This season is coming to a close. As I write, we have another week of wild birds on public land, and another [hot] month and a half of preserve season. I am signing the paperwork on Jessie’s last two puppies. Pine pollen is starting to fall, and the mild days make it hard not to think of black water and fly rods. If you’ve been hunting for a while, you can almost feel the cosmic page turning to the next chapter. While part of me is about ready to chase turkeys and redbreast, I know that the landing gear is just starting to come down on this season.
What am I talking about? When I come back from a long vacation in a far off destination, hearing the landing gear drop down marks the transitional time between the experience behind me and the work ahead of me. When that mechanical sound fills the cabin, I start planning. In the short term, I think about my baggage, navigating crowds with my family, and what I need to do as soon as I get home. At the same time, I tend to think about going back to the place I just visited. What would I do differently next time? Would I visit at another time of year? Do I need to ever go back? What other places does this trip inspire me to visit? In other words, it is a lot of reflection and anticipation all at once. For a dreamer it can be really exciting. The line between processing and action is really thin when you’re getting off an airplane.
That’s how I feel right now. Although the season is not over I am already reflecting and planning. I have to spend some time thinking about the long range and short range plans. The last two puppies are leaving. It is time to process the eight month saga of having a litter of puppies. How would I do it differently next time? What worked? When is the best time for the next litter? Then there is training, hunting, and field trials. The field trial experience made my training weaknesses clear for each dog. We have work to do. I didn’t guide this year, and it shows in my dogs. I did get to hunt a little more, but did I hunt as much as I wanted? The loss of Perdi has colored my whole season.
In the short range, I just need to finish well. I don’t want to ruin my vacation by getting frustrated with my family at baggage claim or fussing about what to eat on our way home– that’s a metaphor. I mean I don’t need to try to cram some awkward training in during the short rows of what has been a great hunting season. I don’t need to get so busy trying to fix long term training issues in the next six weeks that I miss out on the last drop of hunting we can do. My goal? Have fun in the field while we can. We have six months to train, plan trips, and schedule litters. I need a pigeon coop for training. I don’t want to take a hunting opportunity away to work on it. We aren’t going to fix issues with pigeons before the season goes out. I need to address some infrastructure issues with Old Bayboro Kennels, but that may have to wait. I owe it to my dogs to give them opportunities in the field.
Long term; I am processing all of the trip possibilities, field trial dates, and kennel infrastructure. It has gotten to the point where I need to be super intentional about this stuff. That means planners, files, goal settings, etc. In the midst of all that there is Everyman Upland. I do want to thank everyone who is sticking with us. This crew is by no means beginners, but we are always learning. One big thing we are learning is balancing our personal enjoyment of hunting and dogs with trying to share that with others.
So what is next?
Obviously we want to finish the season. I want to hunt preserve as much as I can in March. There is nothing like giving the string a few days of guaranteed W’s in the field. I hope to use that as some momentum going right into finish training. Jessie and Lumi earned their TAN titles. Sue will need hers in the early fall. Hopefully by the first trial of the fall season we are looking at water retrieve titles (WRT) for the string. We are also going to be training hard for GUN titles. This is doable, but it’s going to take work. This goal includes pigeon coop, pigeon raising, and force fetching. Like I said, we have work to do. On top of all that we have to restructure the kennel set up at Old Bayboro Kennels. We have plans to board, train, and breed dogs, but the facilities just aren’t there yet. That should change this summer. Once hips are tested on the EB’s we will look to produce a litter, or we may wait– not too sure.
Then there are the conservation and habitat goals for the farm. The racoons and possums are getting out of control. It is time for that to change. Stay tuned for our predator control efforts. I also want to get some tracts ready to burn and plant pollinator mix where I can. The long term goal is to create as much habitat as we can– obviously, but the secondary goal is to find effective ways for us to accomplish our goals. We don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to throw at our habitat projects, so we have to choose our methods wisely. If I learn anything here, you guys will be the first to know.
This last point is one for the comment section or the chat feature. The EU crew likes to fish. We use fly and spin gear on the small black water rivers of South Georgia. Is that something you guys want to hear about? When the weather warms up we hit the water chasing panfish and largemouth. Occasionally we will head south to the Gulf to chase redfish and trout. I feel like there is a considerable crossover between upland hunting and fly fishing. Maybe I am wrong, but to that end it is almost time to clean up the boat and tie a fresh box of flies.
Why am I putting this out there? I want to remind myself, the crew, and others to finish well. The season isn’t over. We are blessed with a long season in Georgia. Make the most of it before moving on. I also want to remind myself to prioritize. When things are so fresh on the mind, they seem more urgent. This past week, I have been acting like the season is over. I have been trying to cram in projects that really aren’t as urgent as they seem. I think it's a good exercise to slow down during this time of year. You only get so many seasons with your dogs, and that can even be cut short by unseen circumstances. Perdi left us too early. She had many more seasons left in her, or so I thought. Her passing has reminded me to be more present with my dogs– and heck even my family– while I can. Goals are great things. I need to be setting goals to get where I want to go, but I don’t want to wreck the journey for the sake of the next possible trip.
SAM BAKER is the founder of Everyman Upland. He is a husband, father, hunter, and fisherman who grew up on the same farm he hunts today. Sam’s dad was a guide for 35 years, and Sam guided quail hunting for 6 seasons in Norman Park, GA. Now Sam writes, podcasts, pastors a micro church community, and is a breeder/trainer of American and French Brittany dogs.