Time spent outdoors might be a little harder than normal right now. But maybe you have something to hold you over when you can’t get into the woods. From movies and knitting to reading, running and helping kids with their own hobbies, it’s important to have something to entertain when we can’t be in the field.
Some of our GVO editors discussed their favorite hobbies when they're not hunting or fishing.
Hilary Dyer, Editor
Hunting Retailer, Tactical Retailer
I love to read, so I’ve been getting some reading done during this time. I tend to alternate between outdoors-themed books (Robert Ruark and Peter Capstick are particular favorites) and non-outdoors-themed. I’m currently in the middle of “Neither Wolf nor Dog.”
I’m also a knitter. I make my own socks, mittens, sweaters, you name it. Last winter, while sitting on a deer stand freezing my tail off and getting rained on, I dreamed up an idea for a pattern — I want to make my own wool balaclava with pockets to hold chemical handwarmers. It’ll be nice and warm, double-thick, and think how cozy it’ll be to snug two handwarmers up against your neck when it’s really cold out! Maybe I’ll start working on that balaclava now that I have more time at home, come to think of it.
During the era of social distancing, we’ve also instituted family movie night, where we take turns picking the movie. The other night my husband picked “Tombstone,” and I’m racking my brain trying to think of a way to top that!
Dave Maas, Senior Editor
With boys ages 15 and 17 who are serious athletes, a lot of my non-hunting time is spent practicing sports, popping ibuprofen and watching their school teams compete. Both boys are avid basketball and baseball players, and my youngest is a passionate golfer. I love to golf, too. Give me a bucket of balls and a sand trap and life is perfect for hours. My oldest son is also on the high school trap shooting team, and I enjoy watching him creep ever so close to a perfect round of 25.
When hunting season is closed in my home state of Minnesota, I spend a lot of time on the water. I enjoy fishing with friends, and hardly a week goes by year-round when I’m not trying to catch whatever is biting. Thankfully my kids like to fish, too. We just concluded a long and successful ice fishing season here in the Great White North, and I’m excited to cast for open-water crappies, bass, pike and muskies.
P.S. I’ve heard rumors there are people on this planet who don’t hunt or fish. If that is indeed true, I don’t have the faintest idea what they do in their free time.
Alan Clemons, Digital Editor
For the last four years I've gotten into trail running here in my local area. We have a really strong running and trail running community that is fun, supportive and has a wide range of age groups.
I'm not fast by any means but enjoy the heck out of it all year. I've done events up to 25K in summer heat and cold February rain. It challenges me mentally and physically. In August 2019 during a 13-mile event my body completely gave out going up what we call Death Trail, about a tenth of a mile from the finish line.
I was out of water and electrolyte tabs. Three or four other runners were in the same shape. We sat and comiserated, moved another 30-40 feet, sat again, and so on. It was hotter than hell, humid and yet we all finished. Slowly, but we finished. I wasn't going to let dehydration, dizziness and fatique stop me from crossing the line. That's a sense of satisfaction I enjoy. Fortunately, no broken bones or anything other than a persistently nagging ankle.
As for sedate moments I enjoy reading about history, food, travel and interesting figures in history. I recently finished "The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen" by Jacques Pepin (quite interesting), "The Fifth Risk" by Michael Lewis (infuriating and fascinating), and 1984 by George Orwell. Currently engrossed in "The Cost of These Dreams" by Wright Thompson (overwritten, but solid) and probably will re-read "Genghis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World" after that.