Discover the unexpected journey from bird watcher to bird hunter of a woman from East Tennessee. With captivating storytelling and beautiful imagery, this article explores how a passion for nature and adventure, combined with love, led to an unlikely hobby - upland bird hunting.
When hunting with my husband Carson, it doesn’t take long to jump out of the vehicle and find yourself walking. He doesn’t mess around and it's pretty difficult for him to arrive within range of hunt-able birds and not utilize the last hours of the day, even if it means only a 30 minute walk.
We’re from East Tennessee and as a second daughter of parents who had no interest in guns and whose mother happens to be an avid bird watcher, it's safe to say huntin’ isn’t in my blood… In fact many of my friends growing up are probably surprised by my current hobby. I was the one who scooped up injured birds to rush to the small animal vet and lobbied with my elementary aged counterparts to protect animals, even the small insects I would collect. I’ve always had a passion for nature and adventure and it was those two things- along with the unavoidable fact of being in love with a man who lives for upland bird hunting and fishing- that led to my unlikely and truly surprising proclivity to hunting. For me it is a unique avenue to find oneself submerged in the beauty of nature as well as what seems like a fascinating and multi-layered puzzle of learning and discovering new species, new habitats and an entirely new culture.
The first time I ever went hunting was October 2017, Michigan, Upper peninsula.
I found myself immersed in what they call “fruity pebble forest”. Towering pines with low hanging boughs, the aromatic needles padding the forest floor. Vibrant young aspen, the delicate yellow leaves fluttering all around, striking silver bark highlighting vertical lines across my view. The bright freshly turned red and orange maples spotting the landscape all around. A forest floor, rich with red berries and mushrooms, mosses and ferns, everywhere I turn is beauty and life and a stillness that only being in the woods brings… stillness and quiet yet teeming with life. and every so often, after walking in silence, taking in the beautiful surroundings the heart is sped by the nonchalant “beep” of a Garmin, a pointing dog spotted ahead, a rush to push past tag alder and aspen, getting whipped in the face to keep up, an “okay” command, a burst of energy from Beaux (our Small Munsterlander) and a sudden explosion of wings, BAM. Shotgun ringing in the ears and an excited “Fetch him up!” to follow.
Beaux returns wagging, a mouth full of feathers and the elusive and majestic Ruffed Grouse is gently handed to a proud, beaming hunter.
We stop to take a photo but the adrenaline only begs to walk more miles to find more birds… Cuz you’ll never know if they’re there or not if you don’t put in the miles.
Upland Bird hunting takes time. It is a long game. My husband and I have spent years now learning where birds are, where birds aren’t. Funnily enough we learn they’re often where you think they shouldn’t be. We’ve also learned how to stop driving and over thinking and just get out of the car and walk. It takes persistence, it takes research, it takes a lot of hard work and patience, but man is it worth it. And besides, our dogs really do most of the heavy lifting anyways.
Beaux is a Small Munsterlander. He is one of the most loyal, most biddable dogs I know. We say he is like a tractor. He combs the forest with a fine tooth comb, taking time to check spots, he moves at a steady pace and could hold that pace for days if you let him. When we get back to the lodge he is a snuggler.
Jed is an English Setter and is the newest to our family. He is 3 years old and has spent a lot of time logging miles in the prairie. We think that since his first exposure to hunting was in acres of fields in Montana with other long ranging bird dogs, he is built for speed and distance. Contrary to Beaux- the tractor, Jed is our Ferrari. He will tire himself till he cannot walk because he is so committed to the hunt and he loves to cover ground. In fact, one time on a recent trip in Montana he caught the scent of a sharp-tailed grouse and tracked the bird that had flushed and settled down miles away over sandy terrain full of tiny cacti and we spent about 3 hours later that day picking the quills out of his pads. There is not much that will stop that dog from getting on birds. Jed is also a snuggler. He is known for being bred with an ‘off switch’ and frequently curls into tiny spaces and snores loudly.
As I’ve “logged the miles” through forest and over prairie with Carson, Beaux and Jed over the past 6 years, I’ve fallen in love with hunting, not for the reward of shooting birds, but for the community it creates among us, the way it keeps me rapt in wonder and awe at the beauty of creation and for the way it knits our family closer over our shared passion, to get out there and see the world together and to have fun doing it.
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