As I may have mentioned, I had the opportunity to head up into the Sierra foothills this week and meet a new friend. Bryce Mann is a dog trainer and hunting guide, and we’d been introduced through the web on Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors. Bryce was interested in doing some writing for us at JHO, and I was interested in reports that his neck of the woods was recently being overrun by hogs. A win-win situation, right?
I cruised up on a most beautiful spring day, and pulled into town in the late afternoon. It was already a bit late to do much in the way of hog hunting, but we had time to get acquainted and talk a bit about all the things Bryce is involved with. He’s a very busy man. In addition to training and hunting, he competes with his gun dogs on several levels, and is in preparation now for a trip to the nationals in Colorado next week.
He also gives an awful lot back to the world of hunting, both through his work with Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and with a group that supports handicapped hunters, the Wheelin’ Sportsmen.
Over the course of our day and half visit, I got to go out and work with Bryce and his dogs a little. He needed to work with some live birds, and I just happened to have a double-barrel muzzleloading shotgun that hasn’t been fired in a while. Over some planted birds, I got to see just how impressive his German Short-haired Pointers (GSP) could be.
Unfortunately, shotgunning requires practice. Blackpowder shotgunning requires a LOT of practice. Since I haven’t dragged that old gun out of the safe in a few years, I had forgotten just how much follow-through it takes to wingshoot with a smokepole.
It was great fun for the dogs, though, and I had a ball! Next time, I think I’ll spend a few hours at the trap range before I show up on a bird hunt with this old gun.
Nice story. Getting together, making new friends and spending quality time together is a great part of the hunting community.
Reading about your need to spend more time on the trap shooting I was reminded that I do too. It’s a humbling experience when the birds outmaneuver you.
I visited Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors and found out I am a member of the forum since 2005 but have never posted anything – bows head in shame-. I see that they look for writers. Could you provide me with more information about that position per email?
-Othmar Vohringer-