Hunting with the Black Dog
The sun, not yet above the horizon, makes its slow climb into the morning sky as eight military veterans embark on their first day of the early teal season in Louisiana. Split into groups of four, the veterans and their guides waited for shooting time; they cracked jokes, argued over which military branch was best, and told tales on par with Gulliver’s Travels as blue and green wing teal buzz only five feet above the blind. The silence of the windy September morning is finally broken when the guide lets loose with a gritty “get’em boys!” Four Benelli shotguns lift from each blind and a wall of copper-plated bismuth from Boss Shot Shells fill the sky. As the booms from the shotguns echo out over the sun-kissed marsh and folded teal splash into the water, the veterans all smile.
On September 18, 2020, eight veterans from the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force arrived in Jonesville, Louisiana for a three-day, two-night experience showcasing Louisiana’s early teal season at the famous Honey Brake Lodge. Four veterans traveled from Oklahoma and three from Virginia; all either drove or flew to meet up with Hobgood for this event. Eight veterans in total, who were mostly strangers, were suddenly thrown together into a group. From the outside, an observer would think they had known each other for years as the conversations flowed and laughter erupted. The military veterans attending Black Dog Hunting’s Honey Brake Lodge trip were off to a great start. Joshua Hobgood, a Marine veteran, founded and operates the organization with the knowledge that veterans are more comfortable around their peers who shared similar military experiences. This shared experience between veterans creates an environment in which they are comfortable to speak with each other about their various challenges.
Black Dog Hunting, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) veteran ran organization, whose goal is to bring veterans throughout the nation together in an environment of peer-based mentoring and counseling regarding various difficulties and struggles they may be facing. This is achieved by bringing veterans together from across the country to participate in three types of events. Hobgood centers his organization on events that encourage group experiences in the outdoors and only utilizes world-class guides and outfitters to provide the most exclusive and amazing experiences to veterans. Duck hunting is one such experience. Black Dog Hunting also gathers groups of veterans for fishing trips and social events such as craft beer festivals, Ducks Unlimited banquets, and other local gatherings.
Since time eternal, military members and veterans have experienced the hardships of military service and combat. After leaving the service, veterans face and fight their own version of the black dog, a reference to the feelings of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The black dog's use as a metaphor was made famous by Sir Winston Churchill when speaking of his own ill mood and depression while leading Great Britain through World War II.
Hobgood states, “the black dog name is dual-hatted, that it is a reference for mental health and really spoke to what we wanted to create.”
Austin, a Marine veteran from Oklahoma, said that “Black Dog Hunting has shown me that brotherhood is still achievable in the civilian world...being veterans doesn’t mean you're done with having that brotherhood. That’s kind of a big thing that’s helped me along my journey of healing.”
As the guide passed out coffee and breakfast sandwiches in the blind, the veterans ribbed one another about missed shots. “I don’t know about the Army, but the Marines teach us how to shoot,” rings out from the middle of the blind. “Yea, that’s cause y’all too dumb to teach to read,” comes the reply. Laughter drowns out the next witty retort before someone says, “group of three out front!”
To anyone else this banter might be construed as adversarial, but to veterans, it’s simply the purest expression of brotherly love. No matter which branch of service the veteran was a part of, there is the common understanding that each gave selfless service to the country that they love. They were taught soldierly virtue, the art of war, and to win in battle regardless of mission or task but there is no instruction manual on how to successfully return to civilian life. The task of shedding those layers of self in the form of transition is often difficult in many ways and many veterans struggle with unanswered questions.
Organizations like Black Dog Hunting bring veterans together to provide a resource and network of peers for assistance with life’s questions. Mentoring through experience is the greatest type of resource and Hobgood encourages these interactions with his organization’s mission.
Between shooting at blue-winged rockets and eating some of the finest Cajun food the state of Louisiana could provide, the veterans shared their experiences in dealing with leaving the service and the variety of struggles since. Veterans shared that they experience difficulties integrating back into the civilian population, and many find themselves hiding their true personalities developed while serving their nation in the armed forces. This softer role-based personality quickly washes away in the presence of other veterans, and there’s almost an audible crack as the veteran emerges from the shell they have enclosed themselves in to fit the civilian world.
These experiences focused on connecting veterans together with their peers are the types of interactions Black Dog Hunting strives to foster as they uniquely focus on mental health development and exploration. In the thralls of an incredible 5-star lodge, surrounded by breathtaking views and world-class hunting the veterans who participate lower their guard and open themselves to their peers. They talk about their shared experiences, their difficulties, and in the end find themselves better for the experience they've shared with their fellow veterans. Whether they understand it or not, the true focus was never to kill birds, or to catch a fish, or access to the local festival; it was always to give them the opportunity to heal themselves through the outdoors.
Visit www.blackdoghunting.org to learn more, to donate, or to contact the organization.
Split Reed is proud to note that our Trusted Outfitter FowlCo Outfitters are partners of Black Dog Hunting
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