Every season I swear it’s going to be his last, but the drive won’t let his body quit.
Last year I thought to myself, if he’s not going to slow down then let’s go full speed ahead. So I booked a bucket list trip for me and Gunner with Black Duck Waterfowl up in Saskatchewan to hunt duck and geese in the “Land of the Living Skies.”
Getting Gunner from Nashville to Canada for this “one last hunt” wasn’t seamless but it was worth it – the last afternoon of the trip was one I’ll never forget, we took 7 mallard limits in an hour in those dry fields, and Gunner was a machine.
Gunner turned 11-years-old today, so you could say that this was his birthday present too. Watching him out there reminded me again what I owe this dog – a family, a company and over a decade of memories.
Cheers to all those dogs of a lifetime, just like mine. Happy Birthday Gunner.
Photos by Andrew Miller.
Read more: Gunner, The Dog Who Changed My Life
