Hunter Spotlight: More Than the Birds By Caleb Hanson

I grew up chasing whitetails because that's what my family did. Waterfowl hunting wasn't part of our tradition. That changed when a friend invited me on a snow goose hunt out west. After that trip, I was hooked.

To me, waterfowl hunting has never been about stacking the biggest pile of birds or collecting a lanyard full of bands. It's about watching the sunrise over the marsh, sharing a blind with your closest friends, and spending the morning solving the world's problems between volleys. The ducks are just a bonus.

Right before last season, I lost my son, Emmett.

When he was gone, it felt like I lost a part of myself. I found myself spending more and more mornings hunting alone—not because I didn't want company, but because I needed a place to heal.

Out there, it was just me and my dog.

Those quiet mornings became my refuge. I always felt like Emmett was there with us, watching over every hunt and somehow leading us to the right places. The marsh became the one place where I could talk to him without worrying about who might hear me. In the silence, I found comfort.

Last season ended up being the best waterfowl season I've ever had. Most mornings I came home with birds, but that's not what made it special. In my heart, I like to think Emmett sent every one of them my way.

That's what waterfowl hunting means to me.