You know....I don't think there's ever been a time in my life that I didn't enjoy being in the woods. As kids, we had our tree houses and forts and trails in the woods and, make-believe happenings galore.
Fishing with mom and dad was always fun. I don't recall what age I started fishing. But, whether it was through the ice or out of a boat or canoe, I loved it. I can fish all day and really enjoy myself to this day. My parents gave my love of the outdoors an early start. Along the way it grew by leaps and bounds. Whether I am bird watching or bird hunting, there is always something new to see or learn.
A lot of my adventures came about because of hunting. I started out with the double-barrel shotgun that shot caps and alder cone shot! While mom or dad shot the real guns, we practiced with ours. When I was about 12 years old, I got a real gun....a single shot .410. Then, weekends it was off "partridge" hunting with mom or dad until I got my firearms safety certificate and could go on my own....and, go I did! You know, to this day the .410 is my favorite early season partridge gun.
I guess.....hunting was the "good excuse" to get me out in the woods, being quiet and watching the wind, especially bow hunting....since for me, a long shot was 25 yards. That brought me adventures aplenty...wonderful experiences I've had once and in all probability, will not happen again.
If there is a chance you'll put some food on the table while having a good time, you're more apt to use the excuse, or "justify" the time out....be it hunting or fishing. These days, I really don't need an excuse; but, it still helps to get me out more consistently for longer periods of time.
Still other encounters or learning experiences came from my years of trapping. A lot of people asked me, knowing my love of wildlife, how I could do all these things. Well....there's no one easy answer to that; but, lets say now and then I could set aside the big brown eyes and have further wildlife education.....all of it interesting, all of it useful in a practical sense.
What a lot of people will never learn, if they don't go out and actually participate ...is...there is a lot more to these activities than bringing home a trophy, a meal, a fur.....whatever the case may be. It is the whole experience of being out there, observing and learning. To bring something home is a bonus. It doesn't always happen.....and, that is ok. It's about being out there, being invisible, soundless, becoming part of your surroundings. When you can do this....and be comfortable doing it, you will start learning and observing how wildlife really behaves. And.....it may surprise you.
This ends my first installment of my wild nature upbringing. :)
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