Posts by Steve Burch
Darden Do-Over Dove Shoot One To Remember
The Saturday before Labor Day has always been opening day of dove season. This year was special. We had great weather and we really had the birds. Phil McCall said, “I have not seen that many birds in 30 years.” It was made even better by contrast to last year—a very, very poor shoot. …
Read MoreEditorial-Opinion: What’s At Stake In Georgia’s Senate Runoffs?
The election before us for two Senate seats in Georgia is attracting money… a lot of money. These elections stand at a fork in the road. The results of these elections will determine which fork will be taken. We can see what has happened over the past four years. It’s the road behind us. Some…
Read MoreThe Christmas Message
It was Christmas Eve several years ago in the north Georgia mountains. My wife’s parents live just outside Hiawassee. There was a gathering of the clan at the family home on my father-in-law’s cattle farm. It is not a big operation, but he’ll run 40 to 70 head on pastures along the Hiawassee River bottoms.…
Read MoreGovernor Is Right On Hunting And Fishing
What to think of the ‘Yeah Buts.’ I have been disappointed in the reaction of some who support what they call a “lockdown” and use social media to chirp—or yell—at those who have a more practical and workable view to get through our situation. As far as defining what is practical, I support a lockdown.…
Read MoreDarden Dove Shoot A Scorcher!
In the more than a decade since I have been a part of the annual BBQ and dove shoot fundraiser event hosted by Mr. Claibourne Darden, of Sharon, I have seen a range of field and shooting variables that dove shooters would find completely reasonable and acceptable. Most years are good, some years are fair.…
Read MoreEditorial: Steve Burch’s Retirement
What do you do with a guy who retires, but doesn’t leave, doesn’t fill up his cardboard box and drive off into the sunset? I moved him into a cubby-hole in the back of Production here at GON offices, gave him a flat, hard chair, and told him not to make too much noise. It…
Read MoreEditorial-Opinion December 2018
This is my penultimate editorial. Next month will be my last one, and this is a perfect moment for me. This is where one door closes as another opens. But I need to share some context, and some Thank Yous as I go forward. Walk with me on this one. GON was incorporated in posh…
Read MoreEditorial-Opinion – November 2018
I bring you good tidings of excellent news. Lunar news. I’m a believer that the moon matters if you hunt and fish. The new moon, that is to say, the dark of the moon, will occur this month on Nov. 7. The three-quarter moon occurred on Halloween. And each night after Halloween, there has been…
Read MoreTreeLounger Brings Back Old Favorite
Bob and Margeret Hice designed, manufactured and marketed a uniquely safe and comfortable climbing tree stand—the TreeLounge—from their home near Cumming. The Hices made a good living, had a lot of fun, and made a lot of hunters happy. When Father Time took Bob away from us, Margaret carried on the TreeLounge business for some…
Read MoreEditorial-Opinion – October 2018
In John Grisham’s excellent novel The Pelican Brief, powerful organizations acted to change the make-up of the Supreme Court of the United States. The reasoning was that the existing court would rule against those organizations, but new and different members of the Court would rule in favor of those organizations to make what those forces…
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