In mid-December, Jack and I met up with my dad for a duck hunting trips near Waldenburg, Arkansas. As luck would have it, most of Arkansas was pummeled by eight inches of rain in the previous week. That made for some tough hunting -- the birds were around, but standing water everywhere made for some tough hunting (not to mention that many of the best blinds were submerged. So from that perspective, the trip wasn't much of a success.
Thankfully, hunting success in the 21st century hunting is seldom measured by the quantity of critters shot. As I mentioned previously, this was a trip about bringing together family and creating memories. And on that accord, the trip did not disappoint.
We still managed to shoot a few birds. We jumped about 8,000 snow geese on a reservoir -- a spectacle that is completely indescribable. I'm not sure who's the proudest in this photo... Jack, his grandpa, or the guy taking the picture.
The guy who really organized this whole outing was Dan, a close hunting buddy that I met when I lived in Texas. We literally met in the middle of nowhere on a quail lease some 15 years ago -- and we've been tight ever since. He brought his dad and son as well.
Dan also brought his two labs, and we were thankful to have them. Primarily upland dogs, water work was foreign to them at the beginning of the trip, but by the end of it they were regularly making some outstanding retrieves for us.
It was the first three generation trip, but I suspect it won't be the last.
Like you stated, birds in the bag do not always make the trip memorable. I am sure this trip was special to all three generations for different reasons -- One of the main ones most likely being able to share time with family.
ReplyDeleteGood story and good photos. Especially enjoyed the part about "Austrian Cuisine". How can Jack not like Vienna sausages! Of course, they're better heated. Has he tried fried Spam with mashed potatoes and gravy? Come back to Texas. I'll fix him some.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I loved the ticked off look on the black Lab, too. He probably didn't get any of the Austrian Cuisine. Keep writing. GB
Thanks for the great post; makes me realize I need to make an effort to get my dad and sons together for a hunt next fall. We've all fished together numerous time but have never hunted together for some reason.
ReplyDeletethis was a hunt i will never forger. like you said, quality trumps quanity!
ReplyDeletemy grandson will come to appreciate vienna sausages....it just may take time. those goose filets were mighty tasty wrapped in bacon on the grill very rare.
I'm so happy you guys got to take a trip like that together. I haven't ever enjoyed myself more than multi-generational hunting trips. The first few we ever took my son on were actually 4 generations as my grandfather or "Pops" was still with us then, but for the last 4 years its been just the three of us. It was really strange because for most of my life the three of us would go on these same kinds of trips and then to have my son replace my grandfather really made me realize how old I was getting haha. That first weekend will always be a shining memory for me though. From the four of us helping him pick out his first gun on Sportsman's Guide (and Pops complaining the whole time because we were buying his equipment on the computer) to him landing his first deer on the second day of the trip! I can't remember ever being so proud. Great post!
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