How we spent our day...

[mobirdhunter]

My favorite sporting author, George Bird Evans, wrote in his An Affair with Grouse: "The child tells what he got for Christmas, the mature man tells how he spent the day; the immature hunter tells how many birds he shot, the mature gunner tells of the experience."

At this season, I'm sure that those of us who live to chase game birds or waterfowl with vintage guns know that Mr. Evans' comment rings true, and that beyond the taking of game is the fulfillment of the pursuit. My wife and I have for nearly 40 years hunted on Christmas Day and this year was no different. We've hunted on a frigid SE Minnesota bluff when it was so cold the bells and beeper collars all froze; in the Ohio foothills when the only Christmas dinner available was a microwave meal from a rural gas station; and, more often than not, driving from home for a "short hunt" on a nearby farm.

This year was no different, and after opening presents and communicating with relatives in far away states, we loaded the entire family -- my wife and I and our four Gordon Setters -- and drove just across the Missouri State line to a small farm in Appanoose County, Iowa. The Day had been forecast as cloudy with some fog, but it was sunny and 46 degrees, and made for lingering to enjoy the sun. The one covey that lives here was not home, but we walked the backside of the CRP in hopes that maybe a rooster could be found. We hunted our "new" brace -- 6-year old Cedar and our 15-month old pup, Aspen. I could tell they were enjoying the day and its weather as they ranged a bit too far in friendly competition. This is not a tale of a large bag, or even many pointed birds, but we did manage a rooster over a point, both dogs claiming the honor. I'm sure we walked slower than we normally do to take it all in -- the beautiful day, stolen in a way from the weatherman, was all we could have asked for, and to have us together was by far the most memorable present we received.

I have always enjoyed seeing the pictures of other members' hunts and reading of their days afield. I invite others to add their accounts of the season. If hunting was part of your Christmas Season, whether on Christmas Day or at any time during the holidays -- how did you spend the day?

Key to the photos:

1. The weather was to be cloudy with fog. Thank goodness the weatherman is as often wrong as right. We call this a "stolen day."
2. Elaine said there was color in this photo -- bird, vest, sky...and the case coloring of the Smith she bought me a few days earlier after we stumbled upon it at a local gun store where we stopped on a whim. It was hidden away among black guns and commemorative Winchesters. I put away the 20 gauge DHE today to use this Christmas present (I hope you'll forgive my posting "another" gun!).
3. Two Gordons who think this bird is theirs. Both pointed the bird and gloated over it in the weeds.
4. Peat, who is retired at 11 years and who has hunted since birth without one of his back feet due to an accident, still likes to ride along and take account of the day's bag. I've admired his spirit and attitude for all of his 11 years.
5. Color as good as that of any Christmas present wrapping.

[Reggie B]

Great Christmas day hunt! Thank you for sharing!

[Randy Roberts]

That's good stuff right there, way to go. My hat's off to you Sir. Merry Christmas!!!

[Victor Wasylyna]

Merry Christmas, Garry! Thank you for sharing your experience.

-Victor

[Brett Hoop]

From your earlier writings I had thought of GBE and Kay. So I am not at all surprised to see one of my own favorite quotes of his attached. Your Mrs gets an atta girl for the Christmas Smith! It's hard to hold a pheasant cock in hand and have your eyes digest the all of him!

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Brett Hoop

From your earlier writings I had thought of GBE and Kay. So I am not at all surprised to see one of my own favorite quotes of his attached. Your Mrs gets an atta girl for the Christmas Smith! It's hard to hold a pheasant cock in hand and have your eyes digest the all of him!

Brett,

Thanks for responding. I'll tell Elaine. She deserves more thanks than I can ever give her, and not just for letting me indulge in guns and hunting.

[Marty K.]

Today was the first day of our second half of our waterfowl season....for the last couple of weeks we have watched rafts of Scaup and Canvasback along with many groups of Whistlers....We were geared and hoping for a spectacular day...With plenty of shells, fresh cut ham slices, rolls and cinnamon rolls....we started out at 5:30 to find flat water, zero wind and little moving....My son brought along his hunting buddy and we had 3 retrievers with us,... My sons 5 year old Black Lab "Wynie" who really is the perfect combination of English conformation, calm temperament but with a deep desire to retrieve...what we all try to find...my younger 2 year old yellow has desire but I am still in the process of getting her to settle down and be steady to shot and for this reason I left the double in the car and deferred to others to do the shooting... Although the Scaup and Canvasbacks we where hoping for didn't materialise we still enjoyed working the whistler decoys to try and have them land right where we wanted them...We were able to fool a few and all 3 retrievers got work as they took their turn....a worthwhile training session and fun shoot...we had an early lunch on shore by heating up clam chowder to go with the Christmas ham ..... always a new experience to get out and be with young developing hunters as they continue to learn how to set and tweak their decoy spead......and then back home in front of the fire by 2 o'clock for me....satisfied and again rewarded by mother nature.....

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Marty Kohler

Today was the first day of our second half of our waterfowl season....for the last couple of weeks we have watched rafts of Scaup and Canvasback along with many groups of Whistlers....We were geared and hoping for a spectacular day...With plenty of shells, fresh cut ham slices, rolls and cinnamon rolls....we started out at 5:30 to find flat water, zero wind and little moving....My son brought along his hunting buddy and we had 3 retrievers with us,... My sons 5 year old Black Lab "Wynie" who really is the perfect combination of English conformation, calm temperament but with a deep desire to retrieve...what we all try to find...my younger 2 year old yellow has desire but I am still in the process of getting her to settle down and be steady to shot and for this reason I left the double in the car and deferred to others to do the shooting... Although the Scaup and Canvasbacks we where hoping for didn't materialise we still enjoyed working the whistler decoys to try and have them land right where we wanted them...We were able to fool a few and all 3 retrievers got work as they took their turn....a worthwhile training session and fun shoot...we had an early lunch on shore by heating up clam chowder to go with the Christmas ham ..... always a new experience to get out and be with young developing hunters as they continue to learn how to set and tweak their decoy spead......and then back home in front of the fire by 2 o'clock for me....satisfied and again rewarded by mother nature.....

Marty,

A great account of your hunt, and I especially liked the fact that you included something about the food you brought along. It reminds me of the Nash Buckingham stories that often include descriptions of food (and that always make me hungry). Funny how hunting and eating go so well together! (BTW, a great photo!) I also enjoyed reading your assessment of the idiosyncratic nature of the dogs. I'll bet you enjoyed the hunt as much without the gun, handling the dogs, as you would have taking a limit. Thanks very much for letting us go along on this hunt (including lunch!).

[C.O.B.]

I was hoping to get in a little deer hunting but spent the morning in the ER with a broken rib

[Opening Day]

What a great tradition you have and what a wonderful day that you had, you could not have asked for better weather!