The pinks and golds of reflected sunset disappear from the virgin snow with the last straggling rays of sunlight. What meager warmth the day had on offer dissipates as quickly as the color, and an insistent voice in my head urges me back to the house. Take your armload of firewood and go, it, Read More
Dogs fly out of their kennels. An energetic ball of dust builds with each concentric circle. Coolers, duffels, and water jugs litter the ground. Chaos is distilled into organization. Camp is established.
“So…there is something I haven’t told you yet” I said to my buddy as we made last minute arrangements for an out of state bird hunt. “Uh…all right lets’s hear it.” “Well…I’m bringing Grady.” Silence “Not for the whole trip,” I pressed on. “We are going to rendezvous with my Dad in Montana and drop, Read More
Yesterday was the most American square on the calendar, Election Day. On my particular ballot were prospective Senators, Congressmen, Governors, State Legislators, County Commissioners, Sheriffs, Secretaries of State, Auditors, Superintendents of Public Education, Treasurers, School Board Members, Conservation District Trustees, Fire Chiefs and Coroners. I read-up on each, filled in the appropriate bubbles, fed, Read More
Huge fish, big bulls, grip and grins, hero shots, we all love them. But the quality of our experience rarely has much to do with the quarry. Here’s what a trophy looks like (How I lucked out and landed the one above I’ll never know): Good friends…outshine a 180 inch Muley any day. Kids…about the, Read More
Sometimes, despite my best efforts, my mind wanders. I can only manage so many hours of hyper-vigilance before the tastes and sounds of the here and now are diluted by the curious voices of the nowhere and never that fill my head. Hunting helps, but even in those precious hours, I am not entirely immune., Read More
Over the course of 6 trips, in and out, and nearly 40 miles, I question whether or not it’s worth it.
I am an unabashed, unapologetic Luddite. (And yes, I do recognize the irony of making that declaration via the internet). What’s true for my home life is doubly so for my days afield. When I head for the hills, I’m looking to unplug completely. The thought of the latest technological gewgaw hitching a ride, Read More
Glassing up hill I strain my neck to view through dead timber. Like a bunch of intertwined skeletons the trees offered little respite. Out of nowhere an ear and antler fills my view. A double take confirms it’s not an aberration. A third look and a glimpse of a royal tine the size of, Read More
Your heart is in your throat, but it can’t choke off the torrent of sounds and smells and tiny clues that have swallowed you whole.