Better Late than Never: Labor Day Weekend Recap

With so much on the horizon to start writing about as we head into our favorite time of the year, it kind of hit me like wall of bricks today – I realized all at once that my weekends – my time in general – is quickly fading away as The Season approaches. Meaning it’s time to get caught up on several blog posts, starting with Labor Day Weekend.

Labor Day always seems to serve as a bit of a checkpoint, a milestone of sorts. It means summer is finally waning, and Autumn, in spite of September’s often summery temperatures, is bound to greet us soon.

Marked by football, a more bearable experience when fishing, and a breaking out of the guns for not only dove season, but out of sheer excitement for the hunting seasons that lie just around the corner, Labor Day provides us that perfect, extended weekend for transitioning from our summer patterns and into our Fall mindset.
And what better way to do this than to spend it with family and friends.

Our first adventure of the weekend would cover a couple of those activities above. With Labor Day also ushering in the dove season, I coerced my brother, his two boys, and my kids – threw in a KS Outdoorsman for good measure – and hit the pond, with some hopes of seeing a few of these tasty little migrators work our area.

I’d really like to tell you how, in a grand and glorious display of shooting, we experienced loads of success. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. We saw one a great deal off in the distance, and another that at least drew fire from a nephew or two, were the extent of this hunting tale.

Not to be discouraged, we retired to the currently-under-construction duck blind for some target shooting. This proved to be a winner, as the kids all had a blast knocking down targets from the blind, thrown over the water. No one went home disappointed, and I am pretty sure Nick was even able to sneak in some blind work while we were at it.

Most importantly, I got to spend a little bit of time with my brother and nephews. I miss having my brother join me in these outdoor pursuits, so on the rare occasions I get him out, they tend to mean a lot more. And this is relatively new to my nephews, and I want them to enjoy it as much as my kids – as much as I – do. And I think they did. We all left energized and looking forward to the hunting season… counting down the days as the water cools, the leaves change, and the miracle of migration unfolds before us.