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Sep 3, 20234 min read
No Gifts
And so, the email went… “Very pleasant weather up here except for this damned Canadian wildfire smoke. Got me to coughing last evening...
840


Jul 25, 20234 min read
The Shack
It was a pilgrimage of sorts. A place I knew but had never been. A shrine to some. For me, a place of historical and inspirational...
2550


Jun 19, 20234 min read
Plenary Authority
Too many years ago, when he first arrived in Missouri, a relatively young man was hired by the Missouri House of Representatives to serve...
300


May 20, 20234 min read
Another Man's Dog
The recent summary of the MO Hunting and Trapping Regulations features a picture of a dog on the front cover, perhaps a Brittany or...
770


Apr 29, 20233 min read
Taverns, Part 1
Passing through town on my way north, I decided to stop for a cold one. As I parked my truck, I saw the front door swing open at Don’s...
750


Mar 25, 20234 min read
Emotional Support
Empty skies test the meaning of both futility and hope. But if I see a duck, there’s hope and if there’s hope, I’m hunting. Today,...
1780


Mar 9, 20235 min read
Silence, Sound, Noise
About 15 miles from home, I could feel the change. More intensity, stress rising slightly. Calmness evaporating. As traffic increased, so...
330


Feb 6, 20235 min read
The Cabin Up North
Part of my family’s story includes a pine log cabin near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Once owned by my grandparents, a few old pictures and...
330


Jan 23, 20236 min read
Beat the Dog
In the late 1970s, family members always struggled to understand what I was studying in college. It was painful listening to them try to...
460


Jan 8, 20232 min read
Slam Dunk Grouse
They are called The King of Game Birds. Doves can embarrass. Teal will expose your limitations. But ruffed grouse are Kung Fu masters....
260


Jan 1, 20235 min read
Murder on Christmas Eve
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Neighborhood children...
700


Dec 19, 20222 min read
The Duck Hunter's Contract
Understand, there are two certainties when it comes to duck hunting – sunrise and sunset with thirty minutes on either side. Everything...
250


Dec 12, 20226 min read
The Law of Honk and Quack
Watching your news feed, you’ve probably noticed a significant uptick in the number of archeological finds across the planet. Technology...
710


Nov 27, 20223 min read
Before Leaving...
On the cottage door is the decades old note, posted by the father of the son, meticulously protected with rows of scotch tape. The...
2130


Nov 27, 20225 min read
The Final Bid
Duck feathers quivered on the ground as the cold north wind pushed a gust over the marsh. As they lifted his body from the boat, the...
1350


Nov 16, 20224 min read
Fifteen Days of Ducks
The first days of the waterfowl season are always special. In some ways, a dry run for the weeks ahead. And even with time spent on...
320


Nov 6, 20222 min read
A Soliloquy to Winter
Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you. Especially this year. It’s been unbearable without you. Things are changing and I worry....
340


Oct 28, 20225 min read
In Search of Gordon MacQuarrie
Smoke curling from the end of a cigarette dangling from his lips, a finger-smudged glass of bourbon nearby, the writer hammered out his...
600


Oct 16, 20225 min read
St. Hubertus
Not long ago, if you asked me who is the patron saint of hunters, I would’ve shrugged my shoulders and consulted the all-knowing wizard –...
1650


Sep 25, 20227 min read
Cabin on a Lake
It is the way of people to find a place of splendid simplicity and beauty, to proclaim it so and commence its conversion into something...
1100
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