The holidays usually mean a little time away from the grind and a lot of time with relatives, which provides you with a fantastic opportunity to get out and enjoy some old fashioned family hunting time. If you've got a family like mine, it usually ends in a story, even if the hunt isn't all that successful.
I went out with my dad, brother and a few others this past Thanksgiving. On one particular morning, we were waiting on some geese in a blind in Chestertown, Md. The weather wasn't quite right, and we had only one Canada decoy all day. It came in behind us and to the left of the blind, and my dad and I each had the best shot on it. I rose and slapped the trigger of the Beretta Xtrema2 I had, and the bird plummeted to the ground, where it was happily picked up by the family golden retriever, Tank.
As I was the least experienced hunter of the bunch that day, my dad hadn't even considered the possibility that the fatal shot had come at my hand. He immediately rang out: "Justin, was that you?"
Nah.
"Cocky?"
Not Cocky, either.
"George?"
He hadn't even picked up his gun. Thanks, Dad. At least he didn't ask George's two 8-year-olds, who were just there to observe that day. That all said, it made for some laughs and a good story. Can't ask for much more.
So if you've got time off in the next week, take advantage of it. Get out there with friends, family, whoever—and have a blast. Holiday time is family time, but no one ever said you had to stay in the house.
