The Mighty Hunter(s)

I come from a hunting family -- past, present and future.

When the Mama was a kid, everyone went hunting together. A huge tent was put up, and every adult carried a gun. (The women just knocked off earlier in the afternoon, to get supper.) Wood was chopped, animals cleaned out and hung -- and at night, plenty of stories were told around the woodstove. In the mornings, one uncle fried pancakes while everyone got ready.
    In case you're wondering, everyone put their sleeping pallets down on the tent floor (spread with canvas) at night. They slept together, for warmth's sake, rolled in their particular blankets: husband/wife, then wife/husband next to them in that order. I'm not sure where the kids were, but am guessing that they were in one big group together, also for warmth. (It gets cold up in Michigan on those late fall evenings.)
    I visited 'hunting camp' several times as a kid, but not as a teenager. My dad went a few times, with Brother in tow, but was never an enthusiastic hunter -- though he was a crack shot. I did, however, go out with cousins now and then, deliberately crashing through timber to scare the deer out -- and toward the waiting people. We also hunted small game -- and ate everything we got. (Fishing was the same way: you catch it, you clean it -- and you eat it.)

So when the Brick and I married, it didn't occur to me NOT to go hunting. On that first trip, Tommy (now one of our oldest friends) protested, saying that women shouldn't be out there. Another friend promptly told him to shut up, and said that HIS mom always went hunting, why couldn't I be there, etc. etc. (Kudos to him -- I was so grateful.)
    Besides, I tended to feed Tommy and his son, along with the Brick and the girlies. So he shut up.

I haven't been hunting for years now -- in great part because Colorado's hunting seasons (Sept. and October) are smack-dab in the middle of my busiest teaching/appraisal/judging times. Both daughters also enjoy hunting with Dad. They cook for their dad... but sometimes for Tommy too, who still likes to order them around: "Make me a sandwich, woman." (Don't worry, they tell him where to go!)
     The girlies love to argue with their father, and spoil him, in turn. So often I let them do just that, and stay home. This year, the Brick's health did not let him go. Tommy and his son did go hunting -- but spent the week covered in mud, and saw very few animals.

Our nephew Kevin hunted this month in Michigan (their seasons are later), and got this beautiful 4-point buck. (7-8 points in Michigan; scoring is different there.)

Nice job!

Son #1 also went hunting -- but for birds. He got a snow goose...which he said had a surprising taste -- almost like steak -

photo via John Hocking/Pinterest

and will be headed out next week to hunt for white-tailed deer. (He got one of the licenses in Colorado's 'leftover' draw.)

Good luck, Mighty Hunters!

The girlies and their dad, on a previous year's trip