Bird Camp Diaries: November 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

The Wild, Wild World of Wildlife Art Imitating Wildlife

Bird Camp Diaries: November 2007 I like wildlife art just as much as the next guy. Looking at it, that is. Because my dreams of becoming a renowned wildlife artist were dashed at a very early age. When you draw a rooster in the second grade and your teacher says, "That's nice, Anthony... what is it?" you quickly set your sights on other professions...

But like I said, I hold a special place for wildlife art. As someone who fancies himself a writer, I could tell you that wildlife art "evokes memories from the days of yore" or that they are "pieces of nostalgia that capture the moments outdoorsmen remember forever." But unless you write catalog descriptions for a living, there's no need to say such things - nobody not working at an Ivy League institution talks like that. Just once, I'd like to see a description put it into layman's terms:

"Remember that double you bagged on the last day of the season in that snowstorm. Pretty sweet, wasn't it? You'll never forget that moment. And wildlife artist INSERT NAME HERE has created this cool painting to help remind you of how awesome you are."

There, that's more my style. It doesn't even exist, but if it did, I would totally buy that painting.

Other than old-world descriptions, the other beef I occasionally have with certain works of wildlife art is the ridiculous amount of wildlife they stuff in them. There's the classic sunset scene at the local watering hole, with a monster buck, a few does, six roosters flushing, a flock of ducks bombing in, Canadian geese circling overhead, a pack of wolves in the background, a bass snagging a fly out of midair and a few squirrels and other woodland creatures brushed in for good measure... Because who hasn't seen that situation play itself out? I mean, does anyone really believe this? As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.

Spend enough time outdoors, however, and Mother Nature will treat you with glimpses of surreal scenes, the stuff paintings are made of. One such moment for me occurred during one of my early deer hunts in Minnesota. When it comes to deer hunting, a good piece of advice is to find a spot and sit there. And sit. And sit some more. Sit long enough, and success will find you. But at 14, patience was a virtue I had yet to acquire.

After about only an hour in my stand (I know, pretty pathetic) on a snowy morning, I decided it was a good time to get out and stretch. More accurately, my body had yet to develop the ability to store fat, and I thought I was freezing to death. I'd strayed from my stand no more than a hundred yards along the river bottom when a rustle, then a flicker of movement, startled me. Through the trees was a large buck staring directly at me.

I'd barely mentally digested what was going on, let alone given myself time to let buck fever seep in, before another flash in my periphery caught my attention. A rooster was flushing through the thicket patch just yards off to my left. And right behind the rooster was a pouncing red fox, trying to pick up a nice winter breakfast. Well, that wily bird eluded the fox, and the buck the same to me, but I'll have that precious five-second memory clip - still as clear to me now as it was then - forever.

I've always thought the scene would make a great wildlife painting. Makes me wonder what might have been had I not literally been talked out of my painting career. Of course, the real question is: If I painted it, would anyone, including me, believe it?

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.

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