Hunting Posts
Winters Hymn
Harland stared out the windows past me,his eyes fawning over a raft of mallards swimming. A slight smile emerging,his plump cheeks rising.Stout in stature and balding, he possessed a slight lean in his gate. “Daddy thought this would be a good place to raise us boys.The fresh air good for Momma”, he said. His baritone voice..
Warthogs and Time Limits
Hemingway detailed his struggle trying to bag a Greater Kudu in his book Green Hills of Africa. He wrote about how it was a pleasure to hunt something that was a challenge but having a time limit in which to do it was not fun; his exact words are “Now it is pleasant to hunt something that you want very…
Hunting With Dad
Like most of us that are avid waterfowlers, I was raised on bird hunting by my dad. Now, it remains to be seen if this was his way of torturing me, giving me this passion(some may say addiction) for waking up at an ungodly time of day, driving all morning, setting up decoys in the worst weather imaginable(of course the best weather for ducks), just for the chance to see a duck in the sky.
Ghostly Tales Of Big Marsh Swamp Pt.2
The rest of 2013 I did not return to this swamp, I frequently made excuses not to go. But November 2014 the ducks got too thick and once more the itch became too strong. One evening I made up my mind I was going back, but this time not by myself. I called my long-time friend Johnathon to go with me. I was careful to not sound desperate for his company, but I had decided if he did not go I sure as black berry bush has thorns, was not going into that hole alone
Five Quotes About Upland Hunting
It’s never been a better time to be an upland hunter. Whether you are a beginner, novice, or a salty and well-seasoned bird hunter, upland hunting offers many rewards. Both internally and externally. We all have become afflicted and drawn to the variety of what the uplands offer throughout various regions of this country. Whether we are chasing bobs in Georgia or roosters in Kansas, to chukars and Huns in “the West”, or traipsing through an October scene in the great Northwoods of yellow aspens that conjures up visions of flushing ruffs and doodles…upland hunting is an emotion cleansing activity with dogs, friends, and the birds we love to chase.
The Off Button
The pair had come back. When mallards return to a recently rejected decoy spread, they usually coast right in without circling, but these aren’t mallards. The birds circle again and pull off in almost exactly the same pattern they did when they initially vetoed my presentation. I have a rule that once a duck responds to a call, I need to continue calling or risk losing interest, so I let the déjà vu continue to play out. Two or three false approaches, and they finally break the mold and cut back towards the decoys rather than away.
Wigeon Point
An October blizzard sweeping across the North Dakota prairie could not keep three South Carolina waterfowlers from making their annual hunting trip. For hunter Matt McCaskill this trip would allow him to mark a special duck off his bucket list.
Five Quotes About Turkey Hunting
“The turkey’s eyes are such that he can see a bumblebee turn a somersault on the verge of the horizon.”
—Archibald Rutledge
Arno Bernard Knives
I love collecting handmade sporting equipment like knives, fly rods, guns, etc. I look at these things as functional works of art and nice pieces can be passed down as heirlooms for generations. I especially like collecting fine, handmade knives. I recently purchased an Arno Bernard handmade knife and I am impressed by the fit, materials and beauty of the newest piece in my collection.
The “Euro” Pointer
History reveals that this bird dog should be renamed to show its true countries of origin.
A Carolina Christmas…in the Southern uplands
Winter is here, and leather boots are on the go
Wingshooters in orange walking through evergreen groves
Red Partridgeberries danglin’ everywhere
Timberdoodles flushin’ in pairs
It must be that time of year that brings warm cheer
Of Impala and Dogs
I knew the shot was good, but as I watched the impala ram run into the thick tangle of trees and brush like nothing had happened, my heart sank. Cape buffalo, kudu, and puku all noticed the .300 Swift A-frame I sent their way, but not this impala. “It’s going to be fine,” my professional hunter, Strang Middleton, assured me as I lowered my rifle. “My dogs will find him.”
Atlantic Brant & The Death of Blackbeard
It’s the morning of November 22nd, 1718, and the North Carolina Island of Ocracoke will be witness to a battle that will result in the death and beheading of the most famous pirate in history, Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. The golden age of piracy ended almost 300 years ago, but our fascination with pirates is as strong today as it was during the Golden Age. Blackbeard is, without a doubt, the most well-known pirate, but many myths and legends surround him…
Turkey in Old Mexico
When someone asks me, “Why did you go all the way to Mexico just to shoot a turkey?”, the answer is simple: the experience. The flight down to El Paso, the border crossing, traveling through a truly authentic “border town”, being stopped by the “Federales” on the trip back from camp, and all the great food, followed by some excellent turkey hunting made it a trip truly filled full of experiences. While some better than others, but nonetheless, experiences…
The Wild Fowl Tastes of Twain
When speaking about Mark Twain (1835-1910), we usually think of him putting pen to paper and not holding a fork. Twain loved to eat. Most people traveling throughout Europe would say the food is exquisite. Whether one is in Spain, France, or Italy, the cuisine is supposed to be the pinnacle of culinary refinement. However, for Twain it was far from it. Twain made it clear while traveling in the 1870s that he preferred and longed for good, ol’ American food.