October 3. 2006
I wanted to let the group decide our travel plans. They had no idea of what lay ahead and I wanted to keep it a surprise for them to discover. All opted to travel Saskatchewan hard hit the coverts, watch the wildife tour the province and listen to wolves howl during the upcoming full moon. How could I argue with this logic and so we did three field shoots two afternoon upland before launching off to the north woodlands where ruffed, big honkers, drake mallards, wolverine, moose and wolves co- mingle. But first I had to send a couple of nights with my farmer friends who hold their slough for us containing about 1,000, 000 ducks and geese plus plenty of grouse and partridge.

It was wonderful to visit my friends again. They had six wells pumping oil 24 hours and a heavy crop this year. Their children were fledging and off to the city but were coming back to share supper, rye and coke and visit with the Yankees. My American friends were shocked at the hospitality offered and wanted to know how much they were going to pay. American hunters are so accustomed to being treated as commodities rather than special people and visitors. They are uncomfortable at first not having to pay for the privilege of hunting. Each morning hundred of thousands of geese fly over the homestead. One could limit out within an hour if they choose but the spec table of birds life over whelms the hunter instinct and the birds watcher takes over.

We spend two nights before heading to the Forrest and farewells are heart felt with promises of returning next year for sure. We pass through Biggar where I Often goose hunted with Milo Hansen who holds the record whitetail deer. We are in a great mood as I in the lead rig give a t6our about the geography, geology, agronomy and history of the route. Then we hit Saskatoon and the joy fades to urban realities-Traffic and crossing the University Bridge