Bird Camp Diaries: October 2007
The Bird Camp Diaries are nothing more than whimsical monthly musings. I hope you find them entertaining, and sometimes thought provoking.
Anthony Hauck
Public Relations Specialist
Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever
Tis the Season to Make Memories... Better
If there's one thing I love more than a good story, it's a great story.
Which is why I'm always excited when hunting or fishing season finally rolls around. Sure, I enjoy being outdoors, running the dogs, catching up with old buddies, blah blah blah......more than anything, I know the season on which I'm about to embark will bring with it tales...tales which - like fine wine, Barry Bonds and Hillary Duff - only seem to get better with age.
It's not that I'm a complete liar. But I can't help but inject a few embellishments into every big shot or big catch - call me the James Frey of the outdoor community. In fact, see if you can catch the sensationalisms in these excerpts from my book, currently in progress, entitled A Million Little Hunting Stories. I actually plan to write that many, so expect it to hit bookshelves around 3087.
Trophy Time
"Pulled from the depths of the raging Lac Qui Parle River, I battled the trophy-class northern pike in triple-digit July heat for nearly an hour. As if the torrid current and on-setting dehydration weren't enough, I was literally hanging by a thread as the submarine sized man-eater continued to fray my 2 lb. test line. Once ashore, we opened the beast up only to find 36 Daredevils, two boat propellers, some human remains and a Rolex eerily set to the exact time at which the mammoth met its demise. The watch rests comfortably on my wrist to this day."
Man Versus Myth
"Like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster and Alex Rodriguez in the playoffs, there were precious few sightings of "The Bottoms Buck." Legend had it that the bruiser only came out on a full moon. Others said he lived in the swamp, only surfacing occasionally for air. And if there was one trail camera left ravaged by the "The Bottoms Buck," there were one thousand. But one November day, Old Bottoms left the swamp, never to return again. Not wanting him to see my chilly breath as he approached my stand, I breathed in and held...one...two...finally, a world-record-setting 10 minutes later, I exhaled, sending a lone shot reverberating through the forest. It took the help of a crane and backhoe to remove Old Bottoms from where he lay.
Fowl Play
"In a classic reconnaissance mission straight out of Patton's playbook, a buddy and I found a secluded slough swirling with widgeons, mallards and canvasbacks. We then geared up for what we knew would either be a death sentence or the greatest waterfowling adventure in modern times. We army crawled through several miles of rugged terrain brimming with barbed wire as well as an abandoned mine field, eventually busting through the reeds - limbs still intact - to find a cumulus cloud of waterfowl awaiting us. Limits, and a parade in our honor, were had."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When you take to the fields and waterways this fall, I wish you the best of luck. Make many memorable memories. And if you don't find them suitable enough, just do what I do - make something up, and make them better!
Remember, if you have story ideas, dog photos, pre-1980 hunting photos and requests for future On The Wing consideration, please send correspondence to ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
If you have story ideas, dog photos, pre-1980 hunting photos and requests for future On The Wing consideration, please send correspondence to ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Return to On The Wing: October 2007"On The Wing" Archive
- On the Wing: July 2008
- On the Wing: June 2008
- On the Wing: May 2008
- On the Wing: April 2008
- On the Wing: March 2008
- On the Wing: February 2008
- On the Wing: January 2008
- On the Wing: December 2007
- On The Wing: November 2007
- On The Wing: October 2007
- On The Wing: September 2007
- On The Wing: August 2007
- On The Wing: July 2007
- On The Wing: June 2007
- On The Wing: May 2007
