By Ben Romans

I’m getting ready to close out the state’s archery season with my brother (right in the photo above). We’ll pack in someplace, set up camp wherever we stop for the day, and do our best to get into a few bugling bulls.

What some folks find odd is my brother doesn’t hunt. He enjoys the outdoors as much as the next guy, loves to fish, and is always the first to volunteer if you need help packing or dragging a harvest from the field. But for personal reasons, he chooses not to stalk game—and he doesn’t judge others who do. In fact, if you’re looking for someone to share some venison summer sausage or polish off the last of a wild turkey breast, he’s your man. It’s important to have friends who make sharing outdoors experiences memorable.

Along those lines, I was reading through some articles the other day and came across this group of guys who have perfected the meaning of hunting with friends. This year marked their 50^th consecutive hunting season together. As you can see, they’ve had good years and bad, including the loss of one of their members, but that hasn’t stopped them from congregating on opening day. I think it’s quite an accomplishment. —Ben