Coley Shiver

From a young age, there has always been one thing that has taken up an extensive amount of my time. Hunting is something that occupies some of my first few memories of my parents, specifically my dad. My father was typically busy with work during the early parts of my life. This led to the days that I spent with him being some of my favorite memories from childhood.

Sitting in the deer stand with my dad and uncles quickly became something that I learned to hate though. When I would go as a very young child my attention span was not nearly long enough to sit quietly for hours on end. To be quite honest I can barely sit still that long today, so deer hunting has never been my top priority.

It wasn't much longer before I was exposed to dove hunting in a wide-open field. I liked this much better. The weather is much warmer and far more enjoyable around that time of year. Climbing on the hay bails was entertainment for the downtime, this was quickly one of my favorite ways to spend my time hunting. I have spent countless hours sitting out in a field waiting for some little grey birds.

This by no means entails that doves are my favorite species to track down though. My favorite way to spend my time during the hunting season is by far duck hunting. This is the most involved and I love the challenge. Learning these skills from people around me has allowed me to possess invaluable knowledge.

Many stories come up around the table at family gatherings that I hear every year. A handful of these have to do with hunting experiences throughout my family. This sport has provided a fantastic opportunity to provide a community for me with my family and friends. I have been lucky to go on multiple different trips to hunt around the world. This includes places like Argentina and Louisiana with people close to me throughout the years. Hunting is something I will always enjoy and something that will always play a role in my life.