Hunting Alone.....It is seldom that I hunt any other way. Don't know how I evolved to that as a preference.....I enjoy the company of my son on any gunning outing, but business ambition, and a new family in the works obviously takes preference in his allocation of free time.
I dove shoot on almost every day of the long open season. Easy to do, since I live on the place. I selfishly know that it is easier to get quality shooting when only one gun need be served with opportunities. I have for years avoided the social revelry of the large "Party shoots" preferring opening days festivities with only Nic and the attendant gun dogs for company.
Planning for Duck shoots can be pretty spontaneous when one gun is involved. I can spot a water hole in use by even a relatively small number of fowl and know that I can probably set up quickly the next morning and get at least enough shooting to know that with a little gunning skill I can be presented with adequate shots to secure a limit.
Quail shooting has for several years has been a solitary pursuit almost exclusively, multiple factors contributing to this, including aging friends that I felt comfortable with afield, but mostly due to the multiple years of limited quail production . I selfishly guarded the resource for the past half dozen seasons and set my own limits and harvest quotas and have managed to keep myself and some old canine pals occupied right up to the final day of the season.
I have indeed been alone , but never lonesome, although I frequently pass a location on the ranch during these outings that bring back memories of a certain event at that spot., a double on the rise by a departed mentor, a great first point by a now infirm friend's young Pointer.... the list goes on with no outing failing to call up memories.
