“Just be cool,” I kept telling myself.
I had an East River buck tag and three days to fill it, so there was no need to rush things. The plan was to take my time, make smart decisions and bring home a worthy buck.
All I needed was one deer willing to cooperate. Read More
My first hunting knife was a Christmas gift from my father. I was only ten years old at the time, which according to my dad is the age when boys should start owning and caring for their own hunting gear. It had a 4-inch fixed blade and was sheathed in an embossed leather carrying case—perfect for any future deer I may need to field dress. Read More
Two late season pheasants near Volga, SD. Photo credit: Derek Baune
The 2015 pheasant season is under way. Corn fields are freshly combined and cast in a golden glow. Sloughs, thick with cattails, are waiting to be conquered. Hunters of every age are filled with hope and anticipation. Even the dogs know something is going on.
The excitement of a new season is built upon all the pheasant seasons that have come before it. We are eager because we know what to expect. We will hunt with the same friends. We will walk the same proven paths through the CRP. We will sit on a truck tailgate and eat ham and cheese sandwiches. With very little variance, this is how the season will unfold. Read More
A long, long time ago, I was an avid skier. As a teenager living in the Black Hills, I spent my winters racing down Deer Mountain pretending to be Franz Klammer in the ‘76 Winter Olympics.
It was what I did and who I was.
At the time, I didn’t understand that life is a book comprised of many chapters. I thought I would always be a skier and that my obituary would include the words, “80 years old” and “tragic ski jumping accident.” Read More
Soon, the calendar will turn to August. That means the temperature and the humidity will be hanging around the mid-nineties for the next few weeks. It also means the pheasant season is only two months away. I should start thinking about getting my dogs into… Read More
I am a two-box deer hunter. I buy two boxes of .270 caliber bullets just before every deer season. Each box contains 20 cartridges. A week or two before opening weekend, I will fire 30 rounds into a series of paper targets just to make… Read More
As a lifelong hunter, I appreciate the fact that most of my hunting is done on someone else’s property. The days I spend in the field are possible only because a farmer has graciously allowed me to hunt on his or her land. I am… Read More
Long after the last day of deer season and months before open water walleye season begins, there is Oscar® season. This is the time of year when Hollywood pats itself on the back and celebrates the best films that the fewest people actually paid to… Read More
The chances of getting two overeager Labradors through an entire pheasant season without a visit to the veterinarian is precisely zero. It has never happened, at least not for my dogs and me. I distinctly remember telling a hunting buddy on the last day of… Read More
Palisades State Park near Garretson, SD
With every new year, the calendar resets and gives us 365 more opportunities to be outside—hiking, hunting, fishing, camping or whatever it is we enjoy doing in our free time. If your calendar is like mine, most of those 365 days are already accounted for.
Between work obligations, family responsibilities and one or two unexpected home repair projects that demand attention, I estimate the average sportsman has approximately 21 good days to enjoy the outdoors. And that is if the weather decides to cooperate.
So, before my calendar is filled with commitments, I resolve to make a few of my own for 2015. Read More
The Dakota Sky 