The Goose Hunters

About the Book

The book is mainly about hunting in one small area of Sully County South Dakota. And focuses quite a lot on the old days his folks and the mallard ducks the rare Canada goose then rare as it was very difficult to get one then especially for rank amateurs like he was then it starts with his son Brads essay wrote for some class he was taking somewhere and another wrote by his grandson Johnny for a junior high class at Sully Buttes school in Onida then introduces you to Brad’s son Josh who has picked up the hunting fever too then to Laurence’s parents the founders of the place so many loved to hunt on. And he introduces to his mentor in hunting Elliott and to the one dog that finally taught him how to behave with hunting dogs and how to honk like a goose with your voice if you want to sputter and spit like he did then and now he cannot cut the mustard on that anymore a few descriptions of some hunts and pictures and drawings where no pictures exist.

About the Author

Laurence was born in January 1938 in Onida South Dakota To Oliver and Edith Byrum from that day on until rural schools closed in Troy township northwest Sully County he lived in that local first as kid with parents and his 4 older sisters and 1 older brother. Then with his wife Karen as they raised their family of 4 children in same way country school no plumbing (yes for few years Karen and Laurence lived where the plumbing was an outhouse she remembers it well!) it was a life of cows, pigs and horses spring time and planting and then harvest and basketball hoop on the barn and horses to ride. Pheasants, ducks and geese. Karen and Laurence’s ancestors were both early settlers of Sully county Karen’s was born in 1940 in Portland to Orville and Opel Rivenes and Orville worked in the shipyard there until war ended then they moved back to Onida. Laurence’s interest in hunting made that enterprise part of their living from 1975 until he retired from it in 2006.They have lived in Onida since 1975 and now live in apartment with their dog cuddles. They have had Thanksgiving at that place and as the family gathers around they thank God for all the blessings his kindness that we can be together and go hunting and live in such wonderful country and for Jesus dying for their sins.