Nebraskaland

October 2021 • Nebraskaland 49 AS SOON as they got started that year, most hunting seasons ended. But turkey season was just around the corner, giving Casey time to customize those bright-blue earmuff s and a new, better but still-blue backpack with a camo paint job. Casey also fashioned a bug net to cover Harris in the carrier. At this point, Harris was still in the "potted plant stage," not wanting to move around and sleeping more often than not, and things were fairly easy. But when he woke up, it was feed-me- now screaming. "Of course he likes to wake up when birds are like 60 yards away and working in," Jesse said. That was the case on his fi rst trip to the turkey woods, when he woke crying when a gobbler was nearly within bow range for Casey. Jesse harvested a jake on opening day of shotgun season, but Harris woke up and spoiled dad's chance at a tom 10 minutes later. On their next hunt, Harris woke with one gobbler at 30 yards and another at 60. "And this turkey, no joke, could not help himself and kept shock gobbling and would not take a breath," Jesse said. "They didn't run away probably because they've never heard that sound before. It was hilarious." The laughter, while internal, may have caused Jesse to miss the closer bird, but Casey tracked them down and harvested both. Jesse connected soon after when another tom came in while Harris was sleeping. Plenty of fi shing, camping and hiking trips followed. Harris began his fi rst full hunting season with the Aug. 1 squirrel opener, riding on mom's back. They learned quickly that Harris prefers upland hunting to sitting in the duck blind. He likes being on the move, watching the world go by and watching Luna work. "As soon as you stop moving, he's upset about it and wants you to keep going," Jesse said. They take turns carrying him, sometimes deferring to whoever's back hurts less, on upland hunts, hikes, mushroom hunts or fi shing trips. Last fall he weighed 21 pounds, making grouse hunting in the Sandhills a challenge. So was keeping balance when Harris started swaying back and forth while singing the E-I-E-I-O part of "Old MacDonald," as Casey found out while slogging through a muddy fi eld on a mushroom hunt this past spring. By last summer, Harris was 25 pounds. They didn't take him deer hunting in 2020, not wanting to chance Harris' crying preventing a harvest. Instead, they took turns hunting solo or with other friends. Jesse found she enjoyed it as she became more comfortable. They also didn't take him out in the bitter cold, despite having enough wool base layers, mid layers and warm puff y suits to make Harris look Jesse duck hunting at 33 weeks. First goose hunt, age 2 months. First rabbit hunt, age 3 months, and a successful turkey hunt (below), age 4 months.

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