Looking Back: Pheasent Hunts

Most of my posts lately have been dominated by my current treatment.  I think I'll go off in another direction today.  I've intended to use this blog as a means to also capture memories of growing up.  It's fun to reminisce and down the road my kids can read this and know me better. 

Since it's fall, I think about hunting and being outdoors.  I am by no means a hard core outdoorsman or hunter but I do thoroughly enjoy pheasant hunting;  deer hunting not so much.  While the hunt is great, the social part is what I think I've always enjoyed the most. 

In South Dakota you can take your hunters safety course and get your license when you turn 12.  I took the classes with my cousin Jeremy in Watertown.  Nothing really stands out about the course until the final day when we went to the shooting range. 

Our final test was shooting 2 clay pigeons.  Dad was there that morning to watch.  I remember being nervous since I had never shot clay pigeons before.  I was provided a Browning semi-automatic (12 gauge) and went through the motions to get ready to shoot.  I was plenty excited when I nailed that first shot.  Even more so when I got my second.  I was the only person to hit both clays in the class that day.  Dad was so proud.  I think that's why it remember it so well.

I don't recall many specifics about those first years of hunting.  I started with a bolt action 20 gauge that belonged to Dad or Uncle Mike.  I don't remember hitting much.  A few years later I moved on to a old Browning semi-automatic of Dad's.   This gun had been in the family for several years.  At one point, prior to me using it, mud had gotten in the barrel and it had exploded.   It was repaired with this knarly looking barrel extension.  I really enjoyed this gun.  It was a heavy beast, looked bad-ass because of the barrel and had the tendency to go fully automatic.

A few years back, Andy was walking with us and the gun went off as I was loading a shell in the chamber.  Scared the crap out of both of us.  I retired the gun at that point and started using a 12 gauge pump that my dad had.  (We'd gotten him a different gun for Christmas).   So finally, after 22 years of using borrowed guns I broke down this year and bought a semi-automatic Browning Maxus (right).  Unfortunately with the current events, I've only been able to use it once so far.

Some of those early years of hunting Pheasants were amazing.  We'd typically have the legal limit of 20 people in the group.  Opening day would begin by meeting at our neighbor Scott's place to get organized.  Ma would usually have a pan of Lasagna in the oven for us to eat before we left.  Back at that time there were so many birds.  Our group was so large we'd typically chase the birds to the end of whatever field and then all hell would break loose.   Those were fun hunts and it was not unusual for us to limit even with that many people. 

At some point in the day Lee would break out the sandwiches and cookies he had prepared.  He's continued to keep us well fed during these hunts.  Opening day would end with everyone cleaning birds and then as much of a happy hour (or two) that we could fit in before heading down to the church supper.  The days that we limited early, tended to be those where we were in a bot rougher shape by the time we got to supper. 

Recent years the bird numbers have fallen due to tough springs, droughts and loss of cover.  So the hunts have gotten harder; limiting out less likely.  But for me it's still about going back to see all the old crew.  Other then the kids growing up, it's tended to be the same bunch year after year... going on now for over 20 years.  That next generation is starting to come of age. 

I think of a couple of old timers, Jack and Cal, from Michigan that would show up each year.  There is some connection between them and my mom's Aunt Dorothy.   These guys where characters and they were always fun to have around.  Unfortunately, their health prevented them from coming around this year. 

Very rarely growing up did we eat pheasant.  Dad has this thing about eating poultry so we really didn't have the opportunity.  In later year's however, I have become quite fond of the tasty little things.   The kids even like them.  They prefer when I make breaded pheasant strips.  Otherwise I like frying up the breasts with a little lemon pepper or a nice pheasant noodle soup.

I look back fondly on these hunts.  These are very happy days.  Maybe I'll manage to get out again yet this year.  Hopefully the girls and/or Jonah will take an interest some day. 

I don't have any pictures of any of our hunts.  Does anyone have pictures they can send me?