| As a young boy growing up, I have fond memories | | | | shoot! |
| of waking up in the wee hours of the morning to the | | | | Day 1 - eager for the first hunt and anxiously |
| sound of my Dad and my older brother getting | | | | awaiting their lift out to the blind which was |
| themselves ready to go hunting. As I was much too | | | | approximately 1,000 yards from shore and being that |
| young at the time to hunt, I would lay there and | | | | the tide was out, the shore was total mud which |
| listen, peeking out of my room while they got ready, | | | | meant the only means of getting out there was by |
| lining up their gear near the front door, hearing the | | | | horse and sleigh. They were then provided with bales |
| soft chatter of their voices, I could feel the | | | | of hay to be used as seats and to cover up their |
| excitement coming from them, yes they were real | | | | gear and of course, a white flag and red flag, white |
| men my Dad and big brother, real men loved to hunt. | | | | indicative that they were ready to return to camp |
| Now this particular morning was especially exciting as | | | | and red for emergency. At this time, both of them |
| they were going out-of-town on their first ever | | | | were keyed up and ready to do what they had |
| 2-day guided hunt for snow geese. Now, as my Dad | | | | come out there for - shoot snow geese. The bag |
| shared with me upon his return from that trip, if this | | | | limit for snow geese is 20 per hunter, but taking into |
| is your passion, and you've never experienced the | | | | consideration the weight limit for the plough horses |
| thrill of a guided hunt, it is an adventure not to be | | | | to pull, the combination of humans, gear and snow |
| missed. Whether it is for big or small game, guided | | | | geese, their daily bag limit was set at 15. Well, their |
| hunts are awesome for the enthusiastic hunter, a | | | | first hunt was cut short as the quota was met, so |
| well planned hunt can virtually assure you of returning | | | | up went the white flag and back came the guide, |
| home with your bag limit and plenty of stories to tell. | | | | their vision of continuing 30 minutes past sunset was |
| Well, here is one of those fond memories. My Dad | | | | no more, but what a thrill they experienced. |
| had entered a snow goose hunt draw, which was | | | | Day 2 was hunting from the high tide blind. Start time |
| sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Service which | | | | was 30 minutes before sunrise and they hunted until |
| was an annual event. At the time it was a mere | | | | noon that day taking full advantage of their time and |
| $8.00 to enter, so there was not much to lose. If | | | | enjoying every minute out there. After 20 years |
| selected, you and 3 other persons were entitled to | | | | they still talk about that guided snow goose hunt as |
| two half day hunts in Cap Tourmente, Quebec. I can | | | | one of the best they ever had. |
| still see the smile on my Dad's face when he received | | | | My dad and I are now planning a guided deer or bear |
| the call telling him that he had won, I chuckled when | | | | hunt near Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, |
| he told me that he first had to attend a presentation | | | | there are supposed to be some huge animals up |
| on the snow goose and the over abundance in the | | | | there and I have been looking forward to it since he |
| North, Dad just wanted to get out into the blinds and | | | | mentioned it. |