In Tune with Life and Nature

For Kaleb Maciosek, 16, hunting is more than a sport – it’s where he is in his element in both a physical and spiritual sense.

Kaleb first learned hunting from his father when he was 12 years old. He started with a rifle but took more to bow hunting when he was 14. What he enjoys about hunting the most is the challenge, and he mainly hunts elk for that reason. He said it’s difficult to get up close to them but has shot two elk previous harvests with his Hoyt Bow.

“A lot of guys do it as a sport, but to me it’s a way of life. It’s what I wake up and think about. It’s what I think about at school. It’s really a lifestyle – not something I do just two months out of the year,” Kaleb said. “I don’t want to be an average hunter – I want to be above that.”

The elk he shot this year was quite a challenge. Although he shot it with his rifle, he said it took him and several close friends about 12 hours to pack out the 7 x 7 bull named “Caribull” by one of the local hunters. But it’s those obstacles that he embraces and makes him strive for a personal excellence in hunting. That drive is what he believe sets him apart from other hunters.

“I have a mindset that’s a lot different from other hunters because I’m not willing to stop until I get what I’m hunting. If that means hunting every day after school, I’m willing to sacrifice a lot of things to do what I need to,” Kaleb said. “We as hunters strive for the most humane way to harvest an animal,” he said.

To rise above the average hunter, Kaleb does not take failure lightly. For that reason, he practices with his bow and target nearly every day he can. In the summer, that means shooting his bow daily all summer long.

“I really want to push myself because when I reach that goal, it gives me motivation to do it again next year,” he said.

Kaleb mentioned being inspired by Cameron Hanes, a bow hunter whom he’s been following on Instagram for some time. Hanes is a bow hunter in Eugene, Oregon. Hanes writes articles about hunting, including information about gear, nutrition and training.

“He gave me a lot of motivation to shoot bow,” he said.

But what also motivates him to hunt is the peace and spirituality he finds in nature. There’s a sense of self that he finds in being alone in the woods.

“I feel like I come closer to the Lord,” he said. He also credits his pastor, Jay Owens (“J.O.”), at Heart of the City, for teaching him more about developing his relationship with the Lord.

“(J.O.) has broken my barrier – I used to know the Lord, but I didn’t have a relationship with Him. Jay has inspired me to follow the Lord everywhere I go, which tied into hunting. I bring my Bible, eat my lunch when I’m on my hunts. I have my Bible with me everywhere I go.”

Kaleb is also a star wrestler at CHS and has been wrestling for the past seven years. In addition, he attends youth group where he continues to study the gospel.

As for his future plans, it’d be nice to follow in Cameron Hanes’ footsteps and be a sponsored bowman. But working at Idaho Fish and Game or becoming a pastor are two career possibilities.

“I am very passionate about trying to put my name out there and having people knowing that I know the Lord, and inspire many people as (Hanes) has,” Kaleb said. “That is something that I am truly passionate about.”

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