Again, appreciate the welcome and the kind words about the photos. And, yes, there are some young guys I've introduced to pheasant hunting. My two boys.
Not sure how many of you have faced this situation, but when I took my boys out for the first time (after racking up several hours of instruction and time at an area skeet club) I figured their reaction to hunting could have gone either way. And I was prepared for the worst. I was also prepared not to let a negative reaction on their part deter me from hunting as often as I could.
I was confident my youngest was going to love hunting. He's my fly fishing partner and love most things that are outdoors. My oldest can be another story. Mr. Outdoors he isn't.
So, we headed out to experience our first hunt together. Long story short, the boys loved every minute of it. There were high fives on hits. Wisecracks on misses. And at the end of the day there were hugs all around.
While driving home I fully expected the boys to talk about the shooting they had done and the birds they had taken that day. Instead, they spent the 90 minute drive home reviewing the photos I'd taken just a short time before. And instead of talking about knocking down birds - they talked about Griz, our lab, and what a treat it was to watch him do what he loves to do.
The experience with Griz elevated the little guy in their minds from being the best companion the three of us could ever have - to being the best companion and hunting dog we could have ever hoped for. They were amazed at his drive and how he worked tirelessly in the field. It was almost like Griz knew what this day was all about and he was determined to make it a great one for all of us.
Thank goodness none of us really believe our dogs could even remotely think of doing such things.
Yes, I have companions for life. And those companions are anxious for October to roll around as so many of us are.
David
Here are my boys...and, of course, Griz. And there's one of my oldest and Griz walking from the field at the end of our first time out together. Damn it was cold that day. But couldn't all hunt together until he came back from college for winter break.
