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Hunting

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.

Waterfowl Hunting

Waterfowl Hunting – It all started with a dog and for me it is still all about the dogs.  Abby, our first Labrador Retriever came from an Amish farm and wasn’t the best retriever, but man we had some fun.  Don’t get me wrong, we love the hunts.  The early morning sunrise from the duck boat, when the moon light gives way to the sun and the musty smelling Avery (Banded) Real Grass mixes with the smell of coffee from your thermos.  The marsh starts to come alive as that first light makes the world look blue, followed by the majestic pinks, orange and yellows as the sun creeps over the horizon, DAMN where are those clouds that are supposed to be here.  The first flight of ducks come whipping around, still 15 minutes till legal shooting time.  Then having birds cupped up and locked into the decoys like they are on a rope and dropping them with a chorus of 12 and 20 gauge shotguns just like planned.  But sending the dog for a cripple before having them mop up the clean falls is my favorite part.  If I am being honest, back when the goose number made sense to field hunt Canadas, even though the dog work on the water is better, I love layout blinds and big Honkers.

Recent Waterfowl Hunting Post

Deer Hunting

Maybe someday we’ll be trophy hunters, but for now our deer hunting is part of a quest to become more self-reliant and control our own food chain.  We are fortunate to have State Parks and State Forest that have good hunting and if conditions are right taking a deer or two off our property is also possible.  We mainly hunt with a crossbow and slug gun but will be getting back to carrying a bow into the woods soon.  Lucky for us, once archery starts you can harvest deer with a bow or crossbow until hunting season ends in late January.  Lots of public land is archery only, which lessens the impact from other hunters. 

Recent Deer Hunting Post

Hunting Gear Reviews

Since we are hunting anyway we thought it might be fun to provide reviews, comparisons and recommendations for fellow waterfowl and deer hunters.  We will meander through a wide range of gear and gadgets to help you decide if certain equipment is worth taking on your next hunting trip or not.  We’ll have a look at things like firearms, archery equipment, clothing, boats, accessories and more.

Our Hunting Gear Reviews are designed to be your one-stop resource for all things related to waterfowl and deer hunting equipment. The goal of our reviews and comparisons is to help you make better decisions when buying gear, so you can focus on what matters most – having a blast on your next hunt.

Recent Hunting Gear Review