Shortcuts – Friend or Folly

Rebecca MorganConservation & Wildlife Management, Friends of ELO, Hunting Tips & Techniques

We’ve all taken shortcuts at one time or another.  Many live by the shortcut.  Some, if we were to admit, have fallen by the shortcut. In a world where we want everything stat, patience is not only a virtue but a rarity.  We live in an instant society where most of the time we can get answers in a moment with a google search, or alexa inquiry.  Let’s face it, we don’t like to wait.

But when it comes to nature, this may not be the best way to glean success, at least in the hunting and fishing world.  Shortcuts can lead to missed opportunities.  You see, wildlife is just that…wildly unpredictable until they are, during that particular season of the year.  And even then, there are exceptions.  They have a natural order and their survival depends on it.  

Good sportswomen (& men) do their homework and plan ahead. Outfitters and guides know this to be essential and can likely share numerous stories of times in which they were in a hurry, or their client was impatient with the process, and failed efforts followed.  Planning includes various details, from  attire and equipment to timing and beyond.  It includes listening to the instructions of their guide or outfitter. One’s safety may depend on it. When a client pays for expertise for their hunt, both the hunter and guide share a mutual responsibility for taking the necessary steps to optimize success and safety.  Anything less than this is unacceptable.  

I’ve gotten lost before attempting the shortcut, and wasted a lot of time. I’m sure this didn’t have a positive effect on my blood pressure either.  Speaking of blood pressure, when it comes to our health, there are no long term benefits with shortcuts. Ever heard of a “fad diet?” These come and go.  Staying the course can prevent getting off course, of course!  And BTW, a GPS comes in handy.

My favorite shortcut happens to be on a computer keyboard.  If you haven’t learned this little trick, “ctrl a” is a quick way to select an entire document, “ctrl c”, to copy, “ctrl v” to paste, and “ctrl p” to print.  This has saved me a lot of time over the years.  There are other shortcuts, but these are the ones I use the most.  

While a well thought out shortcut may be advantageous, a spur of the moment one may lead to regret. At times, spontaneity can lead to an awesome adventure.  Enjoy the ride, but don’t say you weren’t warned!

Rebecca Morgan
Latest posts by Rebecca Morgan (see all)