Category: Shooting

marsh hen hunt

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Well hello friends! I hope everyone is having a good weeks of far… I think I am still recovering from the weekend – bachelorette party for my future sister in law might have done me in! Needless to say, no hunting was done last weekend, but I was able to get a hunt in while duck season was on its little break last week. And, I have to tell you, marsh hen hunting is oh-so-fun. Once you get past the whole standing on the front of a (however slowly) moving boat while holding a loaded gun and trying to see those squirrelly marsh hens despite having the balance of a one-legged dog, you’re ally get the hang of things and it’s all fun from there! With a limit of 15 marsh hens per person, I knew we were in for a fun morning regardless of weather or lack of experience.

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1 year

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What a happy Friday, indeed, friends! Perusing the calendar earlier this week, I realized that today marks the one-year “birthday” of the bright side of the road! My mind is torn – I can’t decide if I feel like it has been much longer than one year, or just a few short months. But, with 87 posts, nearly 15,000 {just looked again we – are at nearly 17,000!!!} views, and a whole bunch of happy, happy news in between, I guess a year really makes sense! Didn’t we just reach 10,000? Gahh I feel like that was just last week, and that was the end of September! Well, let me just throw in another big THANK YOU to all of you readers! This has really been such a fun experience for me, and I look forward to delivering more stories and more recipes in the upcoming months. {Duck season is oh-so-close…!!!!}

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the best weekend of all time. ever.

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That sounds dramatic, but it’s really not. I’m not joking – best. weekend. ever. In the history of weekends! Oh, where do I begin? Remember last week when I said I was planning on sitting in the stand some over the weekend? Well… I did. Trusty John knew how anxious I was to bag a deer, so he got me in the stand to start off our weekend in Georgetown. Despite running late, and a rainy front moving in, I entered the woods at 5:30 Friday afternoon/evening to begin my first official deer hunt of the season. I always sit down with too much adrenaline, often finding myself moving around/making far more noise than intended, so I made a point to chill out sit still and just enjoy being in the stand. Aaand 45 minutes later I found myself taking a plethora of photos to pass the time more quickly.

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i just couldn’t help it…

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So things have been a little slow around here on the hunting front, and I know the bright side of the road has suffered from boredom as of late. I genuinely have not had time to sit in the stand. Meh. Anyone out there want to hire me to hunt and fish and test recipes and pay me for it? Pleeeease?! I promise I’ll be the best you’ve ever seen!

Ahh… Digression aside… I saw this photo a little while back and literally giggled out loud. I just couldn’t help it. Now that the weather is cooling off a bit, I am working to make more time for a few hunts… Hunts that will hopefully lead to something like this.

Have you had some luck this season? Here are a few shooting tips to help you in a variety of situations that every hunter is bound to encounter at some point.
I am planning on sitting in the stand some this weekend. What are you up to?

Scotland – part IV {going out with a bang}

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Happy Thursday, friends! Today’s post is our #tbt for the week, since Scotland feels like ages ago. Can I go back already? Like, yesterday? Our last two days were filled with travel, incredible sights, great food/wine, and guns. Yes, guns. At last! We spent an entire morning shooting skeet, and really enjoyed it.

But first, we left Culloden and headed south down Loch Ness to visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle and dip our toes in Loch Ness. The castle dates back to the 13th century and, despite its state of disrepair, did not disappoint. Situated right on Loch Ness, it was blustery and beautiful. Loch Ness was pretty chilly too! And sadly, no, I did not spy Nessie…. Until next time, Nessie…

Nessie? Are you out there?

After warming my toes back up, it was back in the car- this time driving west towards Isle of Skye to Dornie for a tour of Eilean Donan Castle. It was a long, windy, narrow, long road getting there, but worth the travel time. The castle is in great shape, having been rebuilt several times since the 6th century. It has been featured in quite a few films, including James Bond: The World Is Not Enough in 1999, and is really a pretty sight.

Heading south again towards Fort William, we arrived a few hours later at Inverlochy Castle, our digs for the night. And OH MAN LET ME TELL YOU. This place is awesome. I could have stayed here forever. Like, lived there. With an incredible game room, ridiculously good food and wine – and scotch, of course –  and more activities than you know what to do with, this is the place to go. {Charlie- this is where I tried haggis!} Despite trying to schedule a fly fishing excursion, we only had time to shoot skeet before it was time for me to fly home. I must say, though, it was so much fun, and the perfect way to end the trip. Alex MacDonald with Achnacarry Sporting & Country Pursuits is the go-to guy at Inverlochy for outdoor fun. He was so nice, and I think he really enjoyed having a group of shooters who knew what they were doing! After a few practice shots, Mom sat back with the camera and got some really good shots of us shooting. I am so grateful to have photos of such a fun day.

See what I mean? via

Beautiful grounds… My photos don’t do it justice!

Great way to start off a fun morning

All in all, I would say we had an excellent Scotland adventure. Already planning to go back! 🙂
I hope y’all enjoyed the recaps of an unforgettable trip!

practice makes perfect

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Oh hello, Monday, so nice to see you. Just kidding. After a delightful weekend of being on the water, Monday mornings hit pretty hard. Anyway.. I love summer. Sunshine, boats, fishing… a tan. Who wouldn’t? The only downside is the lack of hunting seasons around here during the summer months- wing shooting in particular. And, let’s be honest, I love me some wing shooting. Duck? Check. Dove? Double check. “If it flies, it dies,” my dad likes to say! Like any sport, though, being a good shot is an acquired skill that needs practice in order to be maintained. Even the most seasoned shooters can be a little rusty after a month or two of no trigger-pulling. That’s where shooting skeet/sporting clays comes in. This provides the perfect way to maintain your skills, as well as practice shots you might find difficult during the season {i.e. an overhead, left-to-right passing shot in the dove field}. I find that I struggle with one or two types of shots each season for whatever reason, and it really helps to practice those shots in the off-season.

Also, using different guns for different types of hunting can be an obstacle in honing your skills. By that, I mean using a light 20 ga. over/under shotgun in September for doves (while wearing just a camouflage t-shirt) is different from using your heavier 12 ga. automatic in December for ducks (when you’re wearing many more layers of clothing). It may take a few shots to get the feel back for the gun you’re using, which can mean a few misses. No thank you! My dad and I try to shoot skeet at least once or twice at the beginning of each season with the gun we will be using to hunt, and I have always found this to be quite helpful.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9F64pGn_Y0?&autoplay=1&rel=0&theme=light&loop=1&hd=1&autohide=0&playlist=N9F64pGn_Y0] 
Happy shooting!