Over the years, sooner or later everyone gets coaxed, cajoled, or cornered into making some New Year’s resolutions. Every January a brick wall of resolutions is offered up by people of all ages, occupations, and walks of life; unfortunately, the hopeful propositions don’t have enough mortar to hold the wall together. Within days resolve fails and chinks appear in the wall, and often after a few weeks there’s only some sand and a few chunks of red clay left in the brick-solid resolutions. Health-oriented resolutions are the most popular, often the most difficult, and frequently the first to fall by the wayside. Stop smoking, eat healthier, exercise more, and imbibe less are favorite goals, at least for a couple of weeks.

Then there are the long-term resolutions such as finally planting that garden you’ve talked about for years, painting the house next summer, and doing some serious landscaping as a family project. Seems like a great idea in the dead of winter, but as soon as the weather warms, there are 100 more important and fun things to spend time on. Oh well, maybe next year.

Outdoor options

The facts seem clear that New Year’s promises concerning health, home, and business are just not what’s needed to maintain yearlong integrity. Sportsmen have a different mindset regarding annual resolutions, and most set goals that are not only achievable but uplifting and enjoyable. Don’t let age be a factor; start making resolutions as young adults, because whoever decided 50 was the middle-age prime of life needs to recheck the statistics on 100-year-old outdoorsmen.

For example, if you only managed to get out deer hunting for five days this year, then you’re just going to have to resolve to force yourself to pursue whitetails seven days this coming fall. Perhaps you will have to bite the bullet and resolve to endure more time afield working with a bird dog, and if that involves extra gunning for grouse, woodcock, ducks, or geese, so be it. There may be family members or friends who need mentoring in the art of fly casting from a selfless fishing fanatic such as yourself. Plan to spend more time on the trout stream. Of course, it’s likely that these goals will require more individual effort be directed to tying flies, loading shells, practicing with duck and goose calls, and refurbishing the boat and canoe. Try to bear up and keep those resolutions firm.

This may be the year you have to face the music, keep a stiff upper lip, and resolve to order that new shotgun or rifle that you’ve desperately needed for years. After all, the other three are at least 4 years old and all but worn out, I expect. While you’re at it, trying to maintain composure and compiling necessary yet endurable resolutions, it might be the year for a new Sage graphite salmon rod and matching Bogden reel. Explain to the family that this may be your last year to fish due to advancing age (anywhere from 30 to 50) and declining health (mental health counts), but you’re resolved to muddle through one more season.

Perhaps you and yours will just have to resolve yourselves into a new SUV, snowmobile, 4-wheeler, or boat. It may be the year to really extend yourself and resolve to advance the child’s knowledge of geography, history, and ecology by making that burdensome trip to Alaska, Montana, Africa, or New Zealand. While the family is soaking up knowledge, a bit of local exploration with rod or rifle might just improve your mental status as well! Ask any outdoorsmen and they’ll confirm that the trick to maintaining New Year’s resolutions is in setting reasonable goals.

The serious side

As comical as some resolutions turn out, others need to be taken very seriously. Sportsmen with four or five decades behind them are finding that birthdays and New Year’s seem to be rolling past at an accelerated rate, and it becomes vastly important to make the most of every outdoor experience available. The most important elements to enduring another 365 days are health, hope, and happiness.

If your mom and dad are still alive and enjoy the outdoors, make a special resolve to enjoy a few sporting days together, while you still can. I lost both of my parents this past year, and the memories of outings together has been a Godsend. Don’t overlook a few special trips afield or afloat with the children. It may take a bit of time from your more serious hunting, fishing, camping, or canoeing trips, but the future dividends will be well worth the investment.

Every sport should make a special resolution to teach a youngster about the rewarding sports of angling, shooting, archery, boating, and other traditional Maine pastimes. For many kids who have no outdoorsmen in their family, it’s a gift that gives to both participants. Don’t forget the elderly, woods-wise sports would love to get one more day afield, but illness or the ravages of age prevent them from enjoying solo adventures. It’s amazing what you can learn from veteran nimrods, and this resolution rewards each party’s heart and mind.

Time is fleeting, and money is of little consequence once your dead. Of all the outdoorsmen passing through the “Pearly Gates,” I’ll bet none of them are saying; “Gee, I sure wish I’d worked one more day.” Most are wishing they had spent more time canoeing and casting a stream, following a good bird dog through prime cover, or lying in a goose blind watching a flock of Canadas work the decoys.

Make that special trip in this New Year. Gather one or more close outdoor friends and experience that excursion you’ve dreamed of. Alaskan salmon fishing, African dangerous game, Montana elk, Newfoundland caribou, Florida tarpon on a fly, or any other fantasy trip can be accomplished with proper planning. Perhaps the quest will take you across the country or across the world, or maybe just across the state. Regardless of distance, do it while you’re able. The number of obituaries younger than myself is frightening, and everyone had hopes and dreams that should have been resolutions.

Take lots of photographs. Think of all the sights and situations you’ve missed in the great outdoors, and resolve to pack a camera every outing. Adventures, trips, friends, family, places, animals, and anything else of interest upland and downstream may mean the world to you later on in life as a good picture. Shoot more game with a camera and less with a gun. Catch more fish and keep fewer. Make fishing trips more about camaraderie and less about catching.

Vow to share more than your time with others. Many folks would love to try a moose steak, have a partridge breast for the bean pot, or fry up a couple of trout for breakfast but aren’t able to get their own anymore. It’s not a matter of bagging more game, just sharing a bit of what you were fortunate enough to take. While you’re at it, share a story or two about a special hunt, a humorous fishing trip, or unique interactions with animals. Young and older sportsmen who don’t get out often will live vicariously through your tales, and other outdoorsmen may just learn or get a laugh.

One of the most overlooked resolutions is to offer the utmost respect the game you pursue deserves, and be thankful for the opportunity to go afield at will in a state where woods, water, and wildlife abound. A salmon that throws the hook midfight, a duck that won’t decoy, a woodcock that zips when my aim zags, a deer that gets suspicious and slips away into the brush deserve respect, not wrath. Enjoy the challenge, opportunities, and lessons that fish and game provide.

My last resolution is to try and live every single day to its fullest, and to get into God’s great outdoors frequently to enjoy, explore and help others understand and enjoy it as well. Here’s hoping each of you resolve to take full advantage of Maine’s woods and waters whenever possible. Thanks for reading each week and I wish you all a healthy, happy 2005.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com