PACKING for Success

I spend a lot of time these days chasing game birds. But it hasn’t always been this way

- Alan Liere

I used up the middle part of my first 60 years with a minimum of two jobs, learning how to stretch a soup bone and often wondering who coined the phrase “spare time.” Only since retiring 20 years ago have I at last found enough time and enough jingle in my pocket to see a few dreams become realities – bird hunting dreams I had put off for too long.

In the past few years, for example, I have been to Wyoming for sage grouse; Alberta, Canada, for geese and sharptails; Hells Canyon in Idaho for chukars; Arizona for quail; and Uruguay for ducks, perdiz and pigeon. When I’m home, it seems I spend most of my time packing for the next trip.

I have developed tricks for packing.

For a long time, I tried to figure out a system for keeping all my gear organized and ready to go because the days before a trip seem to get filled up with things like meeting writing deadlines and finding someone to water the houseplants, pick up the mail and feed the chickens. I tried to always set aside a duffle bag of clothes capable of being grabbed at the last minute, but I inevitably “robbed” this mother lode when looking for clean underwear or T-shirts or suddenly needing the rubber boots I figured I’d never wear until the Uruguay duck hunt. Then, I neglected to replace the item, and sometimes when I got to my hunting destination, I was without important items of apparel.