The Real Deal

The Real Deal

Without the ordinary, there would be no extraordinary. If there were no karaoke, how would we recognize the spine-tingling excellence of Pavarotti or Bocelli? How would we recognize the genius of Einstein or Hawking if there were no ordinary thinkers? And who would...
Bob White The Story of a Quail

Bob White The Story of a Quail

The nest, with its precious contents of 16 little eggs, occupied a snug corner of the old rail fence, hidden amongst the tall rank grass from the sharp eye of marauding crow or pirate hawk. Mr. and Mrs. Bob White were very proud of their treasures, and Mr. Bob would...
Kansas City To Host Bird Hunting Extravaganza

Kansas City To Host Bird Hunting Extravaganza

Behind seemingly every American game bird or animal is a hunter-funded conservation group working to ensure that it not only survives but thrives. These organizations harness the passion millions of American sportsmen have for their favorite game species and transform...
A Goose on the Loose

A Goose on the Loose

I was sentenced to Chester Elementary School for six long years along with about 180 other unfortunate inmates. I wasn’t exactly sure what terrible offense I had committed against my parents to warrant such a harsh punishment, but I tried to serve my time with quiet...
A Thousand Distant Gobbles

A Thousand Distant Gobbles

The following is an excerpt from Duncan Dobie’s newest book A Thousand Distant Gobbles: Turkey Tales from the Heart. This 236-page collection, featuring eight short stories and eight turkey vignettes, will warm your heart and take you on an unforgettable adventure...
Fine Guns, Fine Dogs

Fine Guns, Fine Dogs

My introduction to quail hunting came nearly two decades ago on an old family plantation in the piney woods of South Georgia. Since that unforgettable moment in that picturesque woodland, I’ve been hooked on quail hunting.

The Day I Found Myself – A Wood Duck Hunt

The Day I Found Myself – A Wood Duck Hunt

The day I found myself, the wood duck came full-speed. From upriver and darting among cypress and willows — spilling air from his wings. Things had not been going particularly well, one single and specific vehicle of distress difficult to identify. Perhaps it was...
Christmas for Two

Christmas for Two

“Look out, Dad!” Through the network of brown November branches I could see into the little open where my father watched for the driven grouse. This was the shot he loved best in all bird shooting. He had taught me its strategy the I was twelve, taught me right here...
A Christmas Eve Swan Shoot

A Christmas Eve Swan Shoot

Two old renegades pull off an illegal nighttime hunt, despite a surprise collision and dunking. Shooting swan by night may seem hardly the correct thing in the estimation of many, but we fowlers of the wild and “feathery” West occasionally obtain under cover of the...