The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

Tell her you're collecting fly tying materials: http://www.../tduncan/upland_spey.htm

Nice work Joey and you, too, Jet!

like the first time my wife discovered my roadkill possum in the freezer...before I cleaned it.

I found the treasure on a way home from a meeting late at night. It had hardly a mark on it, so I tossed it in the freezer planning on cleaning it on the weekend.

chuckles

If looks could kill, I would be dead

Paul

I hunted pheasants in CA as a teenager but I really got into it as I ended up living in South Dakota for 4 years where the upland bird hunting (I do not hunt waterfowl) is some of the best in the world. My wife was pretty cold on the hunting subject when we were first married. We got a lab and I worked with her and she turned out to be a fantastic upland dog. My wife saw how much the dog enjoyed doing what it was bred to do. I suggested we get another lab that my wife could train (We used Richard Wolters outstanding book Water Dog to train both dogs) and we'd see who had the best bird dog. That worked like a champ. Next thing I knew she wanted a shotgun and we were out tromping for grouse together with our great dogs. She still only likes to eat the pheasant though. The kids and I love to eat the grouse. Overcoming a hard core anti-hunting attitude is hard. I would not advise taking her out to hunt and hoping she will like it. It will probably appear pretty brutal to her and you'll weaken your position. And I agree that sneaking out is a very bad way to go. I don't know if conservation interests her, but you can find lots of info out there about the fact that many of these bird species have lost alot of natural predators and would suffer quite a bit if their numbers were allowed to grow unchecked...you might also mention pheasants are an introduced species. I'm just tossing out ideas here.

One of my sons did the same thing with a dead rattler in a brown paper bag, that he intended to skin later...

You know Jet; I have very strong opinions in this area. Fortunately, it is not an issue as I hunt as much with my wife and two daughters as I do with my friends and have since Jackie and I were married and since the girls were 8 – they are 15 & 16 now. That being said, the kill is only part of the hunt. Much like fishing – not just catching – hunting as you are coming to know and will come to know and love more as you continue to do so, is hunting, not just killing.

My wife and girls are not as fond of eating game as I am. They don’t mind it a couple times a month. Through the winter, however, I eat chukar, duck, goose, deer or elk at least once a week and often two or three times a week. I love to cook so I always prepare something else for any of the three should they wish. I grew up hunting and eating game and I love it. I prepare all of the game we bring home. I pick, clean, skin, cut & package all birds and big game. The girls have assisted, but I am happy to take care of it. They are happy to let me and continue to look forward to the comradely and time together as much as they do the kill.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that hunting for us is a way of life. My wife, daughters and I have learned life lessons in the field. The respect for the quarry, for the pursuit, for the weapons and for each other all have far reaching impacts. I did not have to be with you at Yankee Slough to understand what the experience was like for you and Joey. If nothing else, your wife will eventually recognize the relationship benefits of you spending that quality time with your son – much as you do fishing together. That bond and relationship will permeate every aspect of his young life and the fruit of that bond will pay dividends as he gets older and is challenged with so many choices in other areas of his life. I don’t want to overstate anything here. I do, however, want to emphasize the fact that you are embarking on a potentially life changing pursuit. Speaking for me and my family, generations of us have been drawn together not only by the provision, but by the special interaction that is unique to the “Hunt”.

http://smg...show=true&interval=3

Jet wrote:



Now I need some advice here from you fellow hunters. My wife aka Joey's mom is not real keen about us hunting and taking game. She seems OK with trap and skeet but does not like us hunting. She feels that you should only take game if you need the food and have no other options.
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Unless someone is a vegetarian I feel they have no moral grounds to stand on against hunting. Furthermore, I believe that unless the non-vegitarian has butchered a cow, or a pig, or a fowl, they are nothing but hypocritical blowhards if they take a stand against hunting.
I believe your wife's opinion is a valid one, I just don't agree with it.

I can't see what the big deal is. Maybe they should start selling cow tags? Or chicken tags. Someone has to kill it before you can eat it. "Honey, I'm going chicken hunting today!" What do they think all those cattle are out in the fields? "McMoo" Or where do some people think the materials for flies comes from. Why do you think they call it "pheasant tails"? Hmmmmm.....I haven't yet seen someone walk up to a deer and ask if they could write it a check for a piece of their hide.

I don't hunt myself (just never got into it), but I have no problems with hunters except for the ones who waste the meat (just kill for fun). The friends I have that do hunt have offered me some of their catch on occasion, and I have to admit I prefer it over the store bought stuff, especially on the BBQ! I have known a few people that don't like it because of the so called "gamey" taste. Well, the store bought stuff kind of has a "domesticated" taste to me. You haven't had good jerky until you've tried deer or elk jerky!!!

I'm the same way whether it walks, flies or swims. Deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep......pheasant, duck, goose....doesn't matter. I stay away from the wild trout, catch and release places most often because I like to have some fish on the BBQ. Put & take is fine for dinner.

Beerfly

Beerfly: Those who waste meat and just kill for the fun of killing are NOT and should NEVER BE referred to as "Hunters". To do so is insulting to those of us who hunt hard and long to harvest game which we cherish and respect.

That is the way I am feeling about pheasants this year.. I am putting some miles on just to get a couple birds in the air.

I had a great hunting dog.An English Pointer. Hunting with him amounted to 80% of the enjoyment. If Joey wants to hunt and consumes the birds, I cannot find fault. Too many people are judgemental. To get out and enjoy a day with a fine dog is a blessing.
Jack

Ahhhhhh! I love that stuff. My grandma used to make it all the time. That was my first taste of venison. She would hang seasoned strips of meat out on her clothes line at her and Grandpa's cabin and let it dry. After it was dried, she kept it in a brown paper bag out of reach of the grandkids, so we didn't eat it all too fast.

Grandma is too old to get out hunting much now, but she still makes jerky outta beef with a dehydrator. Not nearly as tasty as the venison, but still good (must be that Grandma touch).

Dawn

Once again Joe, You get my nomination for Dad of the decade. Joey is one lucky (and talented) kid. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

P.S. Will you adopt me?