Camaraderie in the Blind: Goose Hunting in New Jersey

Chasing Geese in Jersey

There’s very little in this world that cements new friendships as quickly as time spent outside in the elements, getting one’s hands dirty and working together toward a shared task.

Bonds are made on frosty mornings illuminated only by the light of a headlamp, setting out a swath of decoys on the frozen ground of a cornfield. Stories are shared while winding along curvaceous hillside roads; profound 4 a.m. conversations fueled by black coffee and the multicolored collage of dashboard lights. Friendships are sealed slogging through mucky, rain-filled afternoons, taking bets if the four-wheeler and trailer towing all the decoys will be able to make it across the marshy farmer’s field and back to the relative safety of the truck.