A while back Phil Bourjaily had a really good blog post about downsizing your hunting rig that generated a ton of comments, both pro and con. Now, I haven't spoken with Phil and can't say for sure whether he's going to take the downsizing plunge or not, but for me, the issue's (mostly) been settled for a while. I inherited my wife’s beloved 2000 Subaru Forester a few years ago when she decided to buy a new car. The plan was to use the Forester as an economical daily driver and save my big, gas-guzzling, full-size four-wheel-drive truck as a dedicated hunting/fishing/wood-hauling rig.
The joys and rewards of owning a gun dog are legion. And, in my case, they keep growing. Here’s an example:
Back during duck season I got an e-mail from my friend and F&S fishing editor, John Merwin. He knew I was taking Pritchard wood duck hunting and requested some of the barred feathers from a drake’s flank. As some of you may remember, the wood duck hunt was a success, and Pritch made her first waterfowl retrieve. Of course, I pulled some feathers off of a drake and sent them to Merwin back in January.