Mentor Rich

I've written many entries about my good fortune to have hunted with my father and grandfather. Those experiences mean more to me than I can express. However, while I was writing my last entry about a friend who taught me about duck hunting, I realized that I've been fortunate enough to have had many mentors. When I started working for the Kansas Fish and Game Commission in 1983, I was just out of college and hungry for outdoor experiences. I was pretty confident in my outdoor knowledge, but when I started hanging out with co-workers who were a little older and more experienced, I discovered how little I knew. One co-worker in particular, turned out to be a great friend and trusted mentor, especially when it came to deer hunting. Gene Brehm was the full-time photographer for the department when I came to work, and Gene took me under his wing. At that time, I had killed one deer with a rifle and had taken up bowhunting. When I started following Gene around in the woods, I was embarrassed at how little I knew about deer behavior and hunting strategies. Our deer populations were fairly low in this part of the state back then, and a bowhunter didn't get many chances. Without Gene's guidance and friendship, it would have taken years for me to find any success. I've been lucky to have many good friends who have helped me learn about hunting and fishing, and I think most other hunters can say the same thing. Lifelong friendships develop through outdoor mentoring. There is high level of trust and commitment that evolves during such a relationship, and it's another reason why our hunting heritage is so important.