It’s always a bitter-sweet day, the closer. We pour so much into each waterfowl season. We invest more than just time and money into this passion of ours; we pour heart and soul, emotion, into a “hobby” that at some point in our lives became an integral part of the fabric of our being. And just as each season begins with so much hope, excitement, and anticipation, each closes with as much reflection, appreciation, and wonder for this gift we have.
The end of each season, each chapter is always something poetic. And each its very own tale. Today, the 2015-2016 waterfowl season concluded for us with the final day of the Kansas goose season. And having had yet another challenging season, with low harvests, fewer days afield for me, and some pretty challenging hunts, I was hoping for a decent finish – to end this season on a high note.
Getting to hunt the pond that produced a majority of last year’s highlights – and for the first time this year – was not a bad way to start. And, turns out, not a bad way to end the season.
Wind (or lack of) threw us a few early curves, but some minor tuning, some creative blind positioning – as we had birds landing in the field behind the blind – and we were on. The geese cooperated, and in the span of a couple hours, called the day – and the season – done.
A perfect conclusion to the season. A day like this goes a long way to negate a few of the tough ones. Your last recollection of the season tends to inspire and excite you for the next one. Eight months and counting… We’ll be there to start that next chapter.
