NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1150334
38 Nebraskaland • August-September 2019 opportunity to train for several months with the renowned John Greer at Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs in Ellensburg, Washington. Aaron absorbed all he could, with the same obsession and tenacity he had for music. This was his new adventure, and much like his past life as a musician, the unpredictability of hunting and dog training kept his work exciting. "The two are a balance – dog training and outfi tting. You get slammed doing one thing, and get tired of it, and then you switch. It's like music – playing shows and recording. I can't do the same thing over and over again," Aaron said. "With hunting, there are always random occurrences that are fun to deal with, especially when dealing with nature. It doesn't get any more random than nature." From upland hunting, Aaron then got into waterfowl hunting, which was an entirely new obsession in itself. A few years later, Aaron moved on from Pheasant Bonanza to open his own business: Double A Outfi tting and Gun Dogs. It presented new challenges, which he relished. "The things I really hated about outfi tting at fi rst are the things I really like now. Something always breaks. There are so many pieces," Aaron said. He may get up at 2 or 3 in the morning – whatever it takes – because he assumes that something will always go wrong, and he's had a few close calls, unbeknownst to customers who show up hours later. "I dig crazy weather patterns. I really enjoy them. But it makes working diffi cult when there's ice involved. If the river could talk," Aaron said, with a scoff . "Whether the birds show up is one thing, but nobody who comes hunting or dog training with me will ever suff er from any sort of shortcomings because something isn't working. That can't happen. In the end, it's really rewarding when things are how I want them to be." As for wear and tear, life as a hunting guide isn't a huge upgrade from the days of sleeping on couches and fl oors. Aaron can put in as many as 90 hours per week during the hunting season. The work is a constant grind, and like many in the profession, he, too, suff ers from aches and pains. "I work by myself on the river a lot and have had some compromising times with the river. I remember sitting out there one morning, really early, and thinking to myself, 'I'm either really tough or really stupid,'" Aaron said. "I don't make a lot of money doing this. I could probably make more doing something else, but it's not the same. Schroder's second dog Charlie is a talented German short-haired pointer. Out of Aaron's four dogs – two German shorthairs and two Labrador retrievers – she and Aaron have the most special bond.