September excitement and the odd patterns of Doves
Updated: Oct 27, 2021
Want to know what I learned about myself when I went Dove hunting? I tend to over-complicate everything. Yep, I'm a classic over-thinker. And I just make things so much more complex than entirely necessary.
Picture this, me and Walter meeting my dad to go dove hunting on our family friends' property after work. I quickly change into full on camo layers, then look around and notice everyone is in jeans and a camo t-shirt... insert another quick-change so I'll match the group. Then comes the duffle bag of ammo, an extra layer, water for me, water for Walter, snacks, chuck cord, leash, extra collar (I don't know why), sunglasses, gloves, and sunscreen. Then I grab my gun, and my portable chair, and start to walk towards my spot in the field. Then I realize I forgot to put on Walter's e-collar, and have to start all over again.
Fast forward thirty minutes and I'm sitting in some taller grass, tangled around my chair with the chuck cord, the leash, and my duffle bag, and I am literally getting eaten alive by mosquitos. Walter was not okay with sitting still - he wanted to go sniff out birds like we had been training to do - this was a new hunting concept for him and he really wasn't a fan. If I'm being honest, neither was I!
I hike over to my dad's spot in the field and explain that I'm starting to swell up due to the number of mosquito bites I had endured. Thankfully the dude had some extra bug wipes for me to use. That saved me for a bit longer. I march back to my chair and scan the skies. Where were those damn little birds?!
