From The Prois Pros! Courtney Bastian...aka Bird Dog Babe!
For The Love of a Bird Dog
For many women who hike vast distances through rugged terrain with a shotgun chasing after birds, it started for the love of a bird dog. It's the curiosity of wanting to learn what they were bred for, and feeling obligated to help them reach the potential highlighted throughout generations in their pedigree. It's the desire to be the person that meets the requirements to complete what the dog needs in a teammate. And it's the gratification you receive when your bird dog is on its way back to you, holding itself tall with pride, wagging its tail and mostly blinded by a face-full of feathers.
Nothing ever bad comes from following your bird dog's nose... well if you do it long enough, that's probably not true, but you didn't die (cause you're reading this). The benefits of hunting are endless; exercise, challenge, solitude, healthy meat, mindfulness, and the connections made, whether it be with others or with nature itself. In addition, spending one-on-one time with your bird dog on a hunt, and working together as a unified team, deepens and strengthens a relationship that you didn't think could get stronger. And there's nothing more simplistic and enjoyable at the end of the day's hunt together, when you reminisce over the successes and failures of the day, in the most perfect way; belly scratches, head pats and silent conversation.