Page 15 - 2020 Jan/Feb Outdoor Oklahoma

etting a goal and finally making it
happen is a satisfying experience.
Especially when the goal is some-
Sthing unconventional. But for
hunting friends Anthony Mackey, 46, of
Noble, and Aaron Milligan, 58, of Norman,
they’ve got “unconventional” in the bag.
The game bag, that is.
These two set out on a quest in 2014.
Their hunting goal was to harvest a bird
from every category listed on the federal
Harvest Information Program permit, an
annual federal survey required to be filled
out by most migratory bird hunters across
the nation.
That means they would need to take
duck, goose, dove, woodcock, rail/galli-
nule, and snipe/coot. And they wanted all
of it to occur in Oklahoma. “Well it started in 2014, with
this is a big deal or even care,” Mackey two snipe...”
“Not everyone will understand, think
wrote on Facebook. “But to us, this is.
“Well it started in 2014, with two snipe. “Not everyone will understand,
I’d only seen snipe in a book. I’d been
‘snipe hunting’ as a kid in Boy Scouts. Then think this is a big deal or even
I’d always thought to myself, ‘I’m going to
get one of those snipes I’ve seen in a book’ care, but to us, this is.”
— I actually know it exists.”

Don P. brown/oDwc

While Anthony and Aaron shared the goal of completing their HIP quest, they also had the chance to spend time together in the outdoors and
deepening a valued friendship for each of them.
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