So I’m in Raleigh-Durham for a week as part of training for my “real job”, and since I’ve been here a couple of days I’ve made a few observations about North Carolina. Not all of them are hunting related, but they are all positive as far as I’m concerned.
-
Everything here (aside from breakfast) comes with a side of regular potato chips. This is good.
-
They like BBQ here. How much, you ask? So much that in the Raleigh-Durham Airport they have a real BBQ pit. None of this cafeteria food nonsense you find in other airports, I’m talking authentic, grilled meat. When I got off the plane and into the airport, the first thing I could smell was ribs. Need I say more?
-
They have a lot of deer here. I’ve seen them and the locals have been telling me about them.
-
The above-mentioned deer will live anywhere. There are four of them living (apparently) in a fifty yard wide, three hundred yard long strip of forest bordered on one side by a highway and on the other side by two hotels. Safe from hunters, yes. Safe from Windstars, who knows?
-
When the people here ask what you do for a hobby and you tell them hunting or fishing, it seems that you automatically become their good friends. This is also very nice. I have had three invites to come back in the fall for deer hunting, but I’m pretty sure I won’t make it back (although I’d really, really like to) and one guy give me the actual GPS coordinates for his camp if I ever want to do some turkey or deer hunting. One word: awesome.
-
They really like college basketball here, and apparently there are some serious, serious rivalries. Leafs vs. Canadiens is apparently a child’s tea-party compared to UNC vs. Duke. Just saying.
-
It is bloody hot here. And humid. The A/C in my room was broken on Sunday night, and it was (no joke) 32 degrees Celsius in my room all night. If there was ever a time I wished I could sleep while levitating over the sheets, this was it. A/C is fixed now, so I’m comfy again…
-
In the same vein as #5, everyone here has been friendly, (almost too) accommodating, and really genuinely welcoming of this bewildered and lost Canadian. For that, I thank you North Carolina.
So there you have it readers, my take on North Carolina. Yes, I’ve only seen a very small fraction of the state, and yes, I’m sure it isn’t all sunshine and lollipops all the time, but I really like it here. I’d stay forever and hunt here (if I could) but eventually I’ll have to ship out from the Tar Heel State. But someday I’ll be back and I hope to have my turkey calls in tow.