Reflections On Seasons Past

This year was a great upland sesason for me. I was blessed with the opportunity to travel extensively, strengthen relationships with my family, and witness the
awesome abilities of an animal who possibly loves the upland hunting lifestyle more than I do.

Reflecting back on this season I can recall the images of bluebird days in seas of prairie grass, the excitement in the eyes of a young boy experiencing the flush of a wild pheasant for the first time, the determination of an old bird hunter still in the hunt, Quaking Aspens ablaze in color from 11,000 feet, the explosion of a large covey over a staunch point, and the amazing beauty of the savanna of the Sky Islands.

Given those images mentioned above it would appear to be the end of a charmed season, and it was. Ironically though, the initial idea for this essay started out as an effort to deal with the frustration over some of the not so positive encounters with other "sportsmen" that I experienced this year. In retrospect the good experiences of this past year far outweigh those bad encounters and as I began to write I realized that the criticisism of specific events only fosters a sense of negativity. So instead what follows are the 10 keys based on my forty years of experience chasing birds and bird dogs to making the most of a day afield. To put it another way, the pages of bird hunting history are full of well intentioned nimrods who either ruined their own hunt or that of another beacuse they did not grasp these basic concepts.

1. Gun safety is the top priority while in the field. As my dad used to say "Once you fire the shot you can't get it back". Ask Dick Cheney.

2. Hunt and work your dog silently. If you find yourself reaching for the ACME Thunderer every five minutes you should kennel your dog and apply as a Referee for the NBA.

3. Never return to a favorite covert shared to you by a friend without that friend. PERIOD. If you do you will probably ruin the friendship, not that your were much of a friend anyway if you have the inclination to sneak back.

4. Take time to learn the traditions of the sport. Bird dog men were as avid about the sport 100 years ago as we are now. You do not have to reinvent the wheel.

5. Never impede, infringe, interfere, intrude, block, delay, disrupt, thwart, hamper, hinder, encroach, meddle or molest the hunt of another bird hunter. EVER!

6. Do not hog public resources. Educate yourself about the resources and protect them.

7. If you have to shoot a limit to feel successfull, take up golf. You will then get the peace of mind you deserve.

8. Take care of your dog's needs before your own. Most experienced guys assess others buy how they treat their animals.

9. Wear comfortable boots. As Babcock so eloquently put it "A bird hunter must walk".

10. If any issue arises in the field your are unsure of, refer to item # 5.