A few times a year I team up with my friend Larry Robinson of Coastal Wings Outfitters to host what I call “culinary hunts,” long weekends where folks come to Larry’s Oklahoma lodge from all directions, hunt, learn new skills in the field and in the kitchen, then eat lots of great food.
That rush that every teacher gets when the lightbulb goes on... doesn't matter what you're teaching. It's proof that you know what you're on about, and now someone else sees that as well. It's a validation... a blast of dopamine... an ego stroke... a powerful thing.
It's what I loved most about teaching, and if teachers were paid what they're worth, I'd probably have stayed on that path. As it is, I'm still a "teacher", although my learners are corporate employees. But even here, I can still get that light to switch on from time to time, and that drives me.
As much as anything, it's also what led me into guiding hunters (both professionally and for fun)... not so much because I loved being able to help them get their animal, but because so many clients wanted not just to kill, but to learn to hunt. A perfect example was the friend I took to Tejon for his first hog. We were successful (not hard to be successful once you learn to hunt a place like that), and he was thrilled... but that was no comparison to the excitement he shared after his next trip, alone, where he was able to repeat the feat. The real icing on that cake was when he started taking his nephews and teaching them. Once you get that ball rolling...
Hanging around camp those last two days gave me an opportunity to gauge how people were reacting as they came back in for the day. Rachel’s appearance was the best on that last day, her smile lit up the whole parking lot. What a great experience
Dexter was SO sad he didn't sign up in time for this -- sounds like it was truly amazing. I'm thrilled for everyone who participated. Sure hope we manage to make the next one!
After seeing a few people hunt for the first time at a hog camp I've been cooking at, I would say watching them experience it, and the big and small changes you see in them over the weekend, is an addictive drug in itself!
Rachel’s quiet joy was wonderful! And we experienced hunters always learn new stuff. I’m looking forward to your next culinary hunt
That rush that every teacher gets when the lightbulb goes on... doesn't matter what you're teaching. It's proof that you know what you're on about, and now someone else sees that as well. It's a validation... a blast of dopamine... an ego stroke... a powerful thing.
It's what I loved most about teaching, and if teachers were paid what they're worth, I'd probably have stayed on that path. As it is, I'm still a "teacher", although my learners are corporate employees. But even here, I can still get that light to switch on from time to time, and that drives me.
As much as anything, it's also what led me into guiding hunters (both professionally and for fun)... not so much because I loved being able to help them get their animal, but because so many clients wanted not just to kill, but to learn to hunt. A perfect example was the friend I took to Tejon for his first hog. We were successful (not hard to be successful once you learn to hunt a place like that), and he was thrilled... but that was no comparison to the excitement he shared after his next trip, alone, where he was able to repeat the feat. The real icing on that cake was when he started taking his nephews and teaching them. Once you get that ball rolling...
Hanging around camp those last two days gave me an opportunity to gauge how people were reacting as they came back in for the day. Rachel’s appearance was the best on that last day, her smile lit up the whole parking lot. What a great experience
Dexter was SO sad he didn't sign up in time for this -- sounds like it was truly amazing. I'm thrilled for everyone who participated. Sure hope we manage to make the next one!
After seeing a few people hunt for the first time at a hog camp I've been cooking at, I would say watching them experience it, and the big and small changes you see in them over the weekend, is an addictive drug in itself!