Old School

Today "old school" was tossed around the blind.  "Remember when" was also tossed around.  It was good. Cliffy reminisced about the old days of the Old Old Spot.  But it goes further than that.  To the days when it was just the "Only Spot."  Cliffy was talking about pilgrimages, in order for people to understand the old days they should experience it.  Agreed.  But Cliffy talked of the days when he was introduced to the H7HT.  I had to drop a little knowledge on him, the days of the jeans and work boots.  Stocking foot waders cut offs, big bottle days.  Cutting our teeth with 20 pound guns and a Mossberg that may blow up in your face at any time.  The days of sliding on those cut off waders to set the blocks, called decoys back then, and slid on to retrieve the decoys or a fallen angel.  The seasons that would go by without even a slay, no for not trying the average year meant 25-30 days out, but we knew no better. It wasn't only the possibility of cilling, we had sun rises, snow filled mountains, hunting hawks, a beautiful walk into and out of the woods, stories of life and death.

Then non-breathable waders were the way, walk 45 minutes with a pack on and your waders were filled with water, sweat really, before you even set the decoys.  Feet soaked and cold, we'd wring out our socks in the blind, sometimes even building a fire to dry off.  There was never any bitching, we were hunting.  (you may have heard me say that about last week when Cliffly stated "but Fred G. were hunting.")  We walked forever, looking for new spots, constantly filling our boots with sweat equity. Always trying to invent new ways to slay the beast.  A camo tarp was invented, hunting umbrella, hunting lounge chairs into tri-pods, decoys into blocks, into roto deek, calling, too much or too little calling, into the whistle.  Blazing a path we thought was only for us never imagining the hold it would take on two younger gentleman, eager to learn, learn the ways of the H7HT.  Welcome.  Welcome to school, class starts at 4:30.  In the  a.m.