Legacy of the Land and the Lord
Created Outdoors Staff Member Tony Fall and his father Don (Tony’s first deer)
My father, Don, was more than my earthly dad. He was my teacher, my mentor, and my first spiritual guide. He taught me about conservation, about respecting the land, and that every blessing from the woods was a gift from God. Jesus’ love was always there with us and wrapped up in every sunrise hunt, every quiet moment, and every whispered prayer in the tree line.
I didn’t realize how rich we really were back then. We didn’t have much money, we lived off the land, but we had faith, family, and the outdoors. Those roots run deep.
I was the prodigal son. I strayed for years into alcohol, drugs, and bad choices. But the same God who guided my father’s hands guided mine back home. The same woods that once held my rebellion became the very place where I found redemption.
I’ll never forget 1986 when I was twelve years old. I harvested my first deer, a little button buck. My dad made me kneel beside it and thank the Lord for His provision. That prayer became the foundation of everything I now teach.
Tony Fall’s daughters Madison and Alexis
Now I get to pass that same legacy forward. My daughter Madison learned to garden, forage, and harvest her own food. My grandson Jason got his first deer when he was six. My daughter Alexis took her first deer in 2020 and now walks with the Lord, confident and self-sufficient.
Mentorship doesn’t stop with family. My best friend, retired Marine Curtis Beckwith, harvested his first deer at fifty. My son-in-law Brennan took his first deer just last year, and even his father rediscovered hunting after twenty years away. He’s now part of our Fishers of Men group, growing in faith and fellowship.
Just last night, I watched thirteen-year-old Kylar Levoff, a young man from our ministry, take his very first deer. None of his family hunts, but now they all want to start. That’s not just success; that’s discipleship in action.
Because this isn’t about trophies. It’s about transformation. It’s about men finding God in creation, families reconnecting through stewardship, and hearts turning back to the Father who provides all things.
The Bible says in Genesis 2:15, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” That verse reminds me that conservation is worship. Every hunt begins and ends with gratitude. When we respect the land, the game, and the Creator, we’re showing our worship through stewardship. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
Teaching others to hunt isn’t just about the outdoors, it’s about patience, gratitude, and faith. It’s about slowing down in a busy world and spending time together in God’s creation. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
The stillness of the forest has a way of silencing the noise of the world. In those quiet moments, many men have heard God whisper again a reminder that His grace is still greater than our past. Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
A deer in the freezer fades with time, but a legacy of faith and stewardship lasts for generations. When we teach others to honor the land and thank the Lord for the harvest, we’re sowing something eternal. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
If it wasn’t for my father mentoring me, I’d be lost in life. His guidance, both in the woods and in the Word, shaped the man I am today. He taught me that the outdoors isn’t just a place to hunt. It’s a place to heal. It’s a place to listen. And it’s a place to grow closer to God.
Now it’s my turn to carry that torch and mentor others the same way my dad mentored me. Because the world is moving too fast. People are being pulled away from the simple, sacred things that matter like faith, family, fellowship, and respect for the harvest.
Every time I step into the woods with a new hunter, I’m reminded of my father’s voice and the lessons he planted deep in my heart. His legacy lives on in every young person, friend, and father I help reconnect with God through His creation.
If we don’t pass it on, it fades. But if we do take the time, if we slow down, teach, pray, and respect the land, then that same light that guided me will guide generations to come.
The Bible says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” And in Deuteronomy 6:7, “Teach them diligently to your children… when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise.”
So that’s my calling. To mentor. To slow down. To pass it on. And to honor both my earthly father, my Heavenly one, in everything I do.
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Written by,
Tony Fall Created Outdoors Staff