Duck Opener 2009

Duck opener was a blast. It's difficult for me to describe how special it was to hunt with my 88 year-old grandfather. He has made an enormous impact on my life. He was the person who first introduced me to the outdoors, encouraged me to go to forestry school, inspired me to get a graduate degree, and fostered my love of everything academic. I could write for hours about all the interesting things my grandfather has accomplished in his life...he was a professor for over 35 years at Gustavus Adolphus, he served in WWII with the marines, he translated the bible to German (just for fun!), he mastered the Internet while in his 80's, the list goes on. But that's not what this entry is about...it's about hunting! We weren't as successful as we would have liked. Jon shot 2 woodies and the rest of us were skunked. What we lacked in shooting, we made up for in good company. We played ladder golf, ate smoked pheasants, and told family hunting stories from the past. I hope to continue the tradition next year. I think the boys are okay with a girl coming back to the duck slew.