Benelli - August 2025

I parked atop the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River as the first beams of sunlight raced across the horizon. The rolling prairie hills along the shoreline had changed significantly since my last visit to the area. A few months prior I was mounted on a horse watching pointers and setters tear through the landscape during the long, hot, dog days of summer. The lush, green grasslands had browned, but the scene before me still evoked a nostalgic feeling. My mind wandered toward thoughts of mounted Sioux warriors and fur traders that once adorned the distant ridgelines. To me, there is a quaint yet mysterious beauty to this part of the country, vestiges of past centuries are abounded while a thriving, contemporary culture embraces a love for pheasant hunting.