Gone Hunting: East family’s tradition of hunting has brought them closer together

Sitting in the blinds — a shelter to camouflage them from the ducks while hunting — then-nine-year-old Barrett McKee and his dad Aaron anticipated their next target. 

Standing up to the cold breeze, Barrett fired a shot towards a flock and they both watched as two ducks dropped from the sky into the ice-covered pond. In shock of hitting two ducks in just one shot, Barrett looked over at his dad who was standing in awe at his son’s first catch ever. Aaron instantly knew Barrett’s talent for hunting would continue into the future — and he couldn’t be more proud.

“I didn’t know what to feel because it was my first time hunting,” now-junior Barrett said. “Having that happen the first time you pull the trigger is crazy. I can’t really describe it, I didn’t know what to think.”

The McKee’s family calendar is packed as they try to manage school, cheer, lacrosse and hockey all in a short, seven-day week. While hunting on a free weekend about five times a year, they have the time to let loose and laugh together without distractions from their extracurriculars.

“It’s nice being out in the wilderness where you can’t be on your phone since there’s no phone reception or do anything else other than be in the moment with your family,” Barrett’s sister, sophomore Georgia said. 

Aaron introduced hunting to his kids — Barrett, Georgia and freshman Lulu — each when they were about the age of seven. Similar to his kids, Aaron’s father introduced him to hunting at age 10 — hunting had always been a family event, and he saw it his duty to carry that tradition on. While living on a small farm in Kansas, Aaron was always seeking his next escapade — the more rain, sleet or snow, the more fun he had.

“It makes it fun knowing that hunting is a continued tradition in my family,” Barrett said. “Conversations about it always come up when we’re with our extended family and we have a lot of funny stories to talk about.” 

Spending most of his time indoors with work, Aaron has found that getting outside with friends and family is his favorite part of the sport. It was important for him to teach his kids how to set up decoys to attract animals and how to be safe, while still enjoying the fun of hunting. 

“Sharing the experience of hunting with my kids and their friends is probably the most rewarding part,” Aaron said. “Not everyone gets to go hunting which is unfortunate because it’s such a cool experience.”

The most important thing Aaron taught his kids before they’d stepped foot on the hunting grounds was safety. Each kid started off with a Daisy Red Rider BB gun, practicing shooting cans and logs near a pond at their farm. He enacted rules to keep everyone safe, such as treating every gun as if it’s always loaded, never pointing the barrel in the direction of a person and making sure it’s not loaded before putting it away. 

According to Aaron, he wanted to educate his kids with guns since they’re a reality in our society. Just like a car, you can’t ignore them. You have to be smart and safe and understand how to act around them. 

“My dad has taught us that the safety of guns is the most important thing while out hunting,” Barrett said. “It can be very dangerous if you’re not taking the safety of yourself and others seriously.”

For the past six years the McKee family has belonged to a hunting club, only 45 minutes south of their home. On their weekends in the fields, they bring their trained dog Bella with them to hunt ducks at their farm either before the sunrise or in the late afternoon. 

“I think it’s really fun to have something not everyone does with my family,” Lulu said. “It’s a fun refreshment from normal life.”

For the past 20 years, the McKee’s immediate and extended family has fulfilled their post-Thanksgiving tradition by heading down to their farm to go duck hunting.

“Every Black Friday when people are typically out shopping, all the cousins and [uncles] go hunting together,” Aaron said. “It’s a fun tradition we do, and we all look forward to that.” 

From the 45-minute car ride down to the farm to the hours spent waiting in the blinds together, the McKee family has made the experience of hunting more than just a sport. Even if they don’t come home with anything that day, spending time together is enough for them. The kids plan to carry on the tradition with their kids, as well.

“For me, the number one goal when going hunting is not really to kill,” Aaron said. “It’s to be out and enjoy the experience of hunting with my family.”