Hunters, a heated hangar and a 40-year tradition

The columnist’s guests served a Louisiana shrimp boil at his temporary hunting lodge Monday evening.

Dick Trail/Courtesy photo

The tradition continues. Yesterday seven of my long-time friends, former Air Force buddies and their relatives, showed up to bunk for a week in my hangar. What is it now, something like 40 years! This group hails from North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois, and Colorado. My hangar is heated (somewhat) and has bathroom with shower and kitchen (a bit primitive), refrigerator to store groceries and a few adult beverages plus they store cots from year to year to sleep on. There are tables for cleaning their muzzle-loading rifles and lots of chairs for visiting plus lots of room to do it all. Friends new and old are welcome to drop in to visit.

It has been interesting over the years how the hunting regulations have changed. For instance, we have hunted both whitetails and muleys mainly south of Highway 6 & 34 but the out-of-state permits (bad expensive!) this year sort of ruled that area out so the authorized areas go mainly from 6&34 north to Highway 23. Also, all their permits are for antlerless deer only.

So as a result this old gentleman has been calling on friends, landowners, requesting places to hunt. Several have come through with permission but if any of you dear column readers wouldn’t mind careful responsible deer hunters hunting on your property I would appreciate a call at 308 340-7689. And yes I understand that it is your land for which you bear responsibility and don’t want hunters on it such is your right and privilege.

Food is a big item and Hillside Perks in Culbertson is a favorite for breakfast. Possibly because Marie there has created a “hunter’s special” with enough calories to last all day. Becca a former air ambulance nurse for LifeTeam greets their arrival with a big pot of homemade chili and cinnamon rolls. Then last evening Jerry the North Carolinian boiled up a big pot of Louisiana shrimp boiled with potatoes, corn on the cob and chunks of summer sausage. Finger food! The list goes on.

And yes they are seeing deer but as I write haven’t managed to harvest any yet. Good times for all as we enjoy what Nebraska has to offer.

It has been tough to watch the war against the Jewish people in Israel. The needless murder of common people trying to live a normal life is hard to think about. Today the stories of gang rape of women young and old turns one’s stomach. It is hard to imagine how people can be so cruel to other human beings in our modern world. Still that has been the story of humanity throughout history.

I am so thankful that my own ancestors came to live in this nation that became modern America. Unfortunately, we are seeing thousands of Jew haters demonstrating and marching in our streets in support of the Palestinian people who chose to be governed by the terrorist faction known as Hamas. Somehow that just isn’t the America that I’ve loved and fought for in my military career. I pray that our future will see a better way to live and work together.

That is the way that I saw it.

Dick Trail