The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

This past weekend was a busy one for me and Joey. We started on Friday with his first hunt at Yankee Slough and ended up on the Trinity that night. Now I have never hunted before and still don't have my license yet but my son has his and wanted to use it. We talked to Peter Arnold about hunting when we were up at his place. Peter is very much into hunting and was excited to get Joey out into the field. Peter graciously offered to take us to Yankee Slough with his dog Clicker.
I purchased 6 Chukkar and a shinny new hunting vest (early X-mas present). This is going to be another expensive hobby .

So we met up at Yankee Slough on Friday at 1:30 and started our hunt. We soon learned that clicker’s collar batteries were dead and we had to resort to vocal and whistle commands. Clicker is young and was excited but we had a hard time keeping him in close to us but we managed. We didn't watch where the birds were released so we had to work hard at finding them. We ended up with 4 birds which I thought was great and had fun time to boot. We owe Peter a huge amount of Thanks.

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. Now I can't say that I disagree with her but I think you should have your skills honed before you really need to use them. I don't have a problem with hunting as long as we use as much of the animal as possible and not let it go to waste. Joey definitely wants to go on more hunts and may be able to go on a junior duck hunt. So have any of you had a spouse that did not like hunting? Do you think she will soften up over time or will we have to sneak out and hunt secretly?



Regards,

Jet

Never ever do anything like sneak out hunting. That would be dropping to a level that will cause undue stress on everyone concerned and is, in a way, dishonest. It may end up that you will be at odds with your spouse on this but your son enjoys the thrill of hunting, so do you, and your wife will just have to adjust. You have to stand up and insist on that. Use the game you harvest, and that is exactly what it is, no different than buying meat from a market, but you do it yourself. If she doesn't like the taste of wild game, and some don't, and some refuse to eat it on "ethical" grounds, so be it. But don't let that cancel your fun. Try to get her interested. It seems like you and Joey are gone from her a lot and what does she do during those periods? Is this part of the reason she is having problems with the hunting? There are ways for her to be involved without actually fishing and hunting and she can still spend quality time with both of you.

Congrats to Joey on his first hunt! I know how excited he was about it by the way he talked about it on the Trinity.

I personally think it is important for kids (and adults) to understand where meat comes from, and it isn't a sanitized meat counter in the grocery store. Hunting is one way to really understand that, and obtaining your own meat gives a greater respect for life and the way we fit into the big picture. It brings us closer to our roots. I think your wife will soften up over time, especially if she given a chance to compare other views on it. Heck, some folks feel it fulfills a need in us that modern society cannot. Aldo Leopold writes some great stuff on hunting; both on its place in wildlife management and how it molds one's view of life.

Dawn

I've reached a point where I can no longer justify shooting wild birds. I just train the dogs for others (mostly my lazy brother)and campaign them in field competition (our newest dog already has close to 200 waterfowl retrieves this season). But I have no problems or issues with those who do.

However, I have absolutely no problem shooting pen raised birds such as those at Yankee Slough or most other clubs. Those birds were raised for one single purpose, much like a Foster Farms chicken, so you might take that approach in your discussions. I think there are clubs like Camanche Hills that do also pass shoots of pen raised ducks.

This is just my personal thought, but without groups such as DU and CWA, which are primarily comprised of hunters, there would be significantly less habitat for waterfowl and other species, so the benefit from conservation taught through hunting probably outweighs habitat benefits from "other" sources. As with anglers, many hunters become actively involved with conservation programs, that often results in far more benefit than what is taken.

A way you might get actively involved is to get a well-bred pup, then work with a pro or other knowledgeable person & train it - then handle the dog when going out with your son. But you'll also need a hunting license for that (at least that's how I interpret the regs). After watching the dogs in competition and in training, it's certainly helped my wife's perspectives on hunting and conservation.

Although I sort of see where you are coming from I am just the opposite on pen raised birds. I thought "hunting" planted pheasants was fun when I was 12. Now I don't find the need to pursue anything other than wild birds. I can't even bring myself to consider the shooting of pen raised birds as hunting or sport. Twice in the last couple years I have been invited to go out to a club and both times I felt somewhat hollow after shooting pen raised critters. I love chasing wild pheasants, quail and grouse. I truly feel like I have earned my birds when I get them.

It is great that Joey is learning to hunt...I think it is a great hobby/sport/lifestyle, call it what you will. Upland bird hunting is one of the ways I love to get away from the world. Also congrats on the steelies. I am chomping at the bit right now about heading to a coastal river this weekend maybe. Heavy rain tomorrow might leave rivers in good condition with fresh fish by Sunday.

I hunt and I fish and that's it! No further explanation or justification required.
HOWEVER here's a thing or two that helped ease my wife into accepting that:
1.) Buy a wild game cookbook for YOU not her, but make sure it's handy for her. Stress the nutritional value of game and the satisfaction gained from dining on something you chased down yourself. My wife still won't eat most of the stuff I shoot but she understands that I do, and she enjoys eating the upland game at least.
2.) The dog aspect-my wife understands that hunting upland game is what my Brit was made to do, and she actually enjoys that part. In fact she's been bugging me to take the dog hunting.
Other than that, if you have any head mounts that you would like to bring into your house, DON'T! Mine were in the house before the little darlin' moved in, and when she asked if the caribou head could be moved to the garage for redecorating purposes, I pointed out that the caribou was there before she was, and it was going to stay that way.
Seems to have worked for 18+ years anyway.
Good luck (and good hunting)

See if you can convince her to at least go with you once pheasant hunting, if only to watch (my wife has actually killed one pheasant). There's something to be said for them actually realizing the cause and effect of shooting down a bird and having it for table fare later. Also, I've never seen a female that didn't enjoy seeing the dog do her thing. That might soften her up a bit...

You don't mention cleaning and cooking the birds. I assume that you would only bring meticulously cleaned and prepared game into the house. Then, if you plan and prepare a thoughtful meal, including an alternative meat for whoever wants it, you might find your wife's opinion changing.

In our house, the catcher has to clean the fish, and the same for game, although my husband does not hunt much anymore. It makes a big difference to the person who isn't having the fun of the catch (or hunt).

Well...We had the birds cleaned for a bargain of $2ea. We watched to get the gist but he had a plucker machine that made it easy. My wife was complaining that I put them in the freezer after I vacuumed sealed them. We will take them to my mom's and give them a try. Once I get my license we will go on a pheasant hunt and I'd like to preserve some of the skins. She's into organic foods so I think she will come around eventually.

Jet

The first one is for fun, the rest are for revenge!

Congrats on Joey hunt, and on catching your first steelhead(s)! I don't chase upland too much, but I love hunting ducks and geese. Perhaps we can get a chance to get Joey out for ducks late this season.