Over Christmas, some of my family came into town from the east coast which always makes for an enjoyable holiday. In planning out the time that they would be here, my youngest brother, Nick, and I planned to get out for a morning of bird hunting. Although Nick is an avid climber and likes to camp, he hasn’t had much experience hunting. So my goal was to get him into some dove or quail and show him why I was so passionate.
After shooting clays for a while, it was blatantly obvious that Nick was a natural with a shotgun and moving targets, so we moved to a spot that I know dove like to use as a corridor. Although it was a bit later in the morning than ideal, we found a few birds still moving, and Nick made a great shot to bring his first bird to the game bag.
We spent the evening grilling the few dove that we’d taken that morning along with some quail that I had saved from an earlier hunt. The whole family enjoyed the success of our hunt and the day was the perfect punctuation on our time together.
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I think I only remember dove hunting once when I was pretty young. I remember enjoying the fruits of my hunt. Nice post Ben.
Thanks Howard.
So…did you convert an east coaster into a hunter?
Nice post. Great scenery in the first shot.
He seemed pretty open minded. I definitely foresee future opportunities in the field together.
Ben
Great post, the only thing better than your own first in the field is helping someone else achieve their own.
Very true. It is extremely gratifying to see that light come on in someone else.
Ben
Next step is to get your brother the AZ slam. Always enjoy your posts.
Haha. Very true. That might be a bit more work then he’s ready for. Thanks for the kind words Bryan.
Ben
Nice post Ben! I’ve hunted upland game birds for years; but my first opportunity to hunt quail in Az was last winter. Loved it! Was hoping to make it back this winter but my schedule hasn’t permitted me to get back. Already planning to block out time next winter.
Glad you enjoyed it Ron. There is nothing better than Arizona in the winter. Keep me posted on how you do next year.
Ben
Man, that baked quail looks good.
Lemon pepper seasoning. Tough to beat.
Nice story. Sounds cliche, but more than the birds, the time together in the field, with a brother you don’t see too often, is the best takeaway.
Thanks Omari. Cliche or not, it’s definitely true.
Ben
Any advice to someone that is new to hunting and looking to get started/experience? Thanks Ron
Ron,
Depends on what you are interested in hunting. I’d highly recommend joining and getting involved in one of the different game specific groups like Arizona Elk Society, National Wild Turkey Federation, Mule Deer Foundation, Quail Forever, etc. These groups are always putting on seminars and can be a wealth of information. Best of luck.
Ben