What is your “Go To” Thorogood hunting boot and why?
My go to Thorogood Boot is the 800g Infinity FD Rubber Boot with Realtree camouflage! I love this boot because it is stable, not too heavy, and keeps my feet warm but not warm enough to cause sweating.
What is the most memorable hunt you have ever been on?
The hunt I remember most was on Christmas Eve in 2005. My dad joined me and some friends for a Canada Goose hunt in Nevada. It was a different hunt for us because the fog had rolled in and covered the ground giving us very little visibility. We had to stay quiet to hear the either the honks of the approaching geese or sometimes we could just hear the air through their wings. We would talk to them with our goose calls very subtly and wait for their big feet to appear through the fog blanket as they dropped into our decoy spread. It was an awesome sight and I remember high fiving my dad multiple times that morning. This would be my last hunt with my father as he passed away in 2006 unexpectedly and it changed my life and outlook forever! We can never take this lifestyle for granted. I miss him every day and will never forget that foggy day goose hunt.
Who is your favorite hunting partner and why?
Well, my dad Orville would be my all-time favorite hunting partner but for sure both of my brothers Clint and Clay are my go-to companions now! We hunt all over together filming for The Fowl Life and we all love how hunting has brought us closer together! We look forward to each experience and now days, we get to share these hunts with our kids who are all cousins and enjoy the outdoors as much as we always have! This Life is truly amazing!
If you could only hunt one season each year, what would it be and why?
If I had to choose one season to hunt every season, it would be duck season for sure and specifically mallard ducks! I love scouting them, listening to them, calling, and talking to them, watching them cut the wind and work a decoy spread, and watching them backflap into my decoy hole! I also love seeing my dog swimming back to me with a big northern Greenhead win his mouth! And then I love creating great tasting meals with mallard ducks and sharing these meals with friends and family! Not a cooler way to live life!
What is the best life lesson you have learned while hunting?
My favorite life lesson learned in the woods and on the rivers and in the duck blind is compassion. Yes, we are hunters and we do kill and eat wild animals but believe me when I tell you that we have the upmost respect and compassion for the animals we pursue. Hunters are the ultimate conservationists, and we work relentlessly for the good and for the benefit of wild animal populations all over the world! This compassion has parlayed over into my personal life and has helped me become a better father, a better mate, a better brother, a better son, and an overall better person! Hunting has taught me so much but my compassion for animals and people are at the top of this list!
Who introduced you to hunting?
My father Orville Belding introduced me to hunting when I was an infant. I would be in camp, on the ATV, on his back in a pack, at the campfire in my crib, and anywhere else that meant being beside him in the outdoors. My mom and dad took us everywhere as babies and kids and teenagers and watching my dad use his skill set to successfully harvest a iPad so he and my mom could prepare the bounty for us is my number one inspiration for what I do today with The Fowl Life Television and our podcasts and The Provider Culinary Brand as well as with all of our valued partners such as Thorogood Boots! My dad helped trailblazer my passion for hunting, and I never looked back.
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