by  Sheryl Arredondo Jurries, guest blogger

Being a newlywed to a man like Jim opened new worlds to me in the form of hunting and shooting. It all began on our first date with his telling me about his love of the art of clay pigeon shooting, shotgun competitions, and bird hunting. The only thing I knew about these activities were that they could kill me. But hey, at the age of 67, I kinda felt like I was on borrowed time anyway. As we continued to date, I took the plunge and asked him to introduce me to these activities. 

Bird Shooting

So, we started out with shooting, since it’s an activity he does year-around. I’m the kinda gal who likes to watch the snow fly from the warmth of my home while a lovely smelling pot of stew simmers on the stove. Well, let me tell you, that wasn’t going to happen. It didn’t take long before I was kitted out with my own 20-gauge shotgun, enough cold-weather gear to outfit the local gun club, and in an all-wheel truck. Our vehicle alone contained 2 dogs, 8 guns, enough ammo to shoot about 4,000 birds, and 3 drivers headed to Chamberlain, SD to traipse through the deep snow for a week in the bitter cold.

I went to shoot. But not with a gun. I wasn’t ready for that yet. My gun stayed in the car. 

Out and About with my Camera

 I tried my best to document what it’s like to wear 32 pounds of layered winter clothing while  watching 8 men, 2 guides, and 6 dogs chase hundreds of pheasants in 10-degree weather with snow up to their thighs for 4 full days, The guys found it vastly fun. As the only female there, I can tell you that I didn’t particularly find it all that fun at first. I think I would have been happier cooking with the women who came in for our mid-day meal, only I don’t like that much, either. If it hadn’t been for the fantastic working dogs, I would have lost hope of ever doing it again.

I simply couldn’t believe how much the dogs loved hunting. That absolutely fascinated me. My husband’s dog, Dexter, never took his eyes off Jim, since he is a retriever and responded to the downed birds only when Jim gave him the signal.  It was obvious that these highly trained and valuable dogs were more prized than any of the expensive guns. Watching them made it all worthwhile!

The Long Winter

After enjoying all that male camaraderie, and with the testosterone overload that came with it, I took a day to myself and drove to DeSmet to visit one of my favorite author’s childhood home. Laura Ingalls Wilder spent the winter of 1880-81 here, which she so eloquently described in her book, “The Long Winter.” It tells how the town folks nearly starved to death when the trains couldn’t get through because of the near never-ending blizzards that winter. It was lovely to see the artifacts and their way of life, lovingly preserved. I came back to Chamberlain ready to get up and at ‘em the next few days.

Chamberlain

Chamberlain is home of the Akta Lakota Culture Center, attached to St. Joseph’s Indian School campus. Inside is a fascinating look at the life and artifacts of the Dakota and Lakota Native Americans who are indigenous to the Dakotas. There are intriguing books on the history of the Native Tribes here and a lovely gift shop, which helps support the school and museum. There are stories and pictures of very famous and influential Native Americans, which bring to life the hardships they endured so long ago. It’s worth a day trip here to see this museum, as well as the Dignity statue, a 50-ft tall stainless steel culture overlooking a bluff.

Watching the workings of an intense hunting trip like this was actually intriguing and worth all the effort it took. I came home with a real appreciation of what working dogs and hunters have to do to put food on the table. Now when it’s time to make some good-smelling pheasant stew to simmer on the stove on a cold, wintery day, I revisit my fond memories of watching Jim and the dogs bring home dinner.

Thanks, Jim and Dexter, for the lesson in bird hunting! 

Sheryl Arredondo Jurries is a former magazine editor and freelance newspaper reporter. She’s been married 1 year and has 2 children and 2 stepchildren, as well as 1 grand baby. She is married to Jim Jurries and resides in Holland.