Connection Over Success: Why the Heart of Hunting Season Isn’t What Most People Think
We’re in the heart of hunting season right now, and if you’re anything like me, you can feel it in your bones. There’s a certain hum in the air this time of year—a rhythm that’s older than any calendar, a pull that reminds us we’re a part of something much bigger than our daily routines.
And the truth is… this is the part of the season where connection matters more than success.
I know that might sound strange in a world obsessed with grip-and-grins, inches of antler, and “filling the freezer.” Don’t get me wrong—I love when a student has a successful harvest. It’s a powerful moment, often life-changing in ways they didn’t expect. But if I’ve learned anything over the decades, it’s that the most meaningful parts of this season have very little to do with pulling a trigger or releasing an arrow.
It’s about how deeply you drop into the land.
It’s about the way the morning light hits your face before the world wakes up.
It’s about noticing your breath slowing as your awareness sharpens.
It’s about remembering—really remembering—that you belong here.
As I guide and mentor students, this is the part I want them to feel first. Because when you can truly let yourself connect—when you stop “trying to hunt” and start being with the hunt—everything changes.
And the crazy thing?
Connection is what brings success anyway.
But we’ll get into that.
You Don’t Rise to the Level of Your Hopes—You Fall to the Level of Your Preparation
There’s a moment every hunter knows.
It’s quiet.
Your heartbeat becomes the loudest thing you hear.
The wind shifts.
And suddenly—you’re in it.
It doesn’t matter how many YouTube videos you watched or how many times you told yourself, “If I see a buck, I’ll know what to do.” In that moment, you don’t rise to the level of your hopes…
you fall to the level of your preparation.
This is why at Ancestral Hunting School we mentor the way we do.
We don’t teach gimmicks.
We don’t teach one-off tricks or “hacks.”
We don’t try to turn students into walking encyclopedias of information they’ll forget as soon as adrenaline hits.
Instead, we pass down systems.
Lists.
Tried-and-true methods I’ve refined over decades and tested in every condition imaginable.
When you have a clear, repeatable framework for how you approach the land, how you track, how you move, how you scan, how you glass, how you make decisions—everything slows down. Your body relaxes because it trusts itself. And when your body trusts itself, the land trusts you back.
That’s where the real magic happens.
Why Connection Will Always Outperform “Tips and Tricks”
I’ve mentored hundreds of hunters—students who have shown up nervous, excited, overwhelmed, hopeful, and in some cases, carrying a lifetime of stories about why they weren’t “good enough” to hunt.
Almost every student comes in thinking the skills will be the hardest part.
But honestly?
The biggest shift we see—every single time—is the moment someone realizes:
“Oh… this is about connection, not conquest.”
When you’re connected:
• You notice sign most hunters walk right past
• You understand how animals move because you actually feel the landscape
• You don’t make fear-based decisions
• You trust your senses again
• You stay present, instead of rushing or forcing
And when you stay present, you get opportunities others miss.
It’s ironic—people assume the best hunters are the most aggressive, the hardest charging, the ones with the latest gear and the biggest Instagram followings.
But the hunters who consistently show up with meat in their freezer and stories in their hearts?
They’re the ones who slow down.
They’re the ones who listen.
They’re the ones who let the land teach them.
Success follows connection. Not the other way around.
How We Mentor Our Students: The AHS Way
One of the things I’m proudest of in our curriculum is how we combine real-world experience with practical frameworks and inner awareness. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B—it’s about building a hunter from the inside out.
Here’s what that actually looks like.
1. We teach systems, not scattered tips
Every skill we teach—from fieldcraft to stalking to glassing to processing—is part of a larger system.
Students get checklists, methods, and step-by-step processes so that nothing feels random or left to chance. There’s a big difference between “try this” and “here’s exactly how to approach this situation.”
Clarity creates confidence.
2. We focus on awareness first
Before you even think about taking a shot, you need to notice more. And noticing more starts with your breath, your body, and your emotional state.
We show students how to ground themselves, how to enter a calmer, more perceptive mindset, and how to track subtle cues on the landscape.
Animals live in a world of signals most humans have forgotten how to read.
We help students remember.
3. We mentor with honesty—no ego, no judgment
Everyone starts somewhere.
We don’t shame beginners for what they don’t know.
We don’t overcomplicate things.
We don’t pretend hunting is easy, but we also don’t make it mystical or unattainable.
There’s no ego in our camp. Just patience and clarity.
4. We teach students how to think like hunters
When you understand why the method works—not just what to do—you become adaptable. You can solve problems when conditions change. You can shift strategies when animals move differently than expected.
We don’t want students to memorize.
We want them to understand.
5. We mentor the emotional side of hunting
This is the part most hunting schools ignore.
Hunting brings up emotion.
Excitement, fear, doubt, anticipation, reverence.
We talk about it openly.
We prepare students for what it feels like to take a life.
And we support them through the integration afterward.
Because that’s part of ethical hunting—and it’s part of being human.
What We See in Our Students Every Season
One of my favorite things about this time of year is the texts that start rolling in from AHS alumni. Some messages come with photos of their first deer, their first elk, or their first successful solo hunt.
Others come with stories of long sits, close encounters, blown stalks, and lessons learned.
But almost every message—regardless of outcome—has the same energy behind it:
Heart.
Gratitude.
Connection.
They say things like:
• “I feel more capable than ever.”
• “I understand the land in a whole new way.”
• “I didn’t harvest, but I feel successful.”
• “I saw more wildlife this weekend than I have in years.”
• “I finally get it—this feels ancestral.”
That’s the part that never gets old for me.
Because whether they harvest this season or not, they’ve changed. They’ve crossed a threshold. And once you cross it, you can’t go back.
You start seeing the world differently.
You start seeing yourself differently.
And that shift?
That’s the real harvest.
Connection Makes You a Better Hunter. Period.
Some people hear the word “connection” and assume it’s soft or overly spiritual.
But let me tell you something:
Connection is the most practical skill you’ll ever develop as a hunter.
When you’re connected, you:
• Move quietly
• Make better decisions
• Read wind and terrain without overthinking
• Stay calm under pressure
• Become more ethical and more effective
And when you’re disconnected?
• You rush
• You force
• You get noisy
• You get frustrated
• You make mistakes
• You miss opportunities
Success on the land mirrors your internal landscape. When you’re scattered, your hunt looks scattered. When you’re present, your hunt unfolds naturally.
It’s not magic.
It’s biology, awareness, and intention working together.
This is why we say:
“As you step deeper into presence, you automatically unlock more of the hunter you’ve always been.”
You don’t learn hunting—you remember it.
The Heart of the Season Is Calling
If you’re feeling that pull this season—the one that tugs at your ribs and whispers that something ancient is waking up—you’re not alone.
This is the time of year when the land opens a doorway.
Some people walk through it.
Some people stand at the edge and wonder what it would feel like.
If you’re the second one, that’s okay.
Most of our students started right there.
But if you are feeling the call to learn this way—with presence, with mentorship, with systems that actually work, and with a community that supports you—the door is open.
We’re here for the long game.
We’re here for the hunters who want to learn in a way that honors both the animal and themselves.
We’re here for the ones who feel something shifting inside and know it’s time to answer it.
This season, whether you harvest or not, my wish for you is simple:
May you feel connected.
May you feel capable.
And may you feel a part of something much older than modern life.
Because that’s what this season is really about.
And if you’re ready to learn the skills, systems, and mindset that make all the difference—our upcoming experiences are open. We’d love to have you in the circle.
