Life is full of paths to travel, and recently my path crossed the path of a celebrity — Miss Montana, alias Jessica Criss.
Once I looked past her sparkling crown and flowing sash, I noted she was wearing a fur coat (ok, a faux one) but I decided she was worth my time, so I was quick to extend a paw for a shake, har har!
I quickly discovered Miss Montana grew up hunting (a plus in my book) and likes to fly fish (plus two!). She also is like nearly everyone in Montana and likes to hunt elk (plus three!), which is also closely followed by grilling and dining on elk venison (plus four!). I’m beginning to really like this true celebrity, har har! Note, she also has a black belt in Japanese Jiujitsu!
I did learn during the recent Miss America pageant where Miss Montana was competing, she spoke about hunting, fishing and farming. She earned a degree in agriculture. This agriculture and outdoor information was foreign stuff to most contestants at the pageant — Yikes. More proof many folks have no idea where their food comes from.
It’s always good to meet folks who hunt and fish. Most are honest, hard-working, flag loving Americans who understand wildlife management, conservation, natural resources and other important outdoor hunting and fishing issues. If only more of those folks lived in Colorado, Arizona and other states where the misguided are trying to stop hunting of big cats, bears or require the wearing of blaze orange when bowhunting. Who thinks these weird ideas up and turns them into voter issues?
Anyway, I’m traveling a lot these days and hope I cross paths with other celebrities. If I become a celebrity, maybe I can get William Wegman to feature me in one of his famous Weimaraner images! Paws crossed on this one, har har! —Cameron
All dogs live forever in the hearts of their owners. But hunting dogs take that love to ultimate dimensions of affection. The dogs and their owners have worked together to obtain skills and understanding of the outdoor world where they thrive.
Diversity reigns in this world. There are pointing breeds, retrievers, hounds. There are many hunting dog cemeteries, and field trial halls of fame. For many hunters, the work of the dog in the field is the real purpose of the hunt. The simple pursuit of a gamebird or animal is not the purpose of going afield. The dog work—the radar-nosed probing of cover, the searching gait to check out fields, the retrieving of downed birds—moments spent in these elements are the real reason hunters have bonded with their dogs. Buy Now
