Must Have Outdoors

When I travel, I love looking out the window and watching the scenery; I have ever since I was a little girl.

I used to stare at the clouds and dream of the future, but I never looked at the land and thought about its past. A dove hunt this past week has definitely changed my perspective.

Tony Taylor, a good friend of our producer, and now of Andrew and I, offered to take us dove hunting on his family property near Dothan, Alabama. Andrew was thrilled to get to go, and I was even more excited because this was the first time I had ever gone dove hunting. Tony took us out to a field and got us set up in the prime spot. It wasn’t long before doves were flying. It was fun to watch the other hunter’s out in the field, especially Tony. Any time there was a dove heading my direction from where Tony was, I never bothered even pulling up my gun. Tony and his 60 year old Browning A5 never missed.

I killed my first dove with my first shot, but quickly found out that dove hunting isn’t easy! I missed a few, and I killed a few, but overall, I think I did pretty well for my first time. I was even able to kill a Eurasian Collared Dove which was definitely one of the highlights to my evening.

I was fresh out of college and Andrew was finishing up his internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services when the dream of Must Have Outdoors began. We knew that would be a great amount of time, energy, and prayer that would be put into it, but we were ready for the challenge.

There were a lot of firsts that were had for both of us in 2010. Andrew and I were able to host our first season of Must Have Outdoors, be on the cover of NWTF’s Turkey Country, have full page layouts and images in national magazines, travel to over 28 different states together, and meet tons of great people. I was also able to take the first turkey of my career this April with my Dad, and then two more in South Dakota in October with Andrew. Along with killing my first turkeys, I was also able to go on my very first Pheasant hunt. Needless to say, I have fallen in love with both, and look forward to more hunting in 2011.

We took the 20 gauge Winchester Model 1300 out of the safe last night to pattern it in for Turkey Season.

It was the first time I had shot that gun since Les had passed away. It is his old gun that I will be hunting with this turkey season. Les was a very influential person in my life when it came to hunting, and he is the one that encouraged me to go turkey hunting in the first place.

Last night my father told me how another one of Les’ turkey guns had been given to my brother. When they gave it to him, Les, in his witty and quick humored way told him “That gun has never missed a bird.” My brother took it hunting last spring and was able to double with my dad. My brother looked at my dad, smiled, and said “It still hasn’t.”

As I patterned in Les’ shotgun last night, and hit the target at 20, 30 and 50 yards, I became more and more confident in myself and my shooting ability. Much of that can be attributed to the quality Winchester gun, the Hunters Specialties Undertaker Choke, and the turkey Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C Targets, but I know much of it came from knowing that I was using a gun of an old friend.

Les has touched the lives of many in our home town, and he and his family are family to us. His encouragement to hunters, especially young women, has always been inspiring to me. Whenever I see his gun, or remember his stories, it helps remind me to pass it on.

Dad looked at me last night and said, “You know, that gun has never missed a turkey either.” Time will tell, but I hope to hold up to that tradition.

Les Brown was a man full of stories. A retired Game Warden from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Les had seen many things through his lifetime.

I can remember sitting in his living room through the years, laughing as he relived each one. Even though every story he told was different and entertaining in its own unique way, they all shared the same passion he had for the great outdoors.

Les would never call himself a role model, a father figure, or a man that other young men modeled themselves after, but he was. He would quickly shrug off a thank you or a compliment, but he took it just the same. Even in his last years when we tried to record his stories he wouldn’t have it. He didn’t want that kind of attention.

When a line of Missouri Department of Conservation employees showed up to his funeral last year dressed in their uniform, you could also tell that he was a man well respected among his industry.

Les was passionate about the outdoors, and he passed it on. He passed it on to my dad who looked up to him as a father figure and hunted with him many years, teaching him a lot of what he now knows. He passed it on to my brother, who himself is now an employee of the Missouri Department of Conservation. He passed it on to me, who as a young girl was hesitant to hunt when none of my friends did the same.