Wider Horizons

Kerry Edwards (Renewable Resource Management 1983) and Terry Kowalchuk, both instructors in Kerry EdwardsLethbridge College’s School of Environmental Sciences, know each other well from academic seasons as well as from hunting seasons. These avid hunters of game and waterfowl discuss the many different kinds of satisfaction that come with hunting, including the value of knowing the exact source of meat you are eating.

KE: Hunting was a part of our life from the start. The first hunting memory I have was when I was probably four years old and was out in a goose blind with my grandfather and father. I couldn’t believe there were that many stars in the sky.

TK: My first memory of hunting was waterfowl hunting with my dad, uncle and grandpa. I wasn’t old enough to hunt, so I carried the shell bag. That was my job. The shells were lead and heavy, and my dad would be shooting and I’d be passing him shells and picking up the hulls. I can remember it so well. The first time I took my daughter out, it was early in the hunting season and she was probably six years old. She was so excited to be going, even though it was very early in the morning and we were up and at it. We had permission to hunt from a landowner, and after we had the kids go and thank them. We wanted to instill in them the fact that you need to be appreciative of the people who will let you go out and hunt on their property. It was a great day.

KE: I think the part I enjoy the most is the camaraderie – and the meat is the bonus. You get the dogs out there and your friends and family. I guess I could go golfing in my free time, but I can go hunting and get a lot of the same satisfaction – then have meat for a barbeque afterwards, too.

TK: Hunting waterfowl is an especially social thing to do. When you’re hunting big game, it’s a lot more solitary. When you’re in a deer stand you don’t want a lot of talking with your friend. But with waterfowl and even fishing, you can be very successful as a group.

KE: And you see things you wouldn’t see if you weren’t out there. I was once in a canoe in the middle of a marsh and a bald eagle was flying so low we could almost touch it. You’re out there at the most optimal time to see wildlife.

TK: Yeah, there is just so much to see. You’re still, quiet, trying to blend in, and you see all kinds of wildlife – I’ve seen coyotes trying to sneak up on our duck decoys.



 

KE: I’ve seen eagles hit our decoys on three different occasions – a golden eagle and two bald eagles. Seeing that – you’d never see that otherwise.

TK: And like Kerry said, the meat is a bonus. A lot of people are trying to eat more local foods and there’s been a lot more people interested in hunting lately – because when you sit down to eat after hunting, you know exactly

where that meat on your plate came from.

Kerry Edwards' favourite recipe for grilled duck

Wider Horizons
Lethbridge College
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