Hunting

Some of my most fulfilling and rewarding experiences have been in the field or woods with family and friends.  Whether it is waterfowl hunting or deer hunting, their is nothing quite like being outdoors surrounded by gods endless beauty with the high anticipation of a successful hunt.  But I would not be telling the entire story if all those memories were linked to only the hunts themselves.  The preparation time we spend before the hunt is perhaps the most rewarding.  Sending bolts into a target, shooting clay birds, dog training, scouting and boat and decoy prep are just a few of those preparation activities.  In the strange world we live in, hunting offers a common interest that pulls our family together, before, during and after the hunts.

We mostly hunt ducks, deer and geese.  This is a recreational activity as well, but we don’t harvest anything we are not going to eat (Groundhogs are an exception).  Processing out everything we harvest into food and snacks is sometimes just as much fun.  God willing Goose number will come back up, my mouth is watering just thinking about Pulled Goose BBQ.

Bird hunting also brings all the hard work put in with the dogs together.  Here is where their true purpose lies.  I love the Hunt Tests and Trials, but seeing a dog perform on the salt marsh or duck pond is something that will forever amazing me.  Our dogs can go from begging me for a bite of my Uncrustable to flipping a switch and pushing through ice, mud and god knows what else truly puts decades of genetics and instincts on display and highlights all the years of hard teamwork put in through training.

We take pride in this way of life and are so very grateful for the time we have spent together on the water and in the woods.  We have been blessed over the years to offset store bought meat with wild game and as a new chapter in our lives rolls out we are going to use our harvests and our farm fresh meat to get to the point of purchasing zero protein from a store.