Last week, I broke the mold, so to speak — instead of writing about hunting, shooting, fishing or outdoor adventures, I shared something that was happening in my personal life. Today, I am happy to pen what Paul Harvey would say is “the rest of the story.”

This past weekend, my family and some friends gathered here at my home to enjoy the fall colors and celebrate “Fall Fest.” It is a gathering that has been held now for over a decade and everyone looks forward to sharing good times together, eating much more than we should and spending the evenings around the campfire — singing and philosophizing.

But this time, there would be a “stranger” in our midst, and only time would tell if they would be accepted into the family fold. The person I am referring to is a young lady named Britt — a Californian — a fifth-generation Californian to be exact. Further, the day before arriving here, she had accepted a proposal of marriage from my youngest son, Tim. My task throughout the gathering would be to introduce her to my lifestyle, which included hunting and shooting, as well as providing venison and other game meats for the dinner table. Would she be open-minded and willing to try things, or would the trophy room with all of the “dead heads” and the continual diet of game meats be a turn off for her?

The process began with the showing of the various mounts in the game room. With the story of the hunt for each of the animals that were now hanging on the walls, it grew more apparent that it was not just a matter of a brief walk in the woods, shooting an animal and then taking the head for a mount. It was, instead, usually days of hunting, sharing time in camp around the campfire with friends, and after spending hours of hiking and stalking each day — finally connecting with the game I was pursuing. To top it off, every bit of useable meat was saved and savored by those who were sharing the hunt.

The stories of these hunts began to dispel her preconceived notions of hunters. She began to understand that most responsible hunters not only spend many hours in the field and appreciate all of the nature that surrounds them, but that the majority of hunters spend hours of their time involved in conservation efforts, habitat improvement and fund-raising efforts that support the management and propagation of all wildlife. Hunters were no longer viewed as “killers of innocent animals” or merely participants in some kind of “blood sport,” but were thoughtful and considerate individuals who have for decades been in the forefront of protecting and preserving game birds and animals, as well as non-game species — something that benefits everyone, including non-hunters.

Over the five-day period of her visit, Britt eagerly tried various game meats — duck, goose and pheasant breast pieces wrapped in bacon and grilled over a wood fire, loose breakfast sausage made with — of course — venison, bear sausage, venison bologna, wild turkey barley soup and gumbo with wild turkey breast meat. She enjoyed each and every thing she tried and it blended so well with her long-time emphasis on organic foods and consuming things that nature provides, rather than government-approved items.

Finally, there was the shooting to consider. Much to my surprise, she asked on the first day here, if at some point she could shoot a shotgun — something she had never done. (In fact, just three months earlier, on a visit to Pennsylvania, she had shot a pistol for the first time and enjoyed it.) So, on the final morning of the visit, I made sure she was properly fit with a 28-gauge shotgun, reviewed the appropriate gun handling safety items with her and suspended several clay targets from tree branches. One by one, she took careful aim and turned the clay targets to dust!

I decided to share this personal experience with you because it is a great example of how preconceived notions can be dispelled, how non-hunters can begin to understand and appreciate what hunters are truly all about and even if they don’t take up hunting themselves, have a better appreciation and understanding of what hunters are all about, which benefits us all.

I hope this gives you some good ideas for when you are talking to a non-hunter and have an opportunity to help them understand the true nature of hunters as conservationists and protectors of our wildlife. For me, as the weekend unfolded, it was wonderful to realize that Britt truly is “a keeper!”