-By Brandon Wikman
Life is much more pleasant when you have someone to share a tree with. Whether it’s savoring a fresh cup of steaming coffee before a brisk November hunt or executing a perfect strategy to put an animal on the ground, I’m thankful for the true hunting partner, friend and family member I have.
It’s amazing when you find someone that complements you, man or women, it doesn’t matter. A true friend is a friend that’s unbreakably bonded to the memories made and experiences learned. Although we may differ in so many ways, my cousin, Joe Nawrot, and I both find interest in time spent together. We are just like any other hunter and outdoors person. Our souls are fed by the wonders of nature. We’re nourished by the sounds of wildlife, freed by mountain’s air and cleansed by rivers purity. It’s these simple feelings and heartfelt occasions that help me appreciate our journey together as two young-relentless, random and restless hunting fools.
It’s funny how some things about a person never change. Joe and I would spend our elementary school days in my yard, capturing gophers with sandcastle buckets and makeshift butterfly nets. We could never quite figure out how to actually catch one of those pesky yard-tubing demons, until one of us found my mom’s garden hose. It’s moment of enlightenment like that we lived for, but now we’ve upped our ante. Today we find ourselves in pursuit of deer and turkey. Wading through godforsaken swamps that frogs won’t even call home and testing the limits of our mind by spending countless hours in a tree stand, things still haven’t changed (minus the net, bucket and garden hose). Yet still, just every once in a while, we finally figure out how to get the job done. Presently, it’s what we live for.
Joe and I began hunting at twelve years old. He’s slightly older than I and had a few bragging years under his belt before I even started. Considering I never had a fatherly influence to take me out hunting, I looked to Joe. He was one of my role models and in many ways, still is. We’d spend late nights with our eyes plastered against the television screen watching the latest hunting videos. He and I like so many other hunters only dreamed of being featured on a hunting show.
Our first experience of filming an epic adventure together was during my very first turkey hunt. We settled into our homemade brush-blind and shuffled equipment, or shall I say lack of. I sat with my hand-me-down camouflage, shotgun in hand, while Joe knelt behind me free-handing a cheap video camera. We were professionally legit, so we thought. As morning light pierced through the pine grove, I gave Joe the nod. As any big show-time host would do, I spit a few words to the camera to set the scene. Even though it took me a handful of attempts, I managed to lay a nice opening lead for the imaginary audience.
As soon as I began calling, the woods erupted in gobbles. No more than minutes, I found my eyes gazing down the end of a barrel at a mature strutting tom. I eagerly awaited Joe’s cadence of shoot em’ dead. Finally, he whispered it. In no time, I lit the morning sky up with feathers and killed my first bird on video. I turned to the camera and blabbered an entire line of complete gibberish. I was so shaken up that I lost any sense or control of action. I was the happiest seventh grader in the world.
Today things are a bit different. Joe and I find ourselves wrapped up in audio cords, fiddling with perplexing gadgets, learning the essence of camera lighting and actually have the fortune to film on a true national televised level, with a real audience. We never figured we’d have the blessing to do the job we do, but we are sure thankful for it and each other.
As each year passes, the collection of memories expand and the emotional attachment deepens. From heartbroken missed opportunities to scrounging Thanksgiving meals from vending machines, there’s no telling where our next journey will take us and what story we’ll bring back to tell next.
In spite of everyday troubles, misfortunate events and emotionally dark days, we all need someone to grab us out from the lonely shadows of life every now and then. It not only keeps us going mentally, but also provides us with a breath of fresh air. Everyone deserves a true friend. We must pass on the positive message through acts of kindness and spiritual greatness. The impact of one’s goodwill to another flourishes a product of peace and harmony.
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