It has been quite a hunting season so far. In early October I took my 13 year old grandson to North Dakota for some pheasant hunting, and waterfowl. We had a blast! He managed to bag his first North Dakota rooster about 25 minutes into the field, I don't know who was more excited, him or me! We made a set for ducks on a small farm pond, and we had a flock of about 100 green wing teal that came right in, and my grandson managed to bag his limit, what a rush!! We shared the memories of the hunt on the way home, and shared some personal thoughts, and stories, and I was amazed at how small the two generation gap had become on this trip.

I was delighted when Kody (my grandson) said that he would like to go deer hunting with me. I picked him up the night before, and we both attended the obligatory meeting on the eve of season with all the old hunters that had been hunting together for 30 years. He managed to get along with the old guys even though he was the rooky of the group, and the center of some joking! On opening day we were up at o dark thirty, and in the stand waiting and trying not to shiver from cold, and excitement. At 7:19 a young fork horn buck walked under the tree, and Kody slipped his gun over the railing in the stand, and one shot the animal cleanly. I can tell you the adrenaline rush for me was unbelievable. As I remember back over the years, of my personal hunting, I do remember all of the firsts I took, where I was, who I was with, and all the circumstances surrounding that particular moment. Because I am in the hunting business, I have had the privilege of seeing many firsts in the fields, but nothing in my forty year history of the hunting club business prepared me for the tremendous feeling of being with my grandson on his first! It is indeed a tremendous privilege to be able to pass on this heritage from myself to my son, and now to my grandson. I am proud to be a hunter, and play my part in the ongoing conservation of the species that occurs every year. I am overwhelmed that my son, and my grandson will carry on this tradition long after I am gone. I feel that I have done a good thing, and this tradition will be handed on for generations to come!

Yours for better hunting and shooting

Jeff Hughes