Wild birds, of course.
The dog work… the sound of the dog bell… the breathtaking points… seeing the light bulb turn on in a puppy, a young Llewellin slamming their first Ruff… the sound of the Grouse flush, the smell of the gunpowder, the perfect to hand retrieve…
The friends, old and new, family, their dogs and memories made.
The food… like steaks over a wood fire…cornbread in the cast iron skillet… Ruffed Grouse, Perch and Walleye, oh my. Waking to the smell of coffee perking and eggs and bacon sizzling…
The beverages.
Chores by lantern light.
Eight guys snoring.
The whole gang gathering back at the trucks and dog trailers after the hunt, sharing stories, cleaning birds, brushing out the dogs, cracking a cold one…
The smell of muddy, wet hunting gear, boots, and shotguns all around the wood stove drying out for the next day’s hunt.
Wild birds, Llewellin Setters (and some Labs, and a Shorthair), great friends, great food, beverages; chores done by the light of a hissing lantern, while the wolves and ‘yotes howl against the stiff north wind filled with the smell of the smoke from the wood stove.