PROGRAM INSIGHT
"Suffering from vertigo resulted in my being under a doctor's care for two weeks prior to arriving at Rugged Cross Outfitters in Winston, NM. I had scheduled a five day photo shoot and we would be going after mountain lions in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This trip was a step of faith in many ways, not the least of which was the prospect of being on horseback for miles across the most rugged terrain I had ever encountered. Having to face it with vertigo made it even more disconcerting. I discovered, however, that I was alright as long as I was on horseback. My world would still be spinning when I went to bed at night and rose up in the morning.
Sub-freezing temperatures, shale covered slopes, patches of snow and the steep canyon walls with sheer drop offs greeted me that first morning. I was excited to be there but during that first day on horseback there were moments I wondered if I would ever return to my home in Louisiana. It seemed I was continuously looking at the possibility of serious injury as I looked down into those rocky ravines. Thick brush would eventually tear my camera monopod loose and I would have to work without it. The horse forced my leg into a broken off tree branch. At first I thought I would have a serious injury. The branch had torn though my Scentlok pants and into my calf. Though not considered a major injury, I still have the scar to remind me of that eventful first day.
The next day was to bring the moment of a lifetime. The dogs could be heard in the distance sounding the alarm and we knew they had located a cat. We moved as rapidly as possible to the sound. Eventually, I would be face to face with a mountain lion at ten feet with just my camera and 13 hunting dogs between us. This was to be one of the greatest adventures I had ever experienced. Most hunters or even non- hunters would admit this would be the adventure of a lifetime.
Though all of these times in my life as a photographer and sportsman have been great adventures, none compares to knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Life's greatest adventure began for me as a nine year old boy when Jesus came into my life. That adventure continues today and I know it will never end. My prayer is that someone else's life will be changed through this presentation.
-Ray Mears
Booking Information
Financial responsibilities for Ray to come to speak to your organization is
simply travel expenses plus honorarium. Contact us for details.
SPEAKER INFORMATION
Bass fishing and deer hunting have been a part of my life since I was a small boy. I remember my first deer hunt and the freezing temperatures that eventually drove me back to the shelter of our truck. When I killed my first squirrel I missed the school bus and a day of school. My grandparents were raising me and they were none too happy. Two years ago I started bow-hunting and killed my first deer with my bow this year. My photographic work with whitetail deer made it a natural transition. I had learned to get up close and personal with deer on the ground which naturally gave me some advantage in bow hunting. I enjoy sharing with other hunters the skills that I have learned in concealment and scent control, When I am photographing I am simply hunting with a camera. I get to shoot sometimes at less than five yards but when using a camera I don't get to eat what I shoot. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the moment of success whether I am photographing or bow hunting.
