For some, North Dakota is a state of mind. A sea of wheat, corn and prairie grass punctuated by wetlands and potholes. Home for pheasant, sharp-tail, partridge and waterfowl, it’s an upland hunter’s paradise. A state of mind for those who live elsewhere. A week’s visit doesn’t do this fine countryside justice. However, while there, our group of hunters made the best of time allotted.

We arrived last week from Wisconsin and Minnesota: Nine of us in four trucks, 11 dogs, guns, dog crates, dog food, cots, sleeping bags, coolers and enough other gear to last more than a week – just in case. All of us had been there before. Some since high school – four decades ago.

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