2024 Pronghorn Hunt
This year’s pronghorn hunt was one for the ages on many levels! Five young men with mentors, some coming from as far away as South Dakota, came together in October 2024 to pursue two things: the incredibly-fast pronghorn (who’s nickname is “Speedgoat”) and the pursuit of Christian masculinity. After setting up base camp, the three-man teams of Guide-Youth-Mentor hit the shooting range to fine-tune the marksmanship skills they’d need the next day. The day’s most important event was our first Campfire Talk that evening, where everyone participated in discussions designed to help the young man begin to answer 4 questions nearly every man struggles with on the road to manhood:
- What’s It Mean To Be A Man?
- How do I Become One?
- What’s This Beautiful Creature Called a Woman All About?
- How Do I Become Truly Alive?
Saturday’s hunting action was fast and furious! Incredibly, all five young men harvested their very first pronghorn on their very first day of hunting! This is a remarkable testimony to God’s provision, as hunting this sharp-eyed, intelligent animal is very challenging. Skillful stalks, calm nerves, and steady shots ruled the day! A 100% success rate is nearly unbelievable for any hunt, but especially when you consider that these were not experienced adult hunters: these were teenagers, some of whom had never hunted any animal at all!
Sunday posed an interesting challenge with an interesting question: since all five youth were done hunting, what would they do all day? Hands-on Outdoor Skills classes were the focus: butchering/processing the animals they’d harvested, navigating with a map & compass, first aid, knife sharpening, and fire-starting. A terrific hike up to a beautiful mesa, along with archery contests, were also great ways to spend time with newly-made friends, mentors, and guides.
Meals are very important in hunting camp and we ate well! Breakfast burritos, pork tenderloin, chili, and a hearty stew were relished as the young men excitedly told the stories of their hunt.
Finally, the third and final Campfire Talk was a powerful way to conclude their experience. At the outdoor campfire that night, each young man was presented with a hand-made knife as a reminder of what they had experienced and that they were built to be a Warrior for Christ.
WELL DONE, DYLAN, LOGAN, MALACHI, MASON & JACOB!
