NY GROUSE CAMP
2/11/24
NY Camping Trip - What’s There to Lose?
Unprompted, last year turned into a year full of new experiences for both Rosie and I. What started as retriever training, evolved into AKC hunt tests, and then, on a whim, we signed up for a weekend away to learn how to hunt alongside each other with the guidance and encouragement from an amazing group of ladies. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with all of these experiences, and it, honestly, wasn’t until the weekend at Silver Lion Kennels for HerUpland’s Northeast Region GunDog Camp, that I really started to connect the dots. It wasn’t only the weekend where Huntin’ Dix originated, but it was also the weekend where I started to drink the kool-aid.
Fast forward to the week leading up to the NY Camping trip… all of the emotions were flowing through me. Excitement. Anxiety. Trepidation. Empowerment. I was about to travel over 4 hours and 300 miles, with just my dog, to spend a weekend with five strangers doing something I had not an ounce of exposure to. First off, I’m not sure I can consider three of them strangers when we messaged daily since the weekend in New Hampshire, and they had become a few of my favorite people. But in reality, I had only spent two days with them in person prior to this upcoming weekend, how could I really be sure they weren’t serial killers hiding behind their cute dogs? Second, I had never been hunting in my life. Upland hunting was a foreign concept to me… hell, hunting, in general, was nothing I ever saw myself doing. And let’s be honest, I struggle picking up dead mice, and to this day, I still rely on my neighbors to help. Throughout the week, I talked myself into and out of going to New York on multiple occasions, and I always came back to, “Just go, you will regret it if you don’t.”
The internal struggle was a game of tug-o-war right up to when I merged onto I-90 West. I was New York bound, and there was no turning back now. When I finally met Amie, Bethany and Marie at Tuggers, I knew right away that I had made the right decision. I was headed into a weekend of all new “firsts”, and for that, I couldn’t have been more excited.
Three days. Six women. Nine dogs. Endless acres to explore and hunt. During the early morning coffees and late night beverages, these ladies showed me the ins and outs, trials, and tribulations of upland hunting. I felt honored to be a part of the hunts, to be included, even when I didn’t own a gun and had only shot my first shotgun a few weeks prior. All of the negative self- talk leading up to the weekend dissipated as they showed me patience, camaraderie, and inclusion. Not only did they include me, but they also included Rosie. Rosie had never done much flushing in her days, but she’s a natural bird dog, so what did we have to lose? Once we got out there, she was a looker, for sure. She listened, she watched, and she did what she was bred to do. “Hunt ‘em up.” I could stand back and watch her all day long… she was in her element, and honestly, so was I. I loved being out in the woods and the fields with my dog. The only thing that made it better was the company. I was surrounded by strong, confident women who are a force to be reckoned with. They motivated me to sign up for a Hunter Education class, to learn more about grouse and woodcock, and to strive to be better. When you find a group of friends who want the best for you, you keep them close. The weekend in NY was the icing on the cake. I had found my people and realized big things were coming. This is just the beginning of Huntin’ Dix for Rosie and I, and I can’t wait to share this journey with you all.
KATE
