Walking in a winter hunters land

It is the end of December 2012 and the freezer is full of fresh venison thanks to Ariel's skill with her .243 and several well placed shots with .35 caliber. While Ariel loves deer hunting with her dear o'l dad,  Alex has not been bit by the deer hunting bug due to his dislike of sitting still and being quiet for extended periods of time. Earlier this year Alex inquired about getting his hunting license but made it clear he only wanted it in case he decided to try deer hunting in the future. I asked him why he wasn't interested in deer hunting and he explained his concerns with me. I then informed him that there were lots of other types of game that we could hunt together. While my schedule doesn't allow me to spend as much time pursuing smaller tasty critters as I use to I still love any time I get to spend in the woods.

Last night I was reflecting on how long it's been since I had a couple squirrels cooked up nice and tender in a crock pot. I decided to see if the kids wanted to go out in the morning and try out the new guns we got for Christmas while attempting to put more tasty meat in the freezer.

My alarm went off at 06:30 this morning and after waking both the kids from their peaceful slumber Ariel decided that she wanted to get some more sleep so Alex and I headed out together. We went to the farm Ariel and I do most of our deer hunting at which has plenty of hard woods and an abundance of squirrels and  rabbits.

Well when I'm deer hunting there is always an abundance of squirrels and rabbits, now that we were looking for them they were nowhere to be found. Alex and I spent over 3 hours working our way along the edges of the fields and eventually made our way through the hard woods. We would walk a short distance and sit down to observe the world around us. Eventually Alex saw one grey squirrel but it was on the adjacent property so we watched it from a distance as it disappeared into the woods. While we didn't see any other game we took advantage of the snow on the ground to figure out what kinds of critters were in the woods around us. Of course there were lots of deer tracks but we found lots of other animal tracks which made the morning exciting. We found coyote tracks, raccoon tracks, squirrel tracks, rabbit tracks and the most exciting find was bobcat tracks!

While we didn't end up harvesting anything the time I got to spend with my son was precious. We talked about the different types of trees surrounding us, I helped him identify the multiple animal tracks in the snow and speculated where the different animals were coming from and where they were going. We marveled at all the geese flying overhead and discussed how the ones in the back of the flock make lots of noise to encourage the lead goose and how they take turns leading the draft. I was able to spend time reinforcing the importance of safe gun handling and share my love of the great outdoors with him in a way that he enjoyed as well. Much to his surprise we spent time sitting quietly on snow covered logs observing the forest floor all the way to the tops of the mighty oak trees without making any sounds. I am proud to say that during the 2013 hunting season I will have a new partner for small game and hopefully some waterfowl hunting. Who knows by this time next year maybe he will have changed his mind about deer hunting but if not that's okay too. I'm blessed with two kids who enjoy the great outdoors in their own individual ways and I'm happy that together we make memories that last a life time much like we did today.

As we were leaving the farm the 4 young bulls took an interest in us as we were driving down the access road so I stopped the truck and Alex went to get a better look. Two of the bulls came right up to the fence and not only let Alex rub their snouts but one kept coming over and licking Alex's hand. This one time I decided there was nothing wrong with Alex playing with his food!

It's days like these that I am glad there are grocery stores to pick up dinner at on my way home so we don't go hungry but I wouldn't change a moment of the morning I got to spend with my son walking, sitting, talking and just plain enjoying a winter hunters land!

38 is Great!

My daughter made the first full day of my 38th year of life extra special. Today was the first of the two CT youth deer hunting days. We both were awake hours before the sun and made our way to the grand stand with darkness to spare. It was a crisp cool 40 degree morning and any day that I get to spend one on one time with my kids makes it a good day. We waited patiently for the daylight to make its much anticipated appearance and enjoyed some cuddle time in the comfort of the tree stand 20 feet in the air.

It was a quiet, peaceful morning and we enjoyed being in each others presence which included some joking back and forth and the occasional power nap by Ariel which were cut short by the noisy geese flying overhead. While you always anticipate the chance to harvest a deer when your out hunting in your mind you know that it isn't guaranteed, heck you might not even see one. Ariel has been blessed the past 2 years with multiple opportunities and success each year but knows that the most important thing is to enjoy her time in the woods while taking in the wonders of God's magnificent creation.

The morning was going by quickly and I was originally scheduled to work in Boston at noon so despite enjoying every moment with my daughter I was anticipating our departure and found myself watching the clock. At 08:30 I received word that it didn't look like I would be needed at the Boston job site and was told to enjoy my morning hunting with Ariel.

It was less than 5 minutes later that I was pointing out a spot in the woods to Ariel that kept catching my attention which was driving me crazy and she replied "Ya, there is a squirrel that just got me all worked up" and as she went to point it out she declared "Wait, its not a squirrel - it's a deer!"

I immediately began scanning the forest floor trying to see what she was seeing. At the same time she was readying her rifle which finally gave me location to focus on. It took me a moment but sure enough there was a doe working her way towards us.

Ariel, readied herself and waited patiently for the deer to present a clean shot. I was very proud of her as she repeatedly calmed herself down during the approximately 15 minutes that this deer worked back and forth between several trees. When the moment was right she squeezed the trigger and much to my dismay the deer ran about 20 feet and stood there. Ariel could no longer see the deer but I could and informed her that I thought she missed. You could see a bit of panic in her eyes while at the same time a look of "Really Father - why do you doubt me?" I looked back and the deer was gone.

I scanned the area and didn't see the deer anywhere. After 10 minutes I climbed down and rather than going to the spot the deer was standing when she shot I made my way over to where I last saw the deer standing.

I got within 10 yards and saw that the deer was down! I ran back to the stand and assisted Ariel with descending from the stand. We made our way over to the deer and I quietly said a prayer of thanks for the opportunity to not only spend a day in the woods with my daughter and make memories with her much like I made with my father growing up but also for the meat that this animal would provide for our family.

Because she is under 16 I still do the dirty work and field dress her deer for her but due to the long haul back to the truck she stepped up and helped with getting it there. Ariel has been blessed with harvesting a deer 3 years in a row and the memories that have been made will be cherished for a life time. It was amazing watching how differently she handled herself today than she did on her first deer hunt. She was confident in her ability to make a humane shot, respectful of the animal in life and death but her understanding and enjoyment of the hunt had matured. I can honestly say that despite it being a day after my birthday my morning spent with Ariel was one of the best presents that I could have ever asked for. I am proud of the ethical sportsmen and young lady she is quickly becoming.

She has her Daddy's eyes and...

My love of the great outdoors. Tonight Alex didn't feel like going anywhere after spending the day in the pool with his cousins who are visiting from Pittsburgh.So I waited patiently for Ariel to come home with hopes that she would want to go out fishing with me. She finally got home and was more than willing to spend the night out on the water with her daddy. At 7:30 we had loaded up the canoe and headed down to the pond at the end of our road. I realized the past few weeks how much I have missed bass fishing and the desire to spend any spare time I have on the water has been reignited.

Tonight would be different than my fishing trip with Alex earlier in the week. You see Ariel has already graduated from lure fishing 101. Drowning worms was never her style, she was captivated the first time she watched me tie on a spinner and rip it through the water column and refused to sit and watch a bobber dance on the waves ever again. I can remember her graduating from the snoopy pole to a big girl rod and reel!

She began mastering her underspin combo in short order and it didn't take her long to move up to her first open faced reel. Like many other things since she was a natural and caught fish effortlessly. I have always been proud of the fact both my kids learned how to use a fishing pole properly and at a young age both of them were able to go fishing and cast their own lines without assistance. Ariel would tag along with me and Tony in the boat and much like me she is a firecracker when it comes to trash talk while out fishing. On several occasions she would be reminded verbally that she was going a little too far (especially the day she began pulling fish into the boat with her effortless use of a rubber grub) but more often than not she learned her lesson by watching the masters hone their craft.

Fast forward to tonight, we shoved off from the shore and I gave her choice of lures. She opted for a soft bait, I smiled knowing she never shy's away from a challenge. It has been awhile since the two of us spent time fishing together alone and despite there not being a lot conversation I basked in the joy of knowing my daughter was enjoying this moment as much as me. I tied on the lure of her choice and paddled us across the pond. It only took a moment for her to hook into a fish and before I knew it we had doubled up and both our poles were arched beautifully. The occupants of the other 2 vessels on the water watched in awe as my daughter and I both battled with healthy fish only moments after we had arrived, mission accomplished!

The rest of the night would be filled with missed strikes and fish lost before making it into the boat but it didn't matter we were having fun. We fished into the darkness and marveled at the bats swooping down between us eating their fill of mosquitoes, an act that Ariel appreciates more than most people could ever imagine. As we rowed back to shore we listened to the frogs along the wood line and the occasional high pitch squeak from the bats. While we didn't say much throughout the night I cherished every moment we spent together and look forward to many more fishing trips together. I just pray when my children grow up they look back on these brief moments in life with as much joy as I do when I reflect on the time I spent at the waters edge with my dad.

More enjoyable than after dinner mints

Tonight I got home from work and finished up my paperwork while Alex ate his dinner. As soon as we were done eating the two of us loaded up the canoe and headed down to the pond at the end of our road. Alex loves fishing and tonight's goal was to: First, relax and have fun and Second, to learn new fishing tactics. Anybody can fish with a worm and catch fish but I think the most enjoyable way to fish is with artificial lures. While it can be a lot of fun once you learn, the learning part can be frustrating as Alex learned tonight.

Alex started the night with live bait and I began throwing different lures trying to determine what the fish wanted. Eventually I settled on one rod with top bait and one with soft plastics. These are two of my favorite ways to bass fish and once I proved the fish were willing to play I let Alex start throwing some lures out of his tackle box. Before too long the fish were coming in the boat. I finally switched Alex over to a soft plastic bait and gave him a few quick pointers on how to work it. Three casts later the kid had a fish on that was well over 5 pounds and in comparison to the biggest fish of the night I estimate it was closer to the 10 pound mark. I was impressed at how well he was fighting the fish but after a couple minutes the fish was still going strong and pulling us back into the lily pads. I knew what was coming despite praying it didn't. The fish rolled just under the surface and made a mad dash into the thick cover of the lily pads. I tried to maneuver the canoe so that we could regain the upper hand but it was too late. I have lost a lot of fish in my days but I actually wanted to cry for Alex, seeing the disappointment in his eyes was almost too much for me to handle.

Despite our disappointment I used this as the perfect opportunity to tell Alex my story. I grew up fishing fast moving water with my dad and the only time I used lures was at the local hobby pond. It wasn't until I was 15 and my brother gave me his boat that I started getting serious about bass fishing. By the time I was 16 I was a pretty good fisherman and me and my friends would hold tournaments between us, sometimes as individuals other times as teams of two. More often than not Tony and I would come out ahead of everyone but I had a dark secret, I couldn't fish with soft plastic baits. I tried time and time again but it wasn't until I was almost 18 that I finally revealed my secret to Tony and without hesitation he started giving me pointers. When ever I was alone I began honing my skills and before too long I was enjoying a taut line and smelly hands. Finally the day came and Tony and I were fishing together and bragging rights and getting stuck paying for breakfast were the stakes agreed upon. I began the day using my typical lures and Tony went to his tried and true rubber worms and began dreaming about his free breakfast. With my back turned to him I opened up my new tackle box and rigged my line with a soft plastic bait of my own. The master was about to be schooled by the pupil. I almost immediately hooked into a nice 3 pound bass and spontaneously declared "Ut-Oh - someone learned how to fish with rubber!" While I would like to say that I won the tournament that day, I didn't but it was the beginning to a new journey of fishing which I still am learning to master all these years later.

When I was done telling Alex this story continued fishing and time after time his pole would bend and his line go tight but unfortunately none of the fish made it into the boat. He was frustrated and disappointed but he made sure to tell me despite that he was glad to be spending time with his dear old dad on the water. I used this opportunity to tell him how proud I was of him. You see in my story above I was almost 18 before I began my journey of fishing with plastics, Alex is only 11! He is 7 years ahead of me and despite being really bummed out about losing the big one, he now knows its possible which will fuel his desire to not only catch that fish some day but to catch one even bigger - a feat that I am positive he will achieve. I am also proud of the fact he achieved our first goal of the night, relaxing on the water together, father and son having fun. I would have much rather have had Alex catch all the fish but he was happy to share my success and posed with some of the fish that I landed tonight and considering our lines got tangled on one of the bigger fish I think he should get credit for catching that one!

A day on the Island

Growing up I spent countless summer weekends camping at Fort Getty Campground on Jamestown Island, RI. The days were spent fishing, snorkeling, exploring the salt marsh, swimming, hiking and exploring the old fort. While the fort openings have been back filled due to liability concerns, all the other activities are still alive and well. Just as I loved spending time here my wife and kids have also grown to enjoy my childhood hideaway. While I had no intentions of camping this week for $20 you can obtain a daily parking pass and enjoy everything the camp ground has to offer including real bathrooms and hot showers! So today we awoke with the sun packed the cooler and headed for the ocean. Of course my first order of business was to set up a seat on the pier and catch some fish. When I was younger the fish seemed endless but over the years their numbers faded to what felt like only an occasional nibble. It is with great joy that I report the fish have returned and are more than willing to keep a boy occupied for quite some time! This morning I caught several different species of fish and saw even more at the end of my line despite failing to land them or take a photograph of them. After a day of fishing I made a hot dinner with my table top grill then enjoyed swimming and then explored the inlet to the marsh with Alex as the tide was making its way back in. I am so glad that my family enjoys the ocean and never complain while we are at the shore as they are either exploring, swimming or just relaxing in the warm salty breeze. It's good to be me!

 One of approximately 100 Skip Jacks (baby blue fish) that I caught today.

 A big old skate that had me excited thinking I was eating flounder tonight

Ya, I'm happy catching skates - It's much better than working! 

 A baby Black Sea Bass

 Alex waiting patiently for his Hamburger to finish cooking

 Rebecca keeping everything tidy for us messy kids

 My beautiful daughter being embarrassed by Daddy

 The view of the Jamestown bridge 

 Our swimming hole

 Enjoying his san pellegrino limonata!

 One of the islands historic windmills

 The view from the new bridge

Still smiling because vacation isn't over quite yet! 

Bass Master in the making.

Today was the first day of my vacation and Alex and I spent it together on the water with my friend Jason. The past 2 years we have spent quite a bit of time sitting around the hockey rink watching our beloved CT Whale but have been long overdue for a day out fishing together. We got up this morning and were blessed with a warm and sunny day. We headed out to Lake McDonough with no expectations other than to have a great time relaxing.

It didn't take long for Alex to flex his skill and put a fish in the boat. It was a big Slab Blue Gill which brought back memories of fish fry's with my dad growing up. He repeated this several times before Jason pulled in a spunky large mouth bass. We worked our way around one of the coves and before we knew it Alex had hooked into a healthy rock bass - which always intrigue me with their red eyes. As you may have noticed I still haven't caught anything despite the fish trying desperately to take a trip into the boat at the end of my line. I was seriously starting to worry that I forgot how to hook a fish! Truth of the matter is I'm on vacation and trying my best to relax which resulted in slower reaction times.

 One of Alex's Big Blue Gill's 

 Alex's Rock Bass

Lippin' that Big O'l Bass like a Pro - I'm sure this will be a 10lb fish by the time we get home!

Eventually my patience was rewarded and before too long the smell of fresh fish inundated my hands. It was a good day and now it was even better, everyone in the boat had landed a fish and before the day was over we would all have our fair share of tight lines. It was great cheering each other on an before too long Jason was rewarded with a nice 5lb large mouth bass. I now know what to get Jason as a thank you gift - a larger net! I was truly worried that I was going to cause him to loose that fish while trying to scoop it up in a net about the size of the one we use for the minnows in the bait bucket while out ice fishing. I know, I know, I'm exaggerating but we were fishing and every man needs to embellish a little bit, after all my fish was the biggest at almost 13 pounds. 

 Finally the fish like me!

 No bad considering he was doing all the work steering the boat too!

 The best fish of the day (if you don't include the 25 lb one I caught!)

Before the day was over we ended up with a nice variety of fish which included several species of bass, pan fish and a yellow perch. We now have not only some amazing fish stories we also have memories that will last forever and can never be taken away. 

 Me and my little man!

Jason showing off his catch - I told him to hold it farther away so it would look bigger!

The highlight of the day for Alex was learning how to drive the boat. He made several comments about how cool it would be to get his boating license some day and how much he wished he could drive the boat. When he told me that he wanted to drive, I responded as I always do with the question, "How does it feel to want?" Well Jason became Alex's hero when he let him sit in the captains seat and began walking him through the controls. Before too long Alex was chauffeuring us around the lake from one fishing hole to the next. 

Making sure he wasn't speeding

That smile is truly worth 1000 words!

Thank you Jason for taking the time to go fishing with me and Alex - we will cherish the memories we made today forever. 

My Happy Place (When I'm not at home of course!)

Here are some pictures of my view from tree stand. It is a very peaceful place with lots of wild life. It is not uncommon to see wild turkeys, squirrels, coyotes, kestrels, hawks, ducks, geese, owls, fishers and my favorite deer!

This is the view straight in front of the stand

This is the view to the right (this is where Ariel shot her deer)

This is the view behind the stand (Where I shot my deer this year)

This is the view to the left of the stand

My Opening day Button Buck and the first of many delicious meals

I was blessed with harvesting a beautiful button buck during evening stand on opening day of private land shotgun/rifle season. Yet again our freezer will be stocked with healthy, delicious venison. I truly am blessed!

This was the first meal we enjoyed from this deer.

Venison Tenderloin with Glazed Carrots, Hot Sopressata, Spicy Cabot Cheddar and Pomegranate Arils.

A Virgin Hunter No More!

Yesterday was the second of the State JR deer hunting days for 2010. I was unable to take Ariel out on the first one as we were celebrating my friend Phil's wedding in New Hampshire so I promised Ariel that I would do everything in my power to take her out this weekend. I was worried about my work schedule but my daylight hours were kept open so we left the house well before sunrise and were sitting in the woods by 05:30.

I was excited to spend the day one-on-one with my daughter as we have many times before but today was going to be different. The reason why is because for the first time in her short 12 years of life she was allowed to be the hunter and not just a spectator. Today was just for her and we were both excited to see what events the day would hold.

We were greeted early by a large flock of wild turkey's which graced us with their presence for about 30 minutes before moving on from the woods and into the hay fields. We were up in the "Grand Stand" and cuddled together to help keep each other warm in the 28 degree F. morning air. While sharing some simple conversation I spotted a decent buck walking parallel to us at about 80 yards. He never presented a shot but we were happy just to have seen a deer during our first trip out. About 30 minutes later Ariel spotted a doe walking the same route as the buck had followed by another doe who presented a shot for me but thankfully for the deer I was not allowed to have a firearm with me as it was a day just for JR hunters. Ariel raised her rifle at one point but due to some small branches decided it was too risky to take the shot with her .243 so we resolved to watch the deer as they worked their way through the woods and around the pond.

We decided to head out of the woods to get some food in our bellies and met up with my friend Jayson and his son Ryan for breakfast. Ryan shot a beautiful 8 point wall hanger last Saturday during the first JR Hunting day so we were excited to finally get a chance to hear first hand about his adventure from the previous weekend.

 After breakfast we ran a few errands and headed back out into the woods for night stand.

The we were back in our stand at 14:00 and it was much, much warmer than in the morning - it was almost 65 degrees F. We settled in and I explained to Ariel that it would be closer to 15:30-16:00 before the deer would start moving again. 

Once the sun started settling into the tree limbs the temperature immediately began to drop and I informed Ariel to get ready the "magic hour" was upon us. She rolled her eyes at me thinking I was trying to be funny but quickly realized that I was serious when the first of 2 deer came crashing through the woods and the brook behind us! 

The deer were on my side of the stand and Ariel had to get in a very awkward position to try and take a shot as the deer was standing in the brook. Her first shot was high (It was at this very moment I realized I have never had her shoot at an angle from an elevated position - a mistake on my part) and the deer jumped into the brush between us and a pond wondering what just happened. The second deer began to move through the thicket and crossed into the brook at the same section as the first, Ariel felt confident and prepared for another shot, she took her time and when the gun went off the deer mule kicked and appeared to me to be a good hit! I responded to this when Ariel informed me she had missed - I really doubted her and when we saw the deer again it was acting very funny and looked injured to me. I informed Ariel that she needed to take another shot and I was able to stop the deer by in a gap between the trees by bleating and this time her aim was true. I saw the deer was down and the emotions began to set in for me - I had just watched my daughter harvest her first deer at 12 years old!

As we were making our way out of the stand and to the deer Ariel explained that the deer was jumped onto the shore just as she was squeezing the trigger and that she thought she may have under it. I was unable to see any visual damage to its legs but I assume that some gravel may have bruised its legs when the round hit under it.

We walked up on the deer and verified it was a clean kill then walked over to the edge of the brook to make sure there was no sign of the first deer being wounded (we actually had a chance to shoot the first deer while taking care of the one that was down but due to the fact I had to leave for work we let her walk.) Ariel was calm, cool and collected during the entire process which surprised me but made me proud and a little envious at the same time - I still come unglued at the seams when I see a deer while hunting!

We spent a few moments admiring the deer and expressing our thanks for the ability to provide for our family with the meat this animal would provide while acknowledging the bitter sweet moment of knowing we were responsible for ending the life of a living creature. These emotions are very important to me and I explained to my daughter that these emotions are normal and that if she ever loses the possession of these emotions that she should stop hunting. I enjoy hunting and raising animals for meat but there has never been a moment that I have been happy with the physical act of ending the life of a living animal and I always do my best to show it the respect it deserves. I hope that my actions have been noticed by my kids and that as discussions with them about it will always be fresh in their memory.

I am proud of how my daughter handled her self today and that while filling our freezer with fresh venison she showed she is still a soft hearted person and especially that she shares my interests in life which include all things hunting and fishing.

Congratulations to both Ryan and Ariel on harvesting their first deer, I pray that you both manage to have years like this throughout your life but remember to enjoy the time you get to spend in the woods admiring all of the beautiful nature that surrounds you whether you get a deer every year or not.



Little Annie Oakley

I finally was able to get a weekend off from work recently and spent Sunday as a Daddy/Daughter day.Since my vacation earlier this year I haven't had much time to enjoy myself and hang out with the family, work has been very busy - which is a blessing (I am extremely thankful for my job - I just grow weary of the 80 hour work weeks).  I received an invitation to sign Ariel up for a Junior Hunting Day Pheasant Hunt last month and after discussing it with her and we decided to attend.

I use to enjoy bird hunting but now that I no longer have a hunting dog I have focused on bigger game and waterfowl so I was excited to have the chance to introduce Ariel to a form of hunting she had never seen. Ariel and I made a couple trips to the range to practice her wing shooting skills and when the day of her hunt came I felt pretty confident she would feel comfortable with the gun and enjoy her time in the field.

We woke up early on the day of her hunt and went out to breakfast together. I am always amazed at how chipper she can be when she is getting up at the crack of dawn to go hunting or fishing but is generally miserable when she gets up for school! We enjoyed the 90 minute drive across state during which we talked about what to expect, listened to music, beat each others arms up with VW "punch buggies" and generally basked in each others company.

When we arrived we signed in and a safety inspection was performed on her firearm, then she was tested on what she learned in her hunters safety course earlier this year. Once the safety orientation was completed the sent us out to the trap range so they could verify she knew proper gun handling and safe operation of her firearm. Ariel has been around firearms since she was very little and knows the importance of safety first and practices it at all times - she made me proud and her diligence towards safety was notices by the instructors at the event also which I learned later in the day.

We were finally heading out to the field where we would meet the instructors, dogs and handlers she would be working with. We arrived at the check point out in the field and another safety lesson was given as well as instructions about hunting with a dog. There were several types of dogs which were being rotated between groups, a German short haired pointer, several labs and a English springer spaniel. Ariel was paired up with a young boy named Greg and as they headed out you could tell they both had butterflies in their tummies as they were excited, nervous and full of anticipation!

The first bird that went up was a big cock pheasant, he launched himself into the air and headed right towards the group of people standing at the field check point. Ariel had her gun at the ready but was aware of her surroundings and stopped herself from swinging which made me proud and was a great relief to the instructors (there was an instructor behind her who would have stopped her gun from following through if needed but there was never a need to intervene.) After an adventure with the other shooter (for another time I don't really want to post it here) Ariel was up as the primary shooter again. Her bird exploded into the air and as it took to flight the sound of her gun echoed through the field as the bird came crashing back down to earth! Ariel had just successfully shot her first pheasant. It was a hen pheasant which might not have all the shiny colored feathers but are beautiful in their own special ways. Everyone congratulated her as she held her bird and admired its feathers. After several minutes we moved on to the next field and another large rooster was flushed, the primary shooter missed and Ariel followed up with her shot but the bird continued on flying all the way to the wood line to roam free another day!

The sun was high in the sky at this point and before departing the field area the instructors told me to go back to the check in area we were finished eating. When we arrived at the club house area there was an instructor who was taking the birds and cleaning them for the kids while teaching them how to do it for themselves -  Ariel watched and listened as he dressed out her bird despite the fact she has seen it done time and time again with chickens, ducks, geese and an occasional turkey. Once her bird was finished they wrapped it up and we put it in the cooler I had in my truck with some ice to keep it cool. We washed up and enjoyed a nice BBQ style lunch that the sportsmen club provided for us. After we finished eating we enjoyed conversation with several of the other families that were there then we headed over the the check in station as we were instructed by the field guide. Much to our surprise they were waiting for us because they wanted Ariel to go back out and fill her second tag. The instructors and dog handlers were so impressed/comfortable with the way Ariel conducted herself they wanted to give her another chance to fill her 2 bird limit!

As we walked back to the truck I was full of emotions, I remember my first hunting trip as a licensed hunter with my dad and know that the memories made today will be cherished by Ariel for years to come. There was also a lot of pride, pride in the fact that my daughter was kind to those around her, safe and conscious of her surroundings at all times, an excellent shot and just proud to be her loving father! 

We cleaned her second bird and made our rounds thanking everyone who made the day possible for her and headed home. Once we were in the truck we discussed the days events, the lessons learned and thanked God for the day spent together and the yummy pheasant dinner that was now in our very near future!