This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.

Back in the end of November I gave you a link to a story, “Of Wolves and Worms”. That story introduced many of us to the subject of worms being found in wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area.

According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.

There is discussion about how some think the worms ended up in the wolves in this region but the article tends to downplay any serious concerns people should have from coming in contact with these tapeworms and the eggs they leave behind.

In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.

In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerous parasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.

After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. Oneparasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.

I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.

Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)

Around this same time that Will Graves posted his comments, he contacted me by email and asked if I could somehow be of assistance to him in obtaining blood samples from wolves taken during the Idaho and Montana wolf hunts. The word went out quickly and hopefullyGraves gets what he needs to help him in his research. This can become extremely valuable information for all of us.

In the meantime, Dr. Valerius Geist, professor emeritus University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Kay, of Utah State University, who holds degrees in wildlife ecology, environmental studies and wildlife biology, exchanged thoughts on the discovery of worms in Yellowstone wolves in emails I received.

Well, Charles? What else is new? What did we warn about, how we were censored as alarmists………………………
And yes, a colleague assured us that all that is not a problem for us, but for some native types. Nothing to worry about, really. Remember how, early on, we put out a warning – do not kick dry wolf feces or poke about in such looking for evidence of food habits. Do not handle wolf feces as it will disturb the tiny Echinococcus eggs that float up like little dust cloud to envelop you, and you are very likely to ingest some of that “dust”. This know-how, which we older Canadian types carried away from our parasitogy lessons was poo-hood by some American colleagues. Wolves are after all, harmless! Remember the question we posed: is it really such a great idea completing ecosystems when the progression is herbivores, carnivores, finally diseases and parasites?

It is not my intention nor that of Drs. Geist and Kay to attempt to instill unnecessary fear in people but to educate, as it was back in the day before wolf reintroduction. There are very important lessons and warnings that all should heed and take into consideration when in the woods or maybe even in your own back yard.

Dr. Geist emailed me the other day and asked me if I would be kind enough to post this information so that anyone and everyone will be aware of the potential for some very serious health issues.

Urgent: could you make a point of it that now, that we know that the majority of wolves are infected with Echinococcus, that all hunters control their curiosity and not poke about in wolf or coyote feces to find out what these predators ate. these feces are saturated with tiny, lightweight Echinococcus eggs that rise like dust plume from the disturbed feces and envelop the poking hunter. If the air-born eggs are ingested, the an infection is possible, and having Echinococcus cysts grow inside oneself is not a desirable condition. Trust me!

He followed that up with more information about the dangers.

As to the pathogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus: Yes, I noticed that Foayt, leaning on Raup’s research in Alaska, toned down the dangers from this northern form. My understanding based on what we learned from an old, experienced parasitologist at the University of British Columbia is that it’s nothing to fool around with. It’s serious! In my career as a biologist in touch with the north, I have heard nothing else. I have not, however, done a recent literature search. Foayte’s assessment may be on even though it conflicts with mine. Either way, getting an Echinococcus cyst of any kind is no laughing matter as it can grow not only on the liver or the lungs, but also in the brain. And then it’s fatal.

There is however, another much more alarming angle. Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do not poke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.

You and I probably have no idea in the world whether these worms exist in the woods we hunt, trap, hike, etc. but good advice given by Dr. Geist should tell us it’s not something we should mess around with. Squelch the curiosity to dig in the poop and just assume there could be hidden danger.

I want to take a moment to thank Will Graves, Dr. Val Geist and Dr. Charles Kay for caring enough about the rest of us to be willing to share their findings and experiences.

Spring gobbler season is now on the horizon and felt it was time to touch on some important questions that are asked frequently by turkey hunters across the nation. I have enlisted the assistance of two my friends Sadler McGraw and Chris Kirby to aid in answering the questions. We will all shed different light with our opinions on these commonly inquired about topics.

Sadler McGraw has established himself as one of the most prolific competition callers in the last decade. He is a member of the Woodhaven Custom Calls Sting Team since it‘s inception five years ago. His list of accolades includes, 14 Alabama state titles, Yellville National and Southern Open Champion. As well he has been runner up at the World, Grand Nationals, US Open and Grand America calling competitions. He is also no stranger to friction divisions winning the 2008 World, 2008 Yellville National and 2007 US Open. He has won or placed in over 50 contests, including owl hooting divisions.

Chris Kirby is the president of Quaker Boy Game Calls. He has won or placed in over 75 turkey calling competitions, including winning the coveted World and the Grand Nationals. He has recorded multiple grand slams, hunting the wild turkey extensively all over the United States. He is with out a doubt one of the foremost experts in hunting and calling these majestic birds.

1. What do you do when a gobbler hangs up out of gun range?

If he has answered my calling in route to where I am set up and I am able to observe him where he is hung up at, I will increase my calling intensity and frequency to provoke several gobbles. Then I will go completely silent for an undetermined amount of time. There is no set limit, just what feels right. Some times it will take two or three times to make him break and close the distance those final crucial yards. If he won’t commit, let him drift off and try to relocate to a better set up. – Sadler McGraw

2. How often do you call when you have a gobbler answering you?

I will bombard a turkey with excited calling from the tree all the way to the gun if he wants to hear it. But, most times I test the water to see how fired up he is. I let him dictate how much I call. You do not want to exhaust your repertoire at the start of your engagement. If this occurs you wont have anything left that he hasn’t heard in the first five minutes of the hunt. – Sadler McGraw

The gobbler dictates to me how much I call. I like to get the conversation in my favor. I.E. I call, he answers, I call, he answers, I call, he doesn’t answer…. Not a good situation, he could be coming, going or staying put. I like to reverse that and answer him. He gobbles, I call, he gobbles, I call, he gobbles, I wait…… Put the onus of the search back in his court. Let him gobble 2 or 3 times and then answer, his desperation to breed will most likely bring him in. – Chris Kirby

The minimum it takes to lure him into gun or bow range. I only raise my frequency of calling when he has stopped his forward progression. I hunt many of the same WMA’s that you the readers hunt and I can speak for all of us when I say the more he gobbles the more hunters he will attract. – Scott Ellis

3. How much should I call to a gobbler on the roost?

When I set up on a roosted gobbler, I try to set up within 100 yards of his tree. As everything starts to wake up, I like to tree yelp until I receive a direct response from him. I will usually repeat this process a couple of times. If there are vocal hens roosted nearby, I do just a little more than what they are doing. Then you hope he flies down in your direction. – Sadler McGraw

I don’t like to “make” a turkey gobble a ton while he is still on the roost. All he is doing is calling in other hens. This happens naturally in the spring. You also Run the risk of attracting other hunters. I will call enough so he knows where I am at and wait until he gets his feet on the ground. That is when the game begins. – Chris Kirby

4. What is the best shotgun and load for turkey hunting?

The best shotgun is the one that you are most confident in. I have said before the reason that I shoot a 3.5” is that there is not a 4” magnum in production yet. But seriously, what ever gun ,shell and choke combination you choose, make sure that you know the guns limitations. – Sadler McGraw

With today’s shotguns, shells and chokes the turkey hunter is left with many options. Try as many loads and chokes with your gun as possible. Conduct a patterning session with your buddies with everyone, at a minimum, bringing different loads. This will enable you to experiment without as much of a financial burden. Choose the combination that performs the best in your gun. – Scott Ellis

5. What are the main calls(turkey vocabulary) I should learn to spring turkey hunt?

If I were told I could do only use one sound this year while hunting it would be the plain hen yelp. That is the sound that I hear most often from hens during the spring. It is a sound that gobblers respond to in almost every situation. It is easy to perform on any call, and with minimal practice you can gravitate from plain hen yelps into more aggressive calling if the hunt dictates it. – Sadler McGraw

During the spring, there are three basic sounds you need to employ. Yelping, cutting and clucks and purrs. Master these basic sounds and then add personality. Basic yelps are just that, add some speed and volume change and it will intensify the conversation. Mix in some excited yelps and cutting together to fire him up and then finish him off with the relaxing yet intense cluck and purr. – Chris Kirby

6. What key factors should be taken into consideration when I am setting up on a gobbling turkey.

Before I set up, I try to deduce what would be the gobbler’s path of least resistance in route to my position. I like to set up so that I can capitalize on natural and man made terrain features such as creeks, bluffs, thickets, ditches and roads that will funnel the turkey to me. If needed, I will then decide where I will position my decoys. – Sadler McGraw

The set up can make or break any spring hunting scenario. It is probably the most important aspect of the hunt. There are a couple of key thoughts to consider. Always be mindful of obstructions and barriers that could hinder a turkeys progression to your location. If hens enter the equation, place yourself in between the gobbler and his harem. When attempting to locate a gobbler(if your running and gunning) identify a suitable set up before you make a sound. This is why it is best to first locate a gobbler with a non-turkey sound. This will give you time to search for the best available position to begin your conversation with the gobbler. Lastly, always consider visibility. It is futile to attempt a set up when you do not have the ability to spot the gobbler as he approaches. – Scott Ellis

7. What is the best tactic to employ on pressured turkeys?

If I have a pressured turkey that I have not been able to do anything with in the morning, I will start out by leaving him alone in the morning and will hunt him in the afternoon. Here in my home state of Alabama, we are allowed to hunt in the afternoon, and it has allowed me to take a lot of long spurred gobblers that wanted no part of me during the morning. I don’t change my tactics, except pursuing him in the afternoon. Remember, turkeys don’t get call shy, they get people shy. – Sadler McGraw

First and foremost I will curtail any aggressive calling. Hunting public land my whole life I have learned that both hens and gobblers will become less vocal when pressured. I will imitate a lone hen in quest of company with soft three to four note yelps, mixed with purring and clucking. I have also found that setting up and blind calling in an area that you know occupies turkeys is more productive than, my favorite method of hunting, running and gunning. I will set up in areas that the hen’s are frequenting regularly. Whether it is due to a food source, water, or a roosting area. Remember where there are hens there are gobblers. – Scott Ellis

8. When a turkey gobbles but heads the opposite direction why, is he doing this and what should I do?

When you have a turkey that strikes out in the opposite direction you have to make a decision, “do I try to circle in front of him or do I go find a gobbler that is more cooperative?” If he is the only gobbler that you have to hunt, by all means get in front of him and try to figure out where he wants to go. If you have other turkeys located go after them and save this one for when he is ready. I always say a gobbler has five minutes every year that he will succumb to a call, you must decide if you are there for the right five minutes. – Sadler McGraw

More times than not a turkey that answers you, but is putting ground between himself and you is either following hens, call shy or has a predetermined destination. Before he gets completely out of earshot, I elect to call with as much excitement and lust as humanly possible. Over the years this tactic has sometimes yielded success. More times than not he continues on his wayward track. If this fails, reposition on him. Make a generous loop around him and in front of him. Ensure you provide yourself with a generous buffer between you and your quarry when making this move. Spooking him is a definite possibility. Set up and either make the decision to call or just have him walk by and perform an ambush. Sometimes a turkey hunt does not include pretty calling in a perfect situation. Remember we’re not turkey calling were turkey hunting. – Scott Ellis

9. What should I do if I hear hens yelping and cutting in the distance?

I will attempt to call any hen’s that are vocalizing during a spring gobbler hunt. Many times there is a gobbler either with them or in the vicinity. Sometimes you can call the whole flock to you with the gobbler in tow. Other times a gobbler may over hear all the sexy conversation and stop by to say hello. At worst you get to learn from the master herself the wild hen. – Scott Ellis

10. How long should I wait if I’m working a tom and he then goes silent?

The easy answer is 30 minutes longer than whatever you feel was a long enough wait. Patience probably harvests more turkeys than any other factor alone. Whether your set up blind calling or just waiting unwearyingly on a stubborn long beard to approach your calls, one key point to remember is how far was he from you when he last gobbled and was he moving toward you or away from you. Common sense will tell you if he was traveling away from you and goes silent it is time to change calling locations and attempt to relocate him. If he is advancing toward your position and then ceases gobbling, raise your level of awareness ten fold and do not move a muscle. Listen intently for soft foot steps, spitting and drumming. Search intently for that gorgeous red, white and blue neon bulb glowing in the spring woods. – Scott Ellis

11. When should I use a hen or gobbler decoy?

I let the terrain and timber type dictate my decoy set ups. If I am in an area where a gobbler can make eyesight with my decoys from a considerable distance, I like to employ a strutting decoy and a hen together. This is especially effective in fields or wide open hardwood swamps. I think when a gobbler can spot the strutting decoy from a distance; he will have confidence to approach. If he emerges from a more dense area and he is startled by the site of another strutting gobbler, he feels there could be confrontation and will sometimes decide to go else where. – Sadler McGraw

Being forthright, I am not an advocate of decoys. Since decoys were revolutionized back in the early 90’s I have deployed them in various situations and scenarios. I have had more turkeys shy away from decoys, than approach full bore, whether looking for a fight or looking for love. I believe in having a gobbler search for the hen he is hearing. This can be accomplished by proper set ups. Position yourself where you can see the gobbler, yet the hen is searching for could be hidden from view. Understandably this will not always occur, especially when setting up in hardwood bottoms and open timber. In that situation I will muffle my calling and call much more sparingly, especially when having made eye contact with him. Chances are if he advances close enough to verify that he cannot locate the hen he is hearing, he will be in gun range. – Scott Ellis

12. What is a good tactic to use on field gobblers?

The field gobbler is my favorite to hunt, just for the simple reason of being able to view him approach from a considerable distance. I am a huge fan of the strutting decoy for field gobblers. If I am in a situation where multiple gobblers are using the same field, I will deploy a strutting decoy and a single hen decoy for my setup. If the gobbler and I are on the same side of the field, I will try to place the decoy just past my set up in case he hangs up out of gun range. This will enable me to harvest the tom even if he does not make direct contact with decoy. Also, remember to have the strutting decoy facing you, frequently the gobbler will approach the decoy head on in an apparent confrontational scenario. If you position the decoy away from you and he approaches it face to face, it will hinder your ability to make the shot. – Sadler McGraw

13. Speaking for yourself, what one factor has harvested more gobblers than any other?

Patience and confidence in my calls and calling ability. You can’t expect every gobbler to come running in. When you are in the woods with a gobbler answering, at one point you are going to think you have to do something right now…. Change location, change you call, change your calling sequence, call softer, call louder….. This is a critical moment. Stop and do nothing for 10 minutes. The gobbler is not going to leave the country. Look at your watch and wait 10 minutes, it will feel like forever. However, it will give you a moment to adjust and think more clearly about your next move. You never know, the next time you here or see him, it could be right in your lap. – Chris Kirby

14. How does having better than average calling skills benefit the turkey hunter?

Having the ability to produce realistic turkey vernacular will ultimately increase your odds of harvesting that elusive long beard. Learning all of the wild turkeys extensive vocabulary, learning their meaning and being able to emulate those sounds will put you at an advantage over about 95% of your competition in the turkey woods. Finding a good call such as any of the Woodhaven Custom Calls line will also aid in reproducing better than average turkey sounds. Combine these skills and good woodsman ship ability, a successful turkey hunter will emerge. – Scott Ellis

15. What do you use to locate gobblers with?

The crow call is my preferred locator here in the Deep South. I use a “Real Crow” from Woodhaven Custom Calls. You hear crows from dawn to dusk every day, and very often when you start using the crow call, other crows will join in. This is what will trigger a gobble. Owl hooters are productive at daybreak, but I seldom elicit a shock gobble after the first hour of the day. A crow call will work any time, any where and on any sub species. – Sadler McGraw

Through the years I’ve probably used every loud, raucous, animal sound that occurs in the wild. High ball mallard calls, elk bugles, bellowing cattle, pileated woodpecker, etc. It is not logistically feasible to carry all of these types of calls as part of your turkey gear, but I will throw in a duck call or even a coyote howler for good measures. The obvious choices are crow, owl and hawk. I’ve had great success with all of them throughout the day. I feel geography plays a key role in what gobbler’s will respond with the most success. I feel whatever sound a turkey hears less of he will respond to with more frequency. Bear in mind a tom will gobble at a car horn or a clap of thunder. I’m not condoning the latter, but do not be afraid to utilize slightly unorthodox tactics to elicit a response. – Scott Ellis

Scott Ellis
Woodhaven Custom Calls Pro Staff
Tru Glo Fiber Optics
Thermacell Pro Staff
3 time Florida State Turkey Calling Champion
3 time Florida State Gobbling Division Champion
2006 Southern Open Turkey Calling Champion
2009 North Carolina Tarheel Open Champion
Member: Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association

I can hear their whispers wherever I go. “Control your breathing, concentrate on the blade, and squeeze.” “Feel your way along with your toes instead of watching your feet.” “Work your way down through that black-growth and you’ll find ‘em in that stand of beech.” So persistent are they that I sympathize with a schizophrenic who feels as if he’s never alone. Unlike him, my voices are not a psychotic delusion created by chemical imbalances crying out for the saving grace of lithium. Real men spoke those words and no amount of time or distance will ever silence them. They are my last connection to a past that I crave but know I’ll never see. They define the man who hears them. And I pray they shape the lives of my sons.

When I close my eyes and listen to their whispers I return to my youth and, in some ways, to times that I never lived. I can still feel my father’s warm breath on my ear as I concentrated on the front blade of the Model 94’s sights, silently asking a god yet known to help me prove I was ready to join the hunt. I can see the gentle face of my grandfather as he admonished me for being so preoccupied with the obstacles in my path that I never saw the animal in front of me. I can feel the weight of my great-grandfather’s right hand on my shoulder as the old mystic described where he knew the deer would be feeding on beechnuts. And if I let my mind misbehave, I see their fathers and grandfathers passing on the same lessons of how to live off the land.

All three of them were hard men, descendants themselves from a long line of hard men. Hundreds of years in the mountains of northern Maine proved Darwin right on some level; only the strong will survive. Their rough exteriors hid a gentle spirit that I have not seen since I chose to leave the Wabanaki nearly two decades ago. Faces darkened by the sun and chiseled by the wind offered smiles or thoughtful expressions and rarely scowled at my clumsiness. Hands calloused by decades felling timber were quick to embrace me or pat me on the back. In all my years with them I never heard a curse pass their lips, nor did I ever hear the words “I love you.” The absence of that sentimental phrase never created a doubt in my mind. Their actions and whispered instructions reverberated much more than those syllables ever could.

Today the world is full of self-professed sensitive men that care for so many causes yet are guilty of so many trespasses. The headlines and social dilemmas created by the supposed sophisticated modern man perplex me. Once, not so long ago, I knew three men who were superior in every way. They demonstrated it in how they survived and provided for their families. The hunt, like everything else in their lives, was a necessary vocation and not some mere recreational activity. They felt no joy in killing but the survival of their own outweighed the animal’s sacrifice. The meat loosened the purse strings a little. Muskrat hides and beaver pelts ensured the family had presents under the tree. Reliance on the land created a spiritual connection between the hunter and the hunted. Father, after downing the biggest buck of his life, patted the deer on the neck, apologized, and then shed one of only two tears I’ve ever witnessed on his cheek. These hard men, in their quests for survival, formed a brotherhood that I admire and long for.

Fifteen years ago I became a father, and therefore a likely candidate for the office of grandfather and great-grandfather. I want my sons, and their sons, to share the bonds that I experienced and to understand theirs is a lineage of survivors. My greatest fear is they will grow up to be modern men who vocalize convictions but never take a stand; men who will not provide for their families or value the land they walk on. I want them to be hard men, like the gentle giants that guided me more than a decade ago. But now I’m without those guides that led me into the evergreen forests of Passadumkeag Mountain as a boy and helped me safely emerge as a man. Great-grandfather was eaten alive by a cancer before my journey was over. Grandfather’s body succumbed to years of providing for his family and arthritis now keeps him inside on cold days. Father can still walk, but a drunk driver ended most of his hunts by ruining his right arm. During my early days of fatherhood I wandered aimlessly, lost and confused in a foreign land. I didn’t know how to connect with my boys, how to teach them all of life’s lessons passed down through generations. Then I listened to those whispered voices and realized three hard men taught me how to live when they showed me how to kill.

I suddenly understood that those long struggles in thigh-deep snow with 50 pounds of traps on my back had defined my spirit more than any school or job or friendship. Because of those hard men I had grown into a survivor in my own right. They showed me that the right course in life often proved the hardest, which only made the rewards in the end taste even sweeter. When they filled my packbasket with a man’s load and ignored my boyish whines they taught me how to carry my fair share. As my skills grew they forced me to make decisions for the group, and in doing so made me a leader. The more I reflected on those times the more I realized exactly what I had learned. The cold dark and rainy night spent alone guarding our equipment from thieves showed me how to conquer fear. Self reliance came when they made me run my own trap line, where my many mistakes could have meant death in the cold waters of Bowers Brook or the alder thickets atop Vinegar Hill. Confrontations with lesser men that used the land like a whore made me stand up for what I held sacred.

I am not a hard man like my three forefathers. I spend most of my time behind a desk where I feel their whispers on the back of my neck. Jack London’s “Call of the Wild” pulls at my soul as I recognize a piece of me in Buck. I don’t belong here, but I must stay. Survival, for me, has taken on a new form. To care for my family I must continue with the detestable and mundane course I’ve set for myself. That too I learned from them. Far removed from my ancestral home the other lessons of survival learned on the hunt have sustained me. When rifle fire and mortar rounds pounded the Bosnian forest around me I controlled my fear. Hard work, paling in comparison to the load of traps that made my lungs burn years ago, earned me awards and respect. I am not a hard man, but I share traits of those three hard men. I want my boys to become even better men, able to survive in a changing world. To prepare them for life I turned to my roots where I’ve found so many answers.

Last year, Robert, my oldest, took his first steps on his own journey into manhood. It was just he and I, but we were not alone. When he made mistakes the words I spoke were first whispered in my ear by my father 25 years ago. And I’ve come to understand that those words came in turn from grandfather, and great-grandfather, and other hard men before them that I only know through stories. Because of their convictions, and hard work, and love, I now know how to be a father on my own. When Robert pulled the trigger for the first time they were there when his triumphant shout echoed through the valley. And they were no doubt there when he sheepishly wiped a tear from his cheek as he realized that the price of our survival was that beautiful animal’s life. When I remember that hunt my overindulgent mind can see three hard men standing off to one side. They each have a knowing smile on their face, content that the cycle of life is rolling along and that they are still providing for their families.