Several years ago I was in northern Manitoba in early October hunting geese in a big harvested crop field. During the afternoon, the landowner’s son wanted to take me for a walk into the “bush,” the land to the north of their farmstead which is something to see, but hard to describe. Beyond it, there are no croplands, and no tall timber. All the trees, which include oaks, and aspen and birch and a few pine groves, are stunted and gnarled. Hundred-year-old oaks may only be six inches at the base and maybe 15 feet high. Throughout the bush there are openings here and there and marshy ground where the water is at the deepest, only a few inches. We were hoping to see some ducks, but we didn’t. Instead I shot some snipe to take back for the farmer’s wife to cook.
You can read this story + 2 more free this month
This story is on us. Create a free account to keep reading.