Wingshooting

I had watched the dog and his man many a Saturday on the Outdoor Life Network. “Hunting with Hank” was unique – a bird hunting show about a Llewellin setter and his sidekick, Dez Young. Because of its reversal of star status, “Hunting with Hank” stood out among other hunting programs. And that was as Dez intended it from the beginning.

Wing shooting on the farm where I grew up in Montgomery County Illinois, about 25 miles south of Springfield, in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s was pretty much limited to pass shooting doves down by the pond, jump shooting ducks on local farm ponds or hunting quail along the fence rows and Osage orange hedge rows that bordered most farm fields and pastures in those days.

The Golden State may not have a reputation as a top destination for hunters, but it’s home to half of the quail species found in the U.S.

No turkey is safe when Lee goes hunting with Lady Luck.

Lee Harwell has a golden horseshoe tucked away where the sun never shines. Always has and always will. We’ve hunted together for nearly 40 years and regardless of the game, Lee has always returned from a day in the field with his quarry, or a good story. Most often, he drags home both.

It was 7 am Monday morning in Spokane when I picked up Mark and Puck to begin the three hour drive to the portion of the Columbia we would hunt for the next two days. After loading Mark’s gear including Puck, my Tahoe was packed to the ceiling with all of the gear required to hunt ducks. Most of the gear was designed to keep our bodies as warm as possible, but as all duck hunters know, the reels of decoy lines, decoys, stools, camo, dog food, water, waders, boots and the list goes on, all just to bag a few ducks is necessary as I was to beginning to understand.