Stories & How To's

If no feathers fly after a tail-stiffening point, you’ve disappointed your dog to no end. A shotgun that fits, functions, and pleases us aesthetically is worthless unless we achieve success when we pull the trigger. With the start of most hunting seasons, I thought we should talk about how our shooting success is largely a result of how we relate to our dog.   Thinking like a dog can help our shooting whether we carry a rusty old pump gun or a sleek Italian work of art. Sure, give your shotgun...

We are down to the wire. For most of us, the opener is a matter of days away, with all the joys and trepidation that come with the start of a new bird hunting season. We’ve waited, planned, practiced, anticipated, maybe dreaded, everything from the alarm clock’s buzz to the smell of Sage & Braker’s CLP, to the post-hunt celebration.   Okay, I’ll say it: kind of like Christmas Eve.   But ensuring a fantastic opener takes more than trusting to luck. Relying on a wing and a prayer is...

Confession: I am a conservatory-trained classical musician, tutored in the fine art of “perfect practice makes perfect.” Nothing less was acceptable to my professors, let alone picky audiences or symphony conductors hiring the best talent they could find.   Please don’t hold it against me; I’m searching for a twelve-step program but can’t find one – yet. Fortunately, I’ve left that business, but the obsession to do things right has now manifested itself in my shooting. Again.   If you watch my TV show, you know it hasn’t quite taken...

I was born under a bad sign. If it weren’t for bad shooting luck, I’d have no luck at all. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Most bird hunters fill their walls with feathered mounts, talismans of good fortune and souvenirs of the places they’ve been. My man cave has broken branches, invisible holes in the air and photos of me posing with dogs, friends, landmarks … and few birds.   But I can explain! It wasn’t my fault. I may be the most unfortunate shooter on the...

Something we hunters have in common is a deep fondness for hunting tradition and all its trappings. How many of us do you know who wax nostalgic about the good old days and carry their father’s gun or knife or other hunting heirloom passed down from a recent ancestor that not only anchors the original owner to the present day, but its current caretaker to the past?   Perhaps tradition is an action you partake in “religiously” after every hunt, cleaning granddad’s old shotgun, preserving it for future generations. Maybe...

“OK, kid, go get my shotgun from the house and we’ll take Duke to see if we can find a covey of birds.”   Most of my hunting adventures with my grandfather began that way. I can still hear those words today when I search my memories of him. The simple act of writing this story brings a smile to my face as I recall the man who introduced me to both hunting and the outdoors.   My grandfather had one shotgun, a Browning Auto-5, 12 gauge. He purchased it...