For the past 30 years I’ve lived in the
southwestern border of the boreal forest,
which is less than two hours from the
pancake flat eastern prairie fringe and a
long days drive from where I am today. It’s
lake country with excellent angling for the
likes of walleye, lake trout and muskellunge,
and there is good hunting for whitetails
and moose (sometimes!), as well as ruffed
grouse, spruce grouse and, in large cutovers
and burns, even sharp-tails. It’s a wonderful
place to live, with a further redeeming feature
being its closeness to the wide open west. I
love both.
I think about how lucky and blessed I am
as I watch and listen to Brill, who’s ran back
into the cover that coughed up the brace of
birds now in my vest. Her occasional bark has
none of the almost panicky nature it has when
the scent is hot, so I assume she’s sniffing
memories of what I’m now in possession of.
I can see that the Trailer Park boys and
Daffy are making their way towards me. I’m
wondering if Glenn or Robbie will suggest
that maybe we should check one more patch
of cover – there are now other hunters nearby
and we’re still hoping to put up a covey of
Huns - before heading back to the trailer for
that ‘really big breakfast’. If they don’t, I know
Brian will bring it up.
The skies have cleared and the temperature
is climbing rapidly. Good friends, good dogs,
wide open spaces and Alberta birds.
It’s going to be a good week.
61 Wild Guide
. Fall 2017