It's early in the morning and the sun has yet to rise it's cold and I'm all geared up for the hunt. This will be a hunt for chukar, a non-native bird that was introduced in many parts of America as well as here in my home State of California. A bird prized by many hunters for its white meat and for being notoriously hard to hunt due to the terrain they inhabit.
For those who hunt this tasty bird know that it's really not hunting but exercising. chasing, climbing, and sometimes crawling steep ragged hills and cliffs that will certainly make you lose a few pounds before the hunting season is over.
Hearing the birds with their chuk, chuk, chuk call I prepare to make the steep climb up the bluff. Inching my way up toward the direction of the call, I'm slipping and sliding as my boots try to find traction in the brittle ground. As every chukar hunter knows you only have one good chance to take your shot and the rest of the day will be sweating and climbing over every hill and cliff. Just as I near the top of the hill a covey of twenty birds fly down and away from me. Here's my chance to get at least one bird before the birds scatter and I'll have a five-square-mile gym to entertain myself. Boom, boom I manage to take two shots with my Beretta A300, and one bird falls. I'm ecstatic and my mind is leaping with joy as the rest of the covey flies in different directions to the other side of the hill.
I was fortunate enough that the bird did not roll down the same way I came up, but was wedged between two rocks. What a relief! As I pick up the bird I manage to walk the short distance to the top of the bluff, and take off my pack to make a well-deserved early morning break. It's water, tuna, crackers, trail mix, and coffee. Sipping my coffee and staring at the chukar I am in awe of the beauty of this bird. Bright red beak as if freshly painted, its red feet and plumage so soft and colors that blend so well with its environment.
My break is over and I pack my stove, cup, trail mix, and trash in my pack. As I shoulder my pack and walk about five yards toward the direction of where the birds flew I didn't notice there was a barbwire fence and a posting that said No Trespassing. I can only think... What in the world is this fence and sign doing way out here on top of this peak? And why would these birds fly in the direction of private property?
So what am I to do? I still have the rest of the day to hunt. I am sure no one would see me cross over the fence, the nearest person is miles away. Whoever put this fence up had to be a mountain goat or an idiot. I'm thinking... The birds are on the other side of the fence what's holding me back?
Actually, it's not the fence, but it's my conscience and these two words. No Trespassing!
For all I know I may have been on private property and where the chukar flew to was BLM (no not black lives matter but the bureau of land management) open and free public land designated by the Department of Interior. Had the sign not been posted I would technically or at least consciously have been able to cross under the fence and continue chasing these birds.
The sign was specific and there was no denying that by crossing the fence I would be trespassing. I'm not a lawyer and I don't know all the laws, but I can tell you it could be at least a $1000 fine and up to six months in jail (according to some google searches). This may seem extreme but this is the law and I could be fined and spend some time in jail.
So I'm thinking. 1) The sign is telling me I'm trespassing if I cross over the fence. 2) If there was no sign and I crossed over the fence, am I still trespassing? Sign or no sign, having knowledge or no knowledge that it is private property... I'm still trespassing. So legally I would be without excuse and would be found guilty and would have to pay the penalty.
This reminds me of how gracious God is toward me and really toward all humanity.
In the old testament, we read about different offerings that were sacrificed on behalf of individual people for the specific sins they committed. Two, in particular, come to mind. The sin offering and the trespass or guilt offering. I assume if I crossed over the fence my penalty would have been covered with either one of these offerings had I lived during the time of Moses.
In basic terms and not delving too much into theology. The sin offering is for those crossing over the fence not knowing it was private property. The trespass or guilt offering is for those crossing over the fence knowing it is private property.
As believers, we sin daily, but we don't always know we are sinning. You know, like all the things we think about or do throughout the day not realizing that some of those thoughts or things we do are sinful. But no need to worry God took care of that for us by means of the sin offering.
There are some things we think up and do deliberately, we are consciously aware that it is wrong and we still do it and according to God it's sin. But, God being who He is provided an offering for those who are deliberate in sinning and that was the trespass or guilt offering. Let's be honest it would be gruesome and cruel today to be offering animals as sacrifices on our behalf for sins we committed. Man's appetite for sin would in no doubt wipe out all the animals used for sacrifice.
But God with His great love for all of us. Sent His only Son to die on the cross for our unintentional trespasses and intentional trespasses. He died and paid the price for our sins. We had to pay the penalty but He paid it for us with His life. John 3:16
Needless to say, I didn't cross the fence and I ended up hunting different areas. Bagged some quail but didn't see or hear any chukar for the rest of the day. Met up with my nephews who had taken a different route in the morning and had the skills to bag a few chukar and quail.
But as always the pinnacle of every hunt is being outdoors and enjoying God's creation with family... Especially my daughter.
Bible reading: Leviticus 5:14-19, Leviticus 7:1-7, Leviticus 14:12-18
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