgehog, it’s just a fact). Between the frozen fingers and clouds of mosquitoes and tough terrain and bad luck and human stupidity (mine or others) and that pesky tendency deer have to want to stay alive, hunting can drive people to the nut house. That’s another reason why I want to be good at it. It’s hard, and it’s good for people to do hard things.
As far as I can tell, the human race has never had a greater leap in convenience and ease of life than we have in the last 100 years. While some truly miraculous advantages come from that leap, there is a new frontier we must navigate; namely, the need for people (and I think men in particular) to do tough things. Our brains have been wired to overcome things that suck for thousands of years, and hunting provides an outlet for me to prove to myself that I can take care of business when life hits back.
Hunting answers questions I believe a man asks of himself, at least subconsciously if not verbally. Could I provide for my family if it came down to it? Can I master the elements and subdue the animals as God commanded? Can I do the right thing when the easy thing is as tempting as it is detrimental? Will I fold when presented with a challenge, or will I rise to the occasion? To borrow from Roosevelt, who will I be in the triumph of achievement or in the failing of my great daring? At the very least, my place will not be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. In short, I will be able to answer the question, ‘what type of man am I?’
You know…Basic questions.