If you sat a group of hunters down in a circle and asked them to think about what makes them keep coming back, there would be a myriad of answers. Some of them immediate, some of them the same and all of them describing a passion for the outdoors with roots running deeper every day. Some would tell stories about their heritage, how their grandfather and their father had passed down a love for their pursuit. Some would tell stories about a good dog or a particular day that has stuck with them. Some would tell you about a fascination with getting to know a certain environment or becoming truly an expert with their quarry.
We all have become enthralled with so many aspects of the hunt, of the camaraderie and of everything that goes into any day of hunting. The sounds of the world waking up, the sunrise creeping through the trees and the first flights appearing through the orange glow of dawn. Cupped wingtips, whistling feathers and a cacophony of calls fill the air as mallards rain down from the heavens and into the decoys. “Take ‘em” sings about the chaos as guns go off, expertly (or not so expertly) trained on heads of green. The smell of gunpowder filling nostrils as shouts of excitement echo across the water, chasing the dog along each retrieve.
There will be jaws dropped in amazement, lessons taught, stories made and bonds formed that will change lives on those hunts. There will be no shortage of heartaches, headaches and struggle as well. A balanced and indiscriminate formula of the good days, bad days and amazing days all add up to a collection of moments that keep us coming back. A myriad of moments that add up into “That Moment” that we all reflect on, search for and keep coming back to.
Author: Keagan Keddell
