Hunting Spanish Beceite – Challenging Game In A Beautiful Country
“Tomorrow early, breakfast well before daylight. We need to be about an hour east of the hotel by the time black fades to gray! But tonight we eat well. I have ordered for you a variety of specialized Spanish dishes, including pork, beef and vegetables. Try a bit of...
A Father’s Quandary: How to Explain the Benefits of Hunting to Youth
Rather than simply explain to his daughter the many benefits of hunting for game meat, this father decided to lead by example. And it worked. How does a father explain the benefits of hunting to his children? A few years ago in a restaurant in Jackson Hole, my...
Boddington’s Best Buck
A large, dark brown bear appeared on the ridge above us. The sound of Craig’s one shot was all it took for that top predator to home in on us. Soon after being put ashore we jumped a huge buck at sixty yards that took off quartering away to the right. I told him to...
Sierra Nevada – Ibex On The Med.
Alfonso extended backwards his lowered, open palm left hand indicating to stop. As I did, using his right hand he pointed toward the horizon. My eyes moved upward. There stood a young male Sierra Nevada ibex staring in our direction. “Poco, poco!” cautioned my guide...
The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly When You’re Trying To Hunt
Pedro Alacron and I were at a taxidermist in Cordoba, Spain to drop off my Beceite and Southeastern Ibex at a local taxidermist. They would prepare the skins and skulls for export to my taxidermist, Double Nickle Taxidermy in Texas. While filling out paperwork I...
Good Samaritan Elk
There are many good Samaritan opportunities, but how do these deeds entwine bull elk with cutthroat trout? I had been living on the floor for ten days. My surgeon said I would need back surgery to repair a torn disk unless I could somehow drag myself up and start...
Properly Grounded!
Our shipment of cattle feed arrived later than expected and took much longer to unload than I had anticipated. I badly wanted to hunt deer that afternoon. A cool front had passed through our area. Whitetails would be moving late afternoon. Sun near sinking into the...
My Old Man
Everyone should have an old man. I’ve got one; he’s in his 80s, and he lives on a ranch on a wide, sage-studded plain surrounded by mountains. How about your old man? Maybe he stokes a morning fire in a gray clapboard house along the Chesapeake. Down there the land...
The Greatest Hunter in the World
Hey Jed, what are you doing for the next four days?” The call was from my brother who a long time ago nicknamed me Jed. “I drew a late-season elk tag and I want you to come with me. Get in your car and I’ll meet you in Cody,” he instructed. I looked over at my wife,...
Chester Saves the Day
As was the case the last several days, the bay and three sorrels had not moved far from where they had been hobbled the evening before. The dappled gray gelding, Chester? No telling where he had roamed. I had seen him run with tight hobbles as fast the other horses...