Author Archives: Jerry Johnson

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About Jerry Johnson

Retired journalist and college public relations director. Former teacher, coach, mentor. Novelist and short story writer.

On another planet

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Jerry Johnson

An early morning walk with birddogs in last week’s -5 degree weather made me painfully aware that we had moved into winter. This morning’s pre-sunrise walk with the grim hand of the thermometer on the deck  pointing to the -30 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bird Dogs, Country Life, Winter, Winter Hiking | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Packing, puttering, and prepping

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Jerry Johnson

Hunting seasons ended January 10 in the North Country. After a frantic and frenetic final week of pursuing pheasants, my neurotic drive to go afield dwindled and a sense of calm descended upon the Clubhouse. Abbey and Sasha are asleep … Continue reading →

Posted in Bird Dogs, Bird hunting, Deer Hunting, Hunting, Hunting Humor, Hunting Keepsakes, Hunting Memories | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Grandfather clause

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Jerry Johnson

1925 – the year this Lefever Nitro Special was manufactured in Ithaca, New York. 2019 – the year the old 12-gauge was still taking pheasants on the wing at 94 years of age. Maybe the elderly double gun should have … Continue reading →

Posted in Bird Guns, Bird hunting, Late season pheasants, Lefever Shotguns, Shotguns | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Pheasant loads

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Jerry Johnson

Late season pheasant hunts can test the character of the hunter, his birddog, his resolve, his equipment – and his shotshells. When the temperature at midday refuses to rise above nine degrees, the wind picks up to 15 miles per … Continue reading →

Posted in Bird Guns, Bird hunting, Late season pheasants, reloading, Shotshell Reloading | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Missed shots

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Jerry Johnson

Hunting stories almost always end with the writer describing the limit of birds in the bag, the size of the antlers on the buck hanging from the pole, the 20-inch smallmouth bass in the net, or the incredible shot that … Continue reading →

Posted in Deer Hunting, Hunting, Rifle Hunting | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Woodstoves and Decembers

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Jerry Johnson

Woodstoves and Decembers go hand-in-hand like peaches and cream, cigars and whiskey, walnut and boiled linseed oil, love and marriage – natural combinations of things that can be good on their own but are all the better for being paired … Continue reading →

Posted in Woodstoves | Tagged | 4 Comments

Blooded

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Jerry Johnson

BLOODED. Not sure when or where I first heard that word applied to an item of hunting or fishing gear, but its meaning was clear. Blooded meant that the piece of gear in question — a rifle, shotgun, bow, knife, … Continue reading →

Posted in Deer Hunting, Drop-point knife, Hunting, Hunting Keepsakes, Hunting Knives, Hunting Rifles, Lever-action Rifles, Rifle Hunting | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A brace of woodcock

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Jerry Johnson

A BRACE of game birds: plural, two wild birds of the same type that have been killed for sport or food; from the Middle English or Old French word brace (brah-say), meaning “arms” hence a pair; a sporting term that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bird Dogs, Bird Guns, Bird hunting, Woodcock, woodcock hunting | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

A nice old rifle

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Jerry Johnson

Gunsmiths retire. Some of the best ones – master craftsmen who are a blend of artist, metallurgist, woodworker, scientist, ballistician, firearms historian, and avid shooter — labor on and on into their seventies and eighties, probably because we clients plead … Continue reading →

Posted in Hunting, Hunting Memories, Hunting Rifles, Nebraska Deer Hunt, Rifle Hunting, Rifles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Mole misery

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jerry Johnson

Pitching forward and falling prostrate while carrying two full buckets of water to the dogs’ kennel runs is a miserable way to start a snowy day. Even before the soaking nosedive I was in a grumpy mood, brought on by … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservation, Moles, Wildlife, Wildlife Habitat | Tagged | 4 Comments