SkyLines

Stand alone essay 

#33 "1995 In The Beginning" 

The year was 1995. I had a good paying job and owned my own truck. I’d just graduated high school and moved out of the house. Life for me was shifting gears and really opening up! 

Following my first home-town summer as an adult in Bend, Oregon, September found me pursuing new and exciting endeavors that would shape the rest of my life; like community college. And archery hunting.

My first archery season began in the pine forests of an area South of Bend called China Hat. All summer I’d blazed down the endless miles of logging and forest service roads of the region, and in doing so had deduced areas with highest traffic of elk.

Music by Wrinkle Neck Mules

Stand alone essay

#32 "The Willow Wicket Hotel" is a quick essay about an archery mule deer hunt. 

Stand alone short essay

Howdy folks, Bryan Huskey here and THANK YOU for tuning into my Skylines podcast! This is episode #31, my journey in chukar hunting, called "I'm the Birddog". Enjoy!

#30 "Now What?!?" A process for after big game is down

My hope for the SkyLines Podcast series is to empower people to feel confident and capable in their outings- whatever they may be. For those who ponder if hunting alone is a possibility, (especially in the backcountry) this is my process. It may serve as a guide for what to expect and a list of things to remember and prepare for. 

From the first glance of a critter on the ground all the way to the freezer, I explain every step along the way and what works for me. 

2017 Archery Elk Complete Season

This includes episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 that make up the 2017 archery elk complete season.

Chapters 1-5 of the 2019 Archery Elk Season. 

Listen to 'em all in one click.

2019 Elk Ch 5 "Luck of the Draw"

There is a saying I've always repeated in my head during encounters with big game: "Don't look at the antlers!" It's a reference to keeping your composure and staying focused on executing the shot- without the distraction of what the rack looks like. It totally makes sense, and in many situations I've been left yearning to know more about the rack following the encounter- or in some cases.. the shot. Like any hunter, I want to let my eyes admire the critter, including it's rack. I want to let my eyes scale each inch of antler. I want to imagine what it would feel like to grip the antlers in my hand. And so eager as I may to see it up close and on the ground in front of me, my rule is to avoid admiring antlers for the sake of focus, but also in hopes to find the critter like a Christmas morning surprise- with barely a peek at inside the wrapper.

Stand alone short essay

I like fishing downstream. Swinging flies for Steelhead is a welcome seasonal transition following months of facing and casting upstream for trout. It’s an entirely different tempo, two-stepping your way down a run. The casting and presentation is different, not to mention that some days even the fly rod is different. Two hands holding cork now. Cool! 

I recently took a day just for myself, the river, and two handed casting. It seems like it’s been years since I’ve had a full day for just myself and the river. No photos or video to worry about, nobody else along to divvy up runs with and no drift boat in the river to dictate the downstream order of things throughout the day. With no pressure to land fish, it was just a day to cast, swing, strip, step, and repeat. Very cool.

2019 Archery Season Ch 4 "Reckless Precision"

It was September 24th now, the final full day of my final trip of the season. I was well aware of the circumstance- that this would be my last opportunity for archery success in 2019. Looking back I realize I'd been in this same position two years prior, just before taking my best bull (which is described in SKYLINES Episodes 2017 Rut Reports) Although in the moment, that specific recollection did not occur to me at time. My dear friend Ian had joined me for this trip, and the two of us has split up earlier in the morning. From a ridge top, we had each pointed in different directions at the sounds of bugling elk, and agreed we would investigate our respective leads individually. I dropped into a panel of timber I referred to as the Storm Front, where a great sounding bugle had earlier boomed out of. A few minutes into my descent I had a good bearing on where I thought the bull was located, and a powerful bugle followed by a sequence of chuckles confirmed that I was getting close. I slowed my pace to 90% creep and set my eyes to 100% scan as I carefully stepped my way through the thick timber and downfall. Minutes later I'd advanced a hundred or so yards and like an airliner coming in for landing, lowering it's flaps and landing gear, I reduced my speed even more and knocked an arrow. And bumped my eyes to 200% scan. My movement now resembled the pace of honey pouring from the freezer, and I paused at the slightest clues to analyze where I could expect to land my eyes on elk.