STEELE SPORTS

Last week’s Governor’s Pheasant Opener in Owatonna brought with it an opportunity for me to expand my horizons by going on my first-ever hunting experience.

While I did a completely different kind of shooting – with my camera and not a gun – I still trekked through brush that towered well over my head and watched incredibly well-trained dogs work their magic as they attempted to find ring-necked pheasant for my hunting companions to bring home some trophy birds.

As someone who has never hunted, nor has any knowledge of what it’s like to be out in the field, I showed up completely unprepared for what I was getting into.

While I managed to dress warm and dry, what I didn’t account for was the rough terrain and the thick, forest-like brush that I constantly found myself tangled in.

Every step was a chess match between my boots, the soft mud and the vegetation, keeping me constantly in a fight with gravity to not fall and embarrass myself in front of my much more experienced guides.

For hours, we explored fields just southwest of Owatonna that I had never previously known existed.

By far one of the best parts of my day was catching a glimpse of a gorgeous red-tailed hawk soaring through the fields – though I hold the suspicion that my hunting group would’ve much rather preferred it be a pheasant.

As we plowed through the terrain with no glimpse of any roosters it began to occur to me that we might end up getting skunked on our trip.

This notion brought with it a feeling of disappointment, but as I continued to trudge along, I realized that this was the wrong mindset to have about hunting.

Hunting, much like other sports, has an end goal with a desired outcome.

Obviously harvesting birds is the goal, but what a 2.5-hour trek through difficult, unfamiliar terrain will teach you is some incredible lessons in teamwork and perseverance, as well as the importance of pre-planning.

The guys I went out in the field with – Nick Lewis, Matt Harris, and Chris Morgan – all shared stories and wisdom that opened my eyes to what draws people to hunting just outside of harvesting animals.

Hunting is social, and it connects us with nature in ways that we often lack in our normal day-to-day lives.

While I didn’t get to experience the thrill of our group coming back with a bird, I did get to learn about our southern Minnesota prairies firsthand all while making some new friends in the process.