The Hunter Who Share Pins and Fed Me (Part 2)

There's a certain kind of generosity you only seem to find out in the woods.

You're a long way from home, spending your days hiking ridgelines, and trying to make something happen. By the time evening rolls around, you're tired, hungry, and ready to get back to camp. You don't need much. A warm fire, a meal, and a little conversation can go a long way.

That's where hunting has a way of reminding you what it's really about.

During my Idaho hunt, I met a hunter named Kirk. Our first encounter was a little unconventional. I managed to surprise him under a tree after he'd spent three nights out in a storm. He'd come down from the mountains with some hard-earned knowledge of the country, and rather than keeping that information to himself, he shared intel and OnX pins with me.

That's the thing about meeting other hunters out there. You might be competing for the same animals, but there's an understanding that goes beyond the hunt itself. You've both put in the time and you know how much a little help can mean when you're trying to figure out a new piece of country.

Later, Kirk and I checked a plateau together in his side-by-side. He spotted two does, and as the light started to fade, he headed out. He eventually connected on a buck. But the part I'll remember wasn't the deer.

It was the fact that he invited me over for dinner and fed me.

Out in the wilderness, a meal shared with another hunter means a little more. You've both spent the day working for something. You sit down, eat, talk about the hunt, and enjoy a little company before doing it all over again the next morning. Of course, I also managed to startle Kirk a second time back at camp. Apparently, sneaking up on the guy was becoming a theme.

That's hunting, though. You meet strangers, share a little information, swap stories, and sometimes end up sitting around a campfire with someone you barely knew a day earlier. I went to Idaho looking for deer. I didn't find many. But I found a few good people, and Kirk was one of them.

I'll take that kind of company any day.

Happy trails,

Chuck