I like to make New Year’s resolutions that are more like wishes since I really don‘t follow them like I should. The beginning of a new year is always a good time to think about what we want to do better in the coming year and how we can improve ourselves. When making wishes about the outdoors it can be a lot of fun, too.

For everyone else my wishes don’t require much work. They are just things I hope people do and have fun, and maybe think about a little. If you like these New Year’s wishes adopt them. If not, make your own and enjoy the next year.

For all fishermen I hope you catch the biggest fish of your life and thrill to the excitement of landing it and sharing your catch with friends. I hope you go fishing one day and land so many fish you can brag about it without exaggerating. But I also hope you go fishing one day and don’t get a bite, and realize at the end of the day that you still had a great day and there is nothing you would rather do.

For hunters I hope the deer have huge racks, the birds fly into your shot pattern, the turkey fall in love with your calls and the squirrels move around to your side of the tree when you throw a stick to the other side. I hope every time you kill an animal you stop for a minute and regret that it had to die to fulfill the hunting tradition. May you always clean and eat all of your kill, enjoy the bounties of the outdoors, and realize it is part of the natural world.

For bass fishermen may you release almost all the fish you catch, especially the big ones, but may you also take a few home to cook without any bad feelings. Realize fish populations are a renewable resource and you can keep some without hurting the future.

May every child have an adult that will take time to show them how to safely load and carry a gun, and how to be careful every second they are using one. And may that person take them squirrel hunting and let them experience the excitement of stalking a bushytail while it scampers around feeding on acorns. Maybe that training will pay off when it comes to big game at some point, too.

I hope every adult has a kid they can share a day with and let their excitement and exuberance remind you of how it feels. Maybe sharing that feeling with them will re-kindle some of those feelings that have seemed to fade in you over time. And sharing the day will make memories for both of you that will last from now on.

This year I hope you enjoy all the toys that can make being outdoors more fun. Fish out of a big fast bass boat and use a GPS to find a honey hole. Use the most modern rods and reels spooled with high-tech line and throw a $25 lure to catch a bass. But also sit on the dock on a pond with a cane pole and a can of worms and watch a cork float in the ripples, waiting on it to quiver and go under.

Don’t go hunting and concentrate so hard on killing a trophy buck you miss the cardinal that lands in a nearby dogwood to eat berries. Watch a squirrel and try to figure out why we call them gray squirrels and they look gray but don’t have a single gray hair on their bodies. And look up when you hear the distant trilling and think about the huge distances migratory birds travel when a flock of sand hill cranes fly over.

Spend some time flying down a big reservior at 70 miles per hour heading to honey hole full of bass but also spend some time easing along a small creek, dabbling a hand tied fly in the pools for bream and small bass. Enjoy the beauty of every fish you catch, noting the bright colors of a spawning bluegill and the intricate patterns on spotted bass.

Take time to smell the outdoors and note how it changes with the weather and places you visit. Catch a whiff of wood smoke on a freezing cold morning while out on a lake and feel warm just from the smell. Listen to the sounds of nature and note how fog mutes them and seems to make the whole world hush.

If I could make these wishes for all who enjoy the outdoors I would try to make sure they were good ones. But most of all, I hope and wish everyone gets to spend time fishing and hunting and enjoying nature.