In the last 65 years I have very rarely missed the opening day of the Texas dove season on Sept. 1. It’s a marquee date on my calendar. But this year I had an opportunity to hunt the opening week of the Canadian waterfowl season in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Eight of us planned the hunt. My son, Tim of San Marcos, a friend, Bill McMillon of Gonzales, Bill Jones of San Antonio and his four sons, Robert, Wesley, Tilden and Joshua, made up the hunting party. To be able to hunt with my son was special. But what about Bill Jones hunting with his four boys. Must have been like the sons of Katie Elder.
I had hunted in Saskatchewan twice before during the last five years. On my first trip I met a local hunter named Joshua Allen and his hunting son, Hunter. We harvested just as many geese as ducks as I had the previous year with a professional outfitter. The trip cost us less money. We became good friends with the Allen family. Our recent trip was with an outfit named Quick Load Waterfowl Outfitters. They were not booked for the opening week so Joshua got us a half-price hunt with the agreement that he and Hunter would help guide with no guide fee to be paid by the outfitter.
