Thanks Doc. I always appreciate your insight into the many and various topics that you’ve discussed and I enjoy your tales of adventure. You’re definitely one of the good guys here. 👍
I did get lucky by finding the perfect woman to spend my life with. Hunting, fishing and the outdoors have always been a huge part of me and “who” I am since as far back as I can remember. I always knew, even as a kid, that the woman I married would have to be comfortable around firearms and not “weirded out” killing, cleaning and eating the game I brought home. As luck or divine intervention would have it God answered those prayers and some of our earliest dates found us not in dance clubs in the city but rather Chukar hunting in Eastern Washington or hunting quail and pheasant on the cold autumn mornings where the sage smells so strong the fragrance counter at Nordstrom’s puckered with envy. 😁
My wife didn’t grow up hunting but she did grow up in a conservative, gun owning home and her dad did hunt A LOT having been raised in Alaska so it just goes with the territory, literally because at that time Alaska was not officially a state. Having that exposure to the outdoors and not assigning a stigma to killing and eating your food made “introducing” her to hunting all the more easier for me. My wife still enjoys bird hunting and all things outdoor related but instead of carrying a shotgun she carries a Canon. 😁. My wife is an extremely gifted photographer which compliments our team since I’m not. The memories live forever in our minds but it’s nice to have pictures to go along with the stories since oftentimes seeing something in a picture triggers another story and another......😁
I never thought of hunting and fishing as something I did with only the “boys” or that it was boys only club, quite the opposite actually. Hunting and fishing is something that runs through my veins and my time spent outdoors is a deeply spiritual necessity for me, because it is I want to share that with those I love. I never felt like I needed to “get away” from my wife instead I’ve always wanted to “get away” with my wife. From reading your excellent tales of adventure I believe you know what I’m talking about and I believe you and I feel the same way about hunting with our spouses.
There’s nothing as special and wonderful as having a wife that’s TRULY your best friend.