Christian Waterfowler Magazine - Spring 2019

Christian

SPRING 2019

WAT E R F O W L E R

PRESERVING OUR CHRISTIAN AND WATERFOWLING HERITAGE | THECWA.ORG

LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER Extending Your Waterfowl Season

Duck Hunting

The Ultimate Deception

Waterfowl Season Blues

How to Cope During the Hunting Offseason

TABLE

of

CONTENTS

OUR HISTORY

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Learn about how the Christian Waterfowlers Association came to be.

LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER

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Extending Your Waterfowl Season

DUCK HUNTING

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The Ultimate Deception

FIVE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED

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Training My First Retriever

G R I L L E D S P E C K L E B E L LY

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Receipe by Chef Joel Strickland

WATERFOWL SEASON BLUES 32 How to Cope During the Hunting Offseason

CHOOSE NOW

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The Greatness of God

SENIOR EDITORS Ti m & R a c h e l l e S a l l e e CREATIVE DESIGN & EDITING Va n c e K l e m p l e COVER PAGE PHOTO Jo e y Me l v i n

CONTACT INFO INFO@THECWA.ORG 479.957.3033

PHOTO BY JOEY MELVIN C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R |

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OUR HISTORY

“Preserving our Christian and Waterfowling Heritage” The Christian Waterfowlers Association was formed by Tim and Rachelle Sallee in September of 2009. However, the idea for the CWA originated back in 2002 while on a duck hunt with his brother Anthony Sallee on the banks of the Arkansas River.

Tim was first introduced waterfowling while serving as a youth minister in Fort Smith, Ark. almost thirty years ago. One of his youth members demonstrated using a duck call during a “Gong Show” talent night. He was fascinated with the call and after inquiring about the call and duck hunting was invited to go on a hunt by the youth and his older brother.

The hunt experience was incredible, with awesome weather and the perfect sunrise.

Right after daybreak about fifteen mallards flew over our backs and circled back with their wings cupped and feet down. “Take Em,” yelled the youth, as Tim raised his gun to shoot. He was so moved by seeing ducks decoy, that he shot three times and did not hit one duck.

However, a few weeks later on his second hunt he bagged his first ever mallard and was hooked on duck hunting for life.

Tim then introduced waterfowling to his older brother Mark Sallee, his younger brother Anthony Sallee and Mark’s sons Mitchell and Matthew. He always looked forward to spending time in the duck blind with his family and friends each year.

Anthony moved to Nashville, Tenn. in the 1980’s and early 1990’s to play bass for the Christian band “White Heart.” He went on to play for Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and Matthew West to name a few. While taking a break from the road, 3

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he drove in to spend time with family as well as some time in the duck blind.

While on a hunt in 2002, Tim and Anthony first brought up the idea combining a passion for Christ with the passion for waterfowling, as well as the idea of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes for waterfowlers, but the idea didn’t get much further than Anthony designing a sample logo or two.

After hosting a Wild Game Dinner in September of 2009, Tim saw firsthand the impact of bringing sportsmen together for fellowship and introducing them to Christ. The idea for CWA resurfaced.

After much prayer and consideration, he felt it was time move forward with the launching of the CWA website and forum as well as crafting the CWA mission statement: Since that time the CWA has launched close to fifty chapters in fifteen states and continues to add new chapters each month. Chapters meet monthly for food, fellowship, pro-tips, devotion and an invitation to know Christ. Chapters also hold annual outreach/fundraiser dinners, along with various youth hunting, conservation and CWA Wounded Veterans Waterfowl Events.

The CWA also hosts an annual meeting and festival. In 2014 the CWA celebrated its 5th Annual International Waterfowl Festival & Outdoor Expo. Over the past eight years, thousands have attended from nineteen states and Canada, with many accepting Christ during the two day event.

The event features many competitions including the CWA International Duck

Waterfowler’s Trap Shooting Competition, 3D Archery Competition and Wild Waterfowl Cook-off Competition. Other activities include our Blue Wings Youth Kidz Zone featuring a fishing derby, seminars, Outreach/ Fundraiser Dinner, Sportsman’s Chapel, concerts and more.

In 2012 the CWA held its first Blue Wings Youth Waterfowl Hunting Event during the Oklahoma youth waterfowl hunt. After receiving requests to organize a Wounded Veteran’s Duck Hunt, the first ever CWA Wounded Veteran’s Waterfowl event took place in January of 2014 at the Crooked Slough Hunting club in east Arkansas.

Since the beginning of CWA, hundreds of lives have been impacted by the Gospel of Christ. We invite you to join the Christian Waterfowlers Association today in preserving our Christian, waterfowling heritage. To become a member visit www.thecwa.org or call 479-957-3033 for more information.

(The Christian Waterfowlers Association is incorporated in Arkansas as a non-profit religious organization. The Christian Waterfowlers Association is also registered with the IRS as a 501 (C)(3)non-profit religious organization. All donations are tax deductible except for any gift items and magazine received with your support membership)

CWA Founders Tim & Rachelle Sallee

Anthony Sallee (Left) Tim Sallee (Right)

CROSS CHURCH SPRINGDALE, AR June 8, 2019

CWA Benefit Banquet Speaker JOHN GODWIN DUCK DYNASTY

Snow Geese PHOTO BY JOEY MELVIN

LIGHT GOOSE CONS

Extending Your W WRITTEN BY

If you feel that your waterfowl season isn’t quite long enough, then there’s good news for you. Luke Naylor, Waterfowl Program Coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, reveals that “although the Light Goose Conservation Order isn’t a typical waterfowl season; it is a response to growing goose populations in which hunters can play a vital role.” Naylor also conveys that “snow geese have become so abundant on the landscape that wildlife managers have seen evidence of damage to their habitat, particularly their staging and breeding grounds in the sub-arctic tundra on the west side of Hudson Bay, and that the conservation order was established in 1999 to increase harvest and decrease survival of these birds to combat this damage.”

Steve Dunlap, the Northwest Region Education Coordinator for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, recently conducted a LGCO seminar at a CWA Springdale AR Chapter Meeting, and revealed that the breeding ground population now exceeds 5 million, a 300% increase since the 1970’s. With an annual harvest of only 400,000 we need more hunters involved in order to make an impact.

In order to help increase hunter participation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that “a Final Ruling was approved that authorizes the use of new hunting methods, such as electronic calls and unplugged shotguns, to harvest light geese during normal hunting season frameworks. These regulations are allowed during a light-goose-only hunting season when all other waterfowl and crane hunting seasons, excluding falconry, are closed. Further, the rule authorizes States to implement a conservation order to allow the harvest of light geese outside of traditional hunting seasons. In addition, the conservation order allows shooting hours to continue until one-half hour after sunset and removes the daily bag limit for light geese.”

Depending on where you reside, you may have to travel to one of several hot spots around the US where there are large concentrations of geese in order to take advantage of the LGCO. Since I live in Arkansas, I am more aware of the massive concentration of Snow and Specklebelly Geese in the East Delta part of the state due to the quality of the habitat.

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PHOTO BY JOEY MELVIN Another hot spot is located in Northwest MO, in and around the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge just outside Mound City. Other locations include the James River Valley area in South Dakota, the Atlantic flyway, and Saskatchewan Canada.

Since hunting Snows effectively requires a large amount of decoys, in some cases 1,200 or more, as well as e-callers, blinds, and transportation to haul the gear in and out of the field, etc., it is recommended that you book your first hunt with a reputable outfitter in order to gain a better understanding of what all is involved before you make that kind of investment. Also, in most cases, an outfitter has already gained access to land over the years that you may or may not be able to access yourself in order to hunt in a particular area.

SERVATION ORDER

Waterfowl Season TIM SALLEE

body and windsock decoys, in the major migration areas that we have located and acquired over the many seasons we have been in business, allowing hunters to hunt full days.�

Several years ago, I was able to hunt ducks early in the season with Jon Bounds of Snow Pro Outdoors and guide at Northern Skies Outfitters in Northeast Arkansas. He shared about the upcoming Light Goose Conservation Order and some of the advantages of hunting with an outfitter. Due to the fact that Jon was from the area, he mentioned that aside from having a large amount of decoys and gear to hunt with, he also had many friends and contacts that allowed him to have access to thousands of acres of great waterfowl habitats for hunting. They also have annual leases that are available to hunt.

If you choose not to hunt with an outfitter, I would recommend you find someone who has experience hunting Snow Geese and ask them to accompany you or share their experience with you.

In addition to this, I would recommend searching the many goose hunting forums and groups online for tips and advice.

We have had a couple of Snow Goose Hunting outfitters attend our International Waterfowl Festival over the years including Jon Bounds from Snow Pros and Northern Skies Outfitters in Northeast AR., as well as Jon Eaton of Show Me Snow Geese from Saint Louis, MO. Jon Eaton advertises that for the 2019 LGCO “we will be offering hunters the chance to chase the feed run snow geese with two spreads. This will allow hunters the opportunity to hunt the geese on the field they were feeding in, before going back to the roost. These hunts will only be until noon, as they will be set using a smaller, mobile, more aggressive decoy spread, from 800 to 1200, allowing our guides to scout and set feed fields. We will continue to offer our Southeast-Central and NW Missouri large, semi-permanent spreads, consisting of 1800 to 3000 full

In order to help absorb the cost of decoys and gear, ask friends to go in together with you. After securing decoys and gear, I would also like to emphasize, as with any type of waterfowl hunting, that scouting is the key to being successful. It may take a couple of days of scouting for every single day that you actually hunt to find a great spot. If you find geese on private land, please ask the landowner permission to hunt their property. I have asked permission in the past, only to learn that the landowner had previously been taken advantage of from someone hunting his land without permission or leaving the area trashed after the hunt.

In order to make a good impression, as well as possibly being granted access for future hunts, it would be a great habit to leave the hunting area better than the way you found it. This includes policing the area for spent shells and trash around the blind and parking area.

The Light Goose Conservation Order is a great way to extend the waterfowl season as well as help with the waterfowl conservation effort in managing the population and helping to save their tundra habitat.

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DUCK HUNTING The Ultimate Deception

BY BENJAMIN BEAR LYLE

It’s interesting how the entire basis of duck hunting directly aligns with the initial fall of man. The one thing that both us, as hunters, and the Devil have in common is the art of deception.

As we prepare for our morning on the water gathering the tools of the trade, the underlying intent is to do nothing more than to deceive a group of birds so they fall victim to our desires. The Devil’s wishes are no different, and unfortunately for us, his drive to succeed goes much deeper than our dedication to hunting empty skies on a 60-degree day in December.

Our initial line of deception in duck hunting is camouflage.

We wear it, we paint it on our boats, and we artistically arrange brush, cane, and corn in an effort to conceal our true intentions.

Luring a group of ducks into your spread would be next to impossible without the use of some type of camouflage.

Likewise, whether it’s addiction, temptation, or sins of omission, the Devil disguises his lies to make us “believe” everything is okay. Camouflage is used to deceive one of the strongest of the five senses and can hide the true identity of the more dangerous aspects of any situation.

A decoy spread plays to less of a physical sense, and is employed to create more of a psychological state of mind. Ducks are apparently keen to our old saying about “safety in numbers,” and a properly plotted backdrop of decoys can give that sense of security necessary to pull in even the most skeptical of God’s winged creatures. Despite the forethought of whatever consequences we may face and the voice of our mother asking if we would jump off a bridge just because everyone else is doing it, humans regularly fall victim to that same sense of security.

“Socially acceptable” continues to change the way society not only believes, but also how it acts. As we raise our children in today’s world, we must pay careful attention to our tolerance of the Devil’s antics in an effort to ensure our kids do not perceive it as acceptance.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it. " Proverbs 22:6 NASB

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Lastly, and probably the most complicated in our arsenal of deceptive tools, is the duck call. There is little in this world that compares to the thrill of seeing a duck react to a call in mid-air.

Even ducks that seem to have that skittish, uneasy feeling about your hunting setup can sometimes be coaxed into submission with the cadenced quack of a mallard hen call. Still tugging at that sense of security, both ducks and humans can be persuaded into situations based on what they hear from others.

Instincts can be one of our most powerful indicators in following God’s will for our lives. We all have an internal compass that automatically warns us when the Devil is trying to gain our attention. As we continue to practice the meticulous art of deception in our outdoor life, we must not allow the Devil to expose our weaknesses by luring us into the moral fringes of everyday life.

Benjamin Bear Lyle

Owner: BearKraft Game Calls www.bearkraft.com

Author "Deception, Distraction, & Duck Calls - How to Share your Faith with just a Duck Call"

KEVIN HUTCHESON 479.601.1299

Snow Goose Landing PHOTO BY JOEY MELVIN

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FIVE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED Training My First Retriever WRITTEN BY JOSH PARVIN

Are you considering training your own retriever? If so, you probably have many concerns, and at the same time, you are probably eager to get started. Not too long ago, I was in the same position as you. I remember how it felt. It was a feeling of great excitement, but it was also a weight knowing that I was going to be responsible for how my retriever turned out. It is one of those things that you know will be challenging, but so rewarding when you complete it. With all of that said, I am going to share five valuable lessons that I learned training my first retriever. These five lessons will enable you to avoid some of the pitfalls that many fall into and will accelerate your journey for success. Are you ready to get started?

1 IT CAN’T BE DONE IN A DAY... OR A FEW MONTHS FOR THAT MATTER This is something you are probably already familiar with and have heard before, but I want to emphasize this point and shed some new light on it. We all know and have probably even said, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” We say that, and then the next day, we take our pup out and start hammering away at retrieves while skimping by on obedience. We rush through because we can hardly wait until we can do “real retrieving work” with our pups.

I say “we” because this is something that I struggled with as I began training my first dog. The main thing to remember here is that everything you do with your dog matters. Every skill, every rep, and every time you have your dog sit patiently, all matters.

Go ahead and tell yourself now, this is going to take a while, but it is worth it. Once you embrace that, you can start moving forward faster. Don't be overly eager to achieve the next skill. Drill down and invest in what you are doing. Aim for excellence in each skill even if it takes three weeks longer than you anticipate.

You aren't going to do yourself or your dog any good by just brushing through until they can complete a task. They need to be able to do it, then do it again, and again. Everything you teach your dog should become muscle memory to the point that they could do it while they sleep.

At first, it may seem like it is taking you longer and that you may never finish your retriever, but over time, this commitment to excellence will compound into a rock solid foundation for your

retriever that won’t let you down.

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2 SUCCESS STARTS WITH YOUR MINDSET Training your dog is more of a mental game than you think. Just a quick note here before I go further into mindset: There will be many opportunities for you to get frustrated when you are training your retriever. I cannot emphasize that enough. Keep that in mind, and continue reading. In the following paragraphs, I will give you tips on how to manage these frustrations so that you can have success and not a failure.

Your mindset will be your greatest asset or your greatest adversary as you train your dog. As I was growing up, my dad always said to me, “attitude determines your altitude.” He said it so many times that anytime things started going south, I would repeat that to myself and change my mindset from negative to positive.

This principle and mindset made the difference for me as I trained my first retriever. Whether you are just now starting or you've been training a couple of months, it will quickly dawn on you that there are a lot of tough training days. I would try something expecting it to go great, and then I would get the exact opposite of what I imagined and hoped. When that happened, I had a decision to make. Do I allow my frustrations to take over and yell at the dog, or do I stop and ask what is really going on here? I didn't get it right every time at first, but I noticed that when I would stop and observe, I was able to keep a cool head and make better decisions.

A positive attitude allows you to keep a clear mind and make clear decisions. With that said, I don't want just to tell you to think positive. It isn't that easy. That is why I am going to give you a few action steps that will make it easier to remain positive.

When things go south, try this first before you react: Ask: Why is my dog responding this way? Did I do something wrong? Did I give the wrong command? Have I taught my dog all it needs to know to accomplish this drill? Is there an unknown variable such as a strange scent in the area? Respond: Now that you have asked these questions, you can respond instead of reacting. Gain control of your dog if they are out of control, or, if they have failed a retrieve, call them back and either try again on an easier retrieve or revert to something you know you can get success on. IF you do these two simple things first, you will save a lot of heartache and frustrations. One final word on mindset:

It will also allow you to start every session on a good note. Again, it seems simple, but it really is crucial for You can choose any drill that you like, but it is best to pick one that is simple and one that can be performed without any bad habits. I prefer memories as my go-to because I can work on multiple things at once: heeling, lining, and distance. Just because it is simple doesn't mean it has to be short.

Often times, I will start off my training session with 150 yds+ on memory retrieves. It is a great way to burn off some energy, and it’s also a great way to get on the same page with your dog.

5 GET CONNECTED, AND ASK QUESTIONS

give your dog an abundance of grace. Know now, ahead of time, that your dog will make many mistakes and not perform up to expectations as you begin working with them. KNOW that this is part of the path to success with your dog. Each error coupled with a calm response is one step closer to achieving your goal of finishing your retriever.

3 DON'T BE AFRAID TO GIVE YOUR DOG A FEW DAYS OFF Many times, when you get into a rhythm of training, things will be going great. You’ll be going and going and making tons of progress, but then all of a sudden it’s like you run into a brick wall. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was that it really is okay to take some time off and let your dog recharge. If you are training five or six days a week, this will apply to you more so than it will if you only train three days a week.

Let's clarify what I mean here. If you have one or two lousy training sessions where things just don't seem to go right, then I don't recommend taking a few days off. If you have three or more consecutive training days where you can’t make progress or where nothing goes right, it is probably time for a short sabbatical. This will happen every-so-often when you’re training and the best thing to do is stop and just relax. This time of rest allows you and your dog to refresh, recharge, and get ready for what is ahead. For me, it is a night and day difference every time I do this. Three or four days, maybe even a week later, when we go out to train, my dog is fresh and ready to get going. Applying this has allowed me and my dog to overcome many hurdles.

4 MY GO-TO DRILL

One of the best things you can do is find a couple of likeminded individuals that you can train with on occasion and find a support group that you can ask questions with. We are all stronger together, and this is one of the best ways to grow. Don't be afraid to ask questions. All questions are good questions, just make sure to ask the right people. The right people are those that are like-minded and have similar goals as you. As I was training my first retriever, asking questions expanded the way I thought about specific drills and even allowed me to learn new aspects of training that I didn't even know existed.

As we created Cornerstone Gundog Academy, we put measures in place that allow our members to get connected with other members and ask questions. Our private member's group on Facebook is a perfect example of a place where you can get connected and ask questions. Our members post videos of their dogs and receive timely feedback that allows them to grow and make progress in an efficient time frame. This group also allows our members to connect with other members in their area so that they can get out and train in person as a group.

The important thing here is that whether you choose to go with us, or another route, find people that you can connect with and train with. You will be happy that you did!

Josh Parvin Co-Founder Cornerstone Gundog Academy

A go-to drill is a great way to bring about confidence in your dog and yourself. For me, my go-to exercise is memory retrieves. I know it’s simple, but it is highly effective. Having a simple go-to you and your dog to have your go-to drill. drill in your back pocket will enable you to always end any session on a good note.

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Snow Geese PHOTO BY JOEY MELVIN

GRILLED SPECKLEBELLY with Peach & Cranberry Sauce, Orange, Walnut, Cranberry Stuffing and Pineapple Sweet Potatoes

BY JOEL STRICKLAND

INGREDIENTS

SAUCE 1/2 Can - Whole berry cranberry sauce 4 Peaches peeled pitted and sliced 1 Cup of water 1/4 Cup of white sugar 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 3/4 Cup of brown sugar 1/4 Cup of apple cider vinegar 2 Sprigs of fresh rosemary

STUFFING 2 Mandarin oranges peeled and chopped 1/2 Can of whole berry cranberry sauce 1/4 Cup of walnuts Your Favorite Box of Stuffing Mix (Follow Box Directions)

SWEET POTATO SIDE DISH 2 Large sweet potatoes boiled and peeled 1/2 Stick of butter 1/2 Fresh diced pineapple 1/2 Cup of lemon juice 1/2 Cup of brown sugar

Ground Cinnamon according to taste

THE MEAT 2 Large Speckleberry breasts cleaned

(or 4 mallard duck breasts)

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Steak seasoning 1/2 Cup of olive oil

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HOW TO FIX SAUCE (START FIRST AS THIS WILL TAKE THE LONGEST TIME) - In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup white sugar- cook down to reduce by half.

- Next add peaches, 1/2 can whole berry cranberry sauce, cinnamon, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar- cook over medium

high, stirring often.

- Once the mixture is reduce by â…“, remove from heat and add fresh rosemary sprigs. After a few minutes of cooling, the sauce

should coat the back of the spoon. It should be sweet from the peaches and sugar with a strong jaw-torquing tartness from

the vinegar. Set aside. 10 minutes before you serve, add low heat and stir.

SWEET POTATO SIDE DISH - In a skillet over medium heat, add butter and pineapple. Once the butter has melted, add brown sugar and lemon juice.

- Cook until pineapple stops weeping and the liquid in the skillet thickens some.

- In a mixing bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and add the pineapple sauce mixture. Mix well. Add plenty of ground

cinnamon to taste.

STUFFING - Prepare the box stuffing mix per the directions on the box, and as you are mixing the dry mix with water, add the oranges,

whole berry cranberry sauce, and walnuts, mix well.

THE MEAT - In a flat pan, add olive oil and take each goose breast and coat both sides, then set in the pan.

- Next, liberally coat each side with salt, pepper, then a light coating of your favorite steak seasoning rub. Flip meat over and repeat.

- Next you will place the goose breasts directly on a hot grill and cook until medium rare. Remove from heat and rest for 3 or

4 minutes. Then slice and serve.

Joel Strickland

Duck Hunting Guide Chef at Cypress Crossing - Stuttgart, Arkansas Creator/Host - Adventure Bound Outdoors Current Project - Surviving Duck Season (Web Series)

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“Preserving our Christian and Waterfowling Heritage” PHOTO BY JOEY MELVIN

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WATERFOWL SEASON BLUES How to Cope During Hunting Offseason WRITTEN BY TIM SALLEE

Once duck or goose season comes to a close, you may find yourself starting to go through the withdrawals of not getting up early to get ready, load up, and drive two hours to your hunting destination. When you begin to miss the ducks and geese decoying into your spread, the fellowship in the blind and around the table at lunch, then allow me to give you a few ideas to help chase away the post season blues.

1 REPAIR, CLEAN AND STORE AWAY GEAR As I am writing this article, I can think of several full body goose decoys that need the heads screwed on and motion cones inside of them replaced. Taking the time to inspect and repair any gear, as well as cleaning and storing it, is a necessary task that will not only keep your garage or storage area from being cluttered, but will keep your attention on waterfowling and looking forward to the next season.

2 REVIEW THE PREVIOUS SEASON It is always good to recall past hunts and remember not only the great times, but also the not so good hunts, as well as what changes you could make to improve your next season. A great way to help remember details of each hunt is to keep a hunting journal. A journal gives you the opportunity to record what you did right and what you did wrong. If you did not have enough motion in your spread, add a note to include motion decoys or a jerk cord. Did you have proper concealment? If not, take steps to add additional grass or brush for a better hide. If you had problems making accurate shots, then check to make sure you had the proper choke tubes and shotgun shells etc.

3 PASS DOWN OLD OR UNUSED GEAR

that I didn’t shoot all year until opening day of duck season, and it showed. Sometimes it took a few hunts before I felt like I was on target with my shooting. You may be a good shot with years of experience, but it never hurts to continue to tweak your shooting skills by practicing during the off-season. If you have a dog, then spend time keeping your dog in tune by practicing retrieves. This not only helps to keep your dog in shape, but sharp in retrieves in the off-season.

5 EXPAND Whenever I first started duck hunting, I mainly hunted sloughs, riverbanks, and creek banks because I didn’t have a boat. I quickly realized that a boat would help me expand my hunting opportunities by being able to access where additional ducks wanted to be. After years of hunting out of boats, I had the opportunity to hunt flooded timber standing next to big oaks in the Bayou Meto, as well as hunt in pit blinds in the flooded rice fields of East Arkansas. Shortly after someone invented the layout blind, I was able to expand my hunting to dry field hunting in central Oklahoma. Rather than always hunting in one particular area or limiting myself to one way of hunting, I was able to use my time in the off season to explore and prepare for new ways to hunt waterfowl.

Another way to expand your season is to take advantage of the Light Goose Conservation Order. I cover more details of this in the LGCO article, but this special season will allow you to take advantage of an additional month or two of hunting depending on where you live. By keeping busy between seasons, the time will quickly pass and the next season will be here before you know it.

There is nothing like the feeling of giving, or investing, some of your unused gear, or gear that you are upgrading/replacing, to a youth or someone who is just getting started in waterfowling.

This is a great way to preserve our waterfowling heritage.

4 PRACTICE A great way to pass the time between seasons is to practice shooting. I have to admit that there have been times in the past

PHOTO BY RIG'EM RIGHT WATERFOWL C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R | 3 2

Blue Wings is our initiative to teach and engage young people with the great recreation that is waterfowl hunting. We all have a call to pass on the knowledge and heritage of our pasttime to the next generation. At the Christian Waterfowlers Association, we do that through our Blue Wings events.

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CHOOSE NOW

BY CHUCK McALISTER

In the outdoors you will see the greatness of God and in Jesus you see the grace of God There is a reason why the hair stands up on the back of your neck when you watch the ducks as they prepare to land in your decoys or even when the tip of your fishing rod snaps down towards the water. God made you to know Him and is seeking you through the outdoors...And through His Son Jesus. In the outdoors you will see the greatness of God and in Jesus you see the grace of God.

WE HAV E ALL MIS S E D T H E M A R K Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” It’s like trying to make a clear shot when the sight of your rifle is off. No matter how hard you try - you are going to miss. We have all missed the mark of the perfection that is required to get into heaven.

YOU ARE BE IN G H U N T E D Hunting, as we know, involves pursuing game.

The Bible tells us that we don’t have the ability to pursue God, but He is pursuing us!

Romans 3:10-11 - “As is it written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”

HE PURSU E S YOU BE CAUS E H E L OV E S YO U Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

However, you are also hunted by another!

1 Peter 5:8 - “Be self-controlled and alert, your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

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You are being pursued by Satan as well as by God. You get to choose who captures you.

W E H AV E AL L MI SS ED TH E MARK How do I let God capture my heart?

Romans 10:9-10 - “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scriptures say, anyone who trusts Him will never be put to shame.”

TO CONFESS JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR OF YOUR LIFE AS WELL TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR TRUST IN HIM, YOU CAN PRAY THIS SIMPLE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I want You to capture me. I believe that You are God’s Son. I believe that You gave your life for me on the cross and was raised from the dead to save me. I surrender control of my life to You. I invite You to come into my life. I will follow You for the rest of my life.

Thank you Jesus for saving me.

If you prayed that prayer, please contact us as (479) 957-3033 or email tim@thecwa.org and we will send you some information about the decision you just made as well as where to go from here.

Chuck McAlister Founder Adventure Bound Outdoor TV Program Founder Promise of Hope Ministries Board Member CWA