Respect, Community, and Hunting Traditions

🌾🦌 A Little Story About Respect, Community, and Hunting Traditions 🦌🌾

There was a time — not even that long ago — when farmers would let folks hunt on their land with nothing more than a handshake and a promise to respect the property. No contracts. No fees. Just mutual trust and a shared love for the land.

I still remember the big October snowstorm in the late ’90s in Iowa — the one that knocked out power, took down trees, and made every farmer pray their barn roof held. My dad used to take us to Iowa to hunt pheasants on a farmer’s land back then, and when the storm hit, we didn’t even hesitate. We spent days helping him clean up the downed trees, clearing his impassable driveway, hauling branches, doing whatever needed to be done. It wasn’t a “payment.” It was just what you did when someone opened their land and their kindness to you.

Fast forward to today, and things have changed. A lot of property is lease-only now, and hunting access often depends on the size of your wallet instead of the strength of your word. And honestly… it’s understandable. Times are different, costs are higher, and people haven’t always treated land the way they should.

But this year, we were lucky enough to meet a local hunter and his young son — a first-year hunter — who reminded us of how it used to be. Respectful. Grateful. Kind. The kind of people you don’t mind having on your land because you know they’ll treat it like their own.

And this morning, that young hunter shot his very first doe. 🦌💛 Pictures show the pride on his face — the kind you only get from time spent outdoors, doing things the right way.

It was a good reminder that the old traditions aren’t gone… they’re just waiting for the right people to carry them on.

Here’s to respect, community, and passing down what really matters. 🌾🧡🦌