Hunting season is here..

Bang, Bang, Bang.. Hunting season has started..

Ah, the joys of being on a flight path, duck hunting season has opened, I’m not sure what they are finding at this point locally because we still don’t have the normal heavy duty flocks moving in and over my area yet this year..

I know that the locals are building hides and setting up tree stands for when they are allowed to finally start turkey and deer hunting seasons.

We have a great looking flock of turkey’s in the area and after hunting season, it will be greatly reduced.. was out on the trails and ran into a number of hunters out scoping the area, the one gentleman was trying out new gear and just practising

Big Brother has already got his first of the season having brought home an elk, and is currently out on a hunting trip for moose. I had elk last Xmas when I was home and it was heavenly, and its my understanding that there is going to a BBQ with wild game at my mom’s on the big thanksgiving weekend get together that is happening for DH’s trip out west.

The local hunters and I have a understanding, I don’t mind hunting at all, in fact I approve of it, and think that done correctly its a excellent way to fill the freezer and the pantry with amazing healthy meat and also helps keep natural populations down.

I understand that I have a slanted view as I was raised in a hunting family, even worked in hunting camps in my 20’s and have lived in a number of places in canada where hunting/fishing is considered not just a tradition but a required part of your life.

I loved being able to get locally caught char in the artic, Boo is excellent, but I never warmed up to seal or whale  and muskox was ok but I have always been willing to try new kinds of meat and dishes.

The only thing I require is that you don’t hunt to close to my farm, and to understand that my old fashion heritage bronze turkeys are not wild turkey’s, the fawn colored 130 pds hair sheep is not a doe! and just because the geese are in my pastures does not mean that they are to be hunted..

I had hunters one time that refused to back off and go to the back feild, they used! my right of way to access the land, now it was not my land, and the owner does have his own right of way and entry point, but for some reason they took mine instead and they were lazy, they didn’t wait for the flocks to come in away from the farm, they would fire towards the house..

Now I coud see which way they had their lay down blinds and I was pissed, I sent my hounds out to bark on command to drive the birds away, I would send them out to clear the my own pastures which would send the birds up and then of course the whole flock would go up, which meant that with them up and not settled, the hunters could not wait for a flying flock to come in

I drove them out fairly quickly, and I got a visit from the landowner, asking what was going on, because he knows that I am pro-hunting, and I explained what my issues where, needless to say all hunters that get permission from him now, are told the back field only, no more front field hunting as its to close to my own farm and pastures.

I understand that they are recommending that we get hunter orange for both myself and my horse if I want to trail ride in the local woods, I don’t think it will be a issue on private land but I can see their point..  just one more thing to need to spend a little on..

Boy  I miss the old days in my childhood when you just went out and rode or drove or XX with little to no thought to the work that parents or grandparents or uncles etc did in order to have all that just waiting for you when you arrived in the barn  ;p