Just so there is no confusion let me start by saying this..there is not anything more important to me in this world than my family. Tracey, Tanner (happy 16th today son!), Truett and Taryn are my life. Period. I think about them and their well being every second of every day. Trace, I know you already know this but I wanted to put it here because I am aware you are a frequent (secret) visitor of my blog and I probably don’t say what I wrote above enough. I am good on email though so hit me up sometime ;-). Also, to anyone who cares…I will promise you, I couldn’t do what I do without the love and unwavering support of my family, especially my wife of 17 years and 5 days now. Trace you are a blessing.

“AND EVEN WHEN I WAS CLOSE TO DEFEAT, I ROSE TO MY FEET.”

…from the song Still D.R.E off the album Chronic 2001 by Dr. Dre

That being said, I want to share an email string with you that gives the #1 passion in my life purpose. For starters, let me say this. I am a bowhunter. More specifically it is in the mountains, with my bow, a loaded pack, sturdy boots and a full heart, chasing my dreams, where I feel most alive. As I have admitted many times, bowhunting has changed my life for the good. I think when something has a profound and powerful impact on someone, like bowhunting has had on me, there is a natural desire to share it.

For many, many years I have been motivated by something inside to share my passion for this sport, an obsession born in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon. I went into the mountains originally to prove something to myself. It was a wild place void of all the comforts I knew and like most, embraced. It was in the mountains, alone many times, that I found clarity I couldn’t find anywhere else. I have never known how to explain succinctly my journey of personal growth, but I have tried many, many times with thousands and thousands of words. Some of those words may have missed the mark, but many others hit home with some of you. To guys wanting to test themselves, get out of their comfort zone, achieve things they never thought possible, what I wrote struck a cord in a big way. For example, my book, Backcountry Bowhunting is now in its 5th printing after selling over 20,000 copies, making it one of the best selling bowhunting books of all-time. Amazing!

Arrowing a big bull or a big buck in the wilderness means so much more than punching a tag. Any success in the mountains is hard earned. In this day and age of instant gratification, backcountry bowhunting is the polar opposite. Killing a backcountry bull or buck is such a powerful experience after doing so, you, and your life, might never be the same. I have had tears of bowhunting frustration running down my face, mixing with beads of sweat, which together symbolized real, raw emotion that will stick with me until my dying day. Stories I have written over the years titled, “Dreamcatcher”, “Committed to the Wilderness”, “Heart & Soul”, “Memoirs from the Rimrock” and “Blood, Sweat & Bulls” capture this mindset. These stories from the mountains symbolize the emotional investment I’ve made in bowhunting. I’ve learned when you commit yourself to something fully, failure is devastating, and success….well success can define you, as it has me.

To others, my written experience and thoughts were too emotional I suppose? I wrote of fear, missing my family when in the mountains, self-doubt, failure and conversely, an all encompassing sense of accomplishment when successful and everything in between. I wrote of the journey…all of it. The joy of victory and the agony of defeat. All of this was too much “fluff” for some. Or maybe, simply, to some bowhunting doesn’t mean as much as it does to me. I relish the “test” some likely do not. There is nothing wrong with that. Regardless, not being embraced by some hurt at first. A writer shares their innermost feelings, puts them out there, and is judged on them. Being judged negatively is not enjoyable, but is part of the deal. I have learned to accept that. Thankfully, an overwhelming majority like what they read.

That being said, the absolute greatest feeling for me is not when I arrow a trophy animal, or run well in a tough endurance race, or achieve anything personally, but when someone else “gets it”. Meaning, when someone else has been inspired by my writings and then feels what I’ve felt in the mountains. An email like the one below, which I received recently from Chris Cohagan out of Wyoming, motivates me to keep writing, sharing what I know about a challenge I love.

If any of you have had an experience like Chris’, I couldn’t tell you how much it would mean to me if you’d share it. You can post here, or email me anytime about anything as it relates to the bowhunting lifestyle. My email is cam@cameronhanes.com.

Read on…

—– Original Message —–
From: Chris C
To: cam@cameronhanes.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:15 AM
Subject: Truly Inspirational!

Cam,

Two words…..AMAZINGLY INSPIRATIONAL!!!!!

That is the best way I can sum up what you have done for me over the past year and half. I hope this doesn’t turn in to a long drawn out boring email but I really just want to tell you how much you have changed the way I hunt and how I hunt year round.

Last January I ran across your book, Backcountry Bowhunting, A Guide to the Wild Side, in Sportsman’s Warehouse here in Casper WY. I had been very frustrated with how my past two hunting seasons had gone with the amount of people and the amount of pressure in the areas I hunt. I absolutely hate seeing a bunch of idiots out on 4 wheelers and in trucks “Bow Hunting”. It absolutely makes me sick to my stomach. So, needless to say, I bought your book and started reading it that night. From page 1 on I just got more and more pumped up and more and more excited. I finished the book the next night and told my wife, “It’s time to get serious again about working out and about shooting. We are doing everything we can to get in tip top shape. Nobody’s going to be in better physical or mental condition this year for our elk hunt.”

Now I’m going to be honest with you, the idea of running miles and miles wasn’t appealing to me at all. But a bunch of my buddies had been kicking around the idea of starting on P90X (I’m sure you’ve heard of it or seen it while catching a sweet infomercial before or after your crazy ass 2 a.m. runs). I jumped on that program and I have to tell you, I think Tony Horton is almost as insane as you, he just needs a bow. I shed 20lbs in three months and got in the best shape of my life. I started shooting my
bow every single day, I even tried in February to shoot in the downstairs den, but that only lasted for about 2 minutes, my wife just didn’t think it was the best idea (she doesn’t know I still shot down there when she was gone…shhhhh). So by June when the draw results were almost out, I thought, gosh I’m doing all of this work and I probably won’t have a tag to use. Well to my surprise, I did finally draw my area 16 Type 1 bull tag that I hadn’t drawn in about 6 years. I guess karma really does work.
So that day I knew what Cameron would do, Push Even Harder. So, I started running 2 miles every other day while still doing P90X, then after two weeks, I stepped it up to running the hills behind my house on top of everything else. I shot religiously and shot in some 3-D tournaments. I started scouting every weekend I could, hiking in the mountains I was going to hunt, and shooting and shooting and shooting. I read several chapters in your book again and again and again. Just staying as
motivated and driven as I could up until September’s opener.

I don’t want to keep dragging this out but to summarize, I hunted hard with my wife and my brother for a total of 8 days in the mountains, going back in the canyons and deep pockets where nobody in their right mind would go. But that’s where you come in to play. You gave me the “right mind” to push myself to go in those places, to push myself in to great physical “hunting shape” so that I could not only have a better hunt and experience, but I could also reward myself with an animal. I had never
shot a bull with my bow. With some awesomely difficult physical work, luck, and the grace of God, I was able to close the deal on a nice P&Y bull on a cold, drizzly evening. And to make all that much more special, my fantastic bride called the bull in for me! I was tired, I was cold, I was wet, but I was in the right state of mind and my body was in the right state physically to close the deal with a single, perfectly placed arrow into a gorgeous bull.

Attached are a couple of pictures of my bull. I want you to know Cameron that there is no way I could have accomplished this without your inspirational stories and your dedication to the sport of hunting. I’ve truly taken your teachings with me to the field and hope to continue to improve my own hunting strategies and preparations. I don’t think I will be able to ascend to the level you are, not many can or ever will, but you know, being even 1/2 as strong physically and mentally as you are is more than 95% of the other hunters we compete against. And I truly think our ancestors were successful because they had to be in shape, mentally and physically in order to survive. Well, in order for true sportsman and bowhunters to survive, we to have to be in the right state of mind and right state physically.

I’ve continued to push hard this spring in preparation for the upcoming season. Hopefully the WY Game and Fish computers are kind again this year to allocate me at least one license. If not, I’ve got some more country to now explore in some general hunting areas where no “sane” person would venture.

Keep up the great work and please continue to be “Amazingly Inspirational”. Good Luck to you in the Bighorn 100 and in the upcoming 2009 Hunting Season!

Sincerely,
Chris C.
WY

From:
“Cameron Hanes”
To: Chris C.
Date: 06/10/2009 11:04 PM
Subject: Re: Truly Inspirational!

Chris,
Man, I don’t know what to say. Yours is one of the best emails I have ever received. Not only because your experience, your story is what IT is all about to me, but because the entire thing is so darn well written. Nice work. You know, what you did — getting tired of the same ol’ hunting grid and lack of results, refocusing your efforts, taking your commitment to another level, working your tail off and getting it done on public land by arrowing a Pope & Young bull at the tail end of a long tough hunt, dude, that is every western bowhunters dream. I am so impressed by your success. Stories like yours motivate me more than you will ever know. It is me who is inspired, I promise you that.

Yes and you nailed it Chris…all that hard work, all the sacrifice paid off because you were ready, mentally and physically, to capitalize on one hard earned chance at a trophy bull. Without the solid base laid in the months prior I am not sure your success would have happened. Bowhunting justice was served brother…you earned that bull. And, that is the way it should be. Hey, so do you think there would be any chance I could share your email and photo on my website? The visitors would love it and be inspired, as I was. Let me know.

Good luck in the draw my friend. Please keep in touch, and again, thank you so very much for sharing your experience. Sincerely, Cam

Cameron R. Hanes
www.cameronhanes.com

From: Chris C.
To: Cameron Hanes
Subject: Re: Truly Inspirational!
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:09:10 -0600
Cameron,

First off, THANK YOU so much for responding. I really appreciate you taking the time to write back. It just shows yet again how genuine of a person you really are. Thank you!

Secondly, you may absolutely use this on your website! Man that bull and my hunt would have never come together without you, your bowhunting tactics and most of all your passion and drive for preparation. I don’t know that you will ever fully understand just how many dreams you have helped realize and how many more dreams you help create on a daily basis.

Cameron, it is an absolute pleasure speaking with you and I hope that we can share more success stories in the future. Please feel free to contact me any time and my sincerest gratitude to you for giving me a gift within myself I never thought I had. Again, good luck in the upcoming Bighorn
100 and please, Keep Up The Outstanding Work!

Chris C.

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