While in medicine, I lived—and hunted—across an Alaskan summer. Day or night, I tracked illuminated targets. Guesswork eliminated, I shot well. And ate well.
“Why’s that so bad?” you might ask. “Isn’t success what matters? Why not enjoy the sun? Get a nice tan?”
If Where The Red Fern Grows—a book representing 100% of my hunting experience—taught me anything, it’s that night is when you hunt. Because at night, we lose our sights and gain our senses.
I didn’t know it at the time, but when I quit medicine, I volunteered for an Alaskan winter. Soon after resigning, I couldn’t see shit. I lost my my targets. I lost my bow. Hell, I became the target for mountain lions and thanks to my two hounds, I survived a nearly fatal attack. That’s not true. That’s a scene from Where the Red Fern Grows.
What has happened though, here in the dark, is the discovery of what I actually want. By the light of the moon and the desires of my soul, I’ve been tracking targets across ravines, rivers, and glaciers. I’m making choices and making mistakes. And finally, I’m learning how to hunt because I turned off the lights and started taking shots in the dark.
To livin’ a life we love,
Ryan Fightmaster, MD
