|
|||||||||||||
|
Dave has seen many waterfowl in his 30 years as a hunter; some are brought to his feet by his dogs, while most of them manage to fly away! But no matter how many birds he tallies, Dave enjoys himself and the company of others every time he’s out there. Scheels: When did you start waterfowl hunting? Aberle: About 30 years ago, when I went on my first duck hunt with a friend and his dad. Scheels: What interested you in the sport at that moment? Aberle: Nature. The sunrise over the marsh, the flocks of waterfowl moving about and all the different calls and noises. Scheels: What animals are actually considered waterfowl? Aberle: They would be birds that live mostly on or around water. I target ducks, geese and sand hill crane. Scheels: What was your first waterfowl experience like? Aberle: Absolutely breathtaking! I think I shot at only one or two ducks, but the sights, smells and noises of the marsh are what got me hooked. Scheels: Do you use a dog when you hunt? Aberle: Yes, and I currently have three dogs that are used either in the marsh or in the field. My newest dog is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Glock. He is about four months old, and his training is taking up most of my free time. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Scheels: How do you train your dogs? Aberle: Lots of repetition and a little at a time. I recommend keeping the training sessions short, maybe only five or ten minutes at a time, and stop when the dog is still interested. If your dog has lost interest in the training session, you have gone too long. Scheels: What is the benefit of hunting with a dogs? Aberle: The dogs make it easier to recover your game, and it’s rewarding to watch them perform like I taught them to. Scheels: What brought you to work at Scheels? Aberle: My wife! She started working at the Fargo, North Dakota Scheels, which only caused me to be at the store even more. So she jokingly said, “Why don’t you just get a job here?” Not a bad idea; I decided to apply at the Moorhead Scheels and was hired a couple days later. Scheels: What is your title at Scheels today? Aberle: Currently my title is Hunting Manager, but when I first started at the Moorhead, Minnesota Scheels I was the Camping, Hunting Clothing and Hunting Footwear Manager. I have also managed the Cutlery and Optics shops. Scheels: When you go hunting, do you prefer to scout? Why? Aberle: Scouting is a very important part of waterfowl hunting. You need to find the areas waterfowl are using. Plus, it gets you out into the field. Waterfowl is my passion, but I hunt just about everything available in this area: deer, pheasant, predators and varmints. They all have their own challenges and rewards, but they help fill my time when waterfowl may not be available. Scheels: What is your most memorable waterfowl experience? Aberle: It would have to be remembering the looks on my sons’ faces, Dana and Danny, when they each shot their first duck. It was something that will last in my mind forever. Scheels: What do you like about waterfowl hunting? Aberle: The challenge! Each species is a little different in what it likes and what is required to hunt them. Also, you have the opportunity to see other animals such as deer, pheasant, fox, coyote and lots of non–game species. Scheels: If you enjoy the challenge of waterfowl hunting, what other aspects make it difficult? Aberle: With waterfowl hunting, you have to set up everything correctly so the birds are the ones that come to you, instead of you going to them. Scheels: What advice do you have for newcomers just getting started in waterfowl hunting? Aberle: I recommend talking with people that have waterfowl hunted before and learn from their experiences. Most waterfowl hunters willingly talk for hours about their past hunts, so try and use those stories to your advantage. Scheels: What is one of your greatest waterfowl moments? Aberle: My greatest moment is any time I can get a non–waterfowler hooked on the sport. A friend of mine had never hunted ducks before, but after several years of arm–twisting, I got him to try it. Now he is inviting me on hunts! |
||||||||||||