Imagine the excitement that filled my heart when my 13 year old daughter, Lilli, hears that I am going goose hunting and says, “I want to go!”

Yes! Finally, a child who is interested in hunting! One out of three isn’t too bad…right??

My expectations were high early that morning as we traveled the 45 minutes to meet our guide, Jared. I met Jared this summer at a banquet on the opposite side of Wyoming. We have kept in touch on social media and when he suggested we hit the goose blinds – my response was simple, “What time do I need to be there?!”

As we drove down the interstate, Lilli and I talked about hunting and she asked asked questions that I surprisingly was able to answer. Although I consider myself a newbie to hunting, it felt good to be able to share what I have already learned with my daughter.

This is one reason why I became so involved in hunting and fishing so quickly over the last few years…because I knew it was something I wanted to share with my kids. And to do that I needed experience. In order to share what I learn…..I had to do.

We arrived ahead of our 5:45 am meet up time, so we ran into the gas station for snacks and to use the restroom. When kids tag along, making sure their needs are met will go a long way in ensuring an enjoyable day for them and a successful day for yourself. We grabbed snacks and hot chocolate, then headed out to the blinds.

As we unloaded the trailer in the dark, I was surprised how Lilli jumped in and started helping as if she knew exactly what she was doing. Under direction from Jared, we got the decoys set up and the lay down blinds positioned and camouflaged.

Climbing into the blinds as the sun began to peek over the horizon, anticipation of the day’s hunt mounted. Lilli was soaking it all up. As geese approached Jared began calling, and you could see how much he loved doing this. His enthusiasm in calling, the knowledge he shared, his patience with his pup, Bella…we were witnessing someone doing what he was born to do.

It was perfect. It was a beautiful morning and we were learning from an amazing guide. I peeked over at Lilli, expecting to see an excited smile and anticipation in her eyes.

She was asleep.

Dead to the world asleep.

I just laughed to myself and thought, “So this is what it’s like to hunt with kids…” I adjusted my position and readied my shotgun. She wouldn’t sleep for long…the geese were starting to circle overhead.

It was a great day, as any day hunting usually is. We knocked some geese down and let some fly to see another day. I learned a lot; the biggest lesson being that I need more experience and practice with a shotgun. But mostly, I was grateful I was able to hunt and learn from a friend and share the experience with my daughter.

Showing my kids where their food comes from is important to me. So involving them in preparing the harvest in the kitchen is equally important. Lilli prepped all the ingredients going into this recipe, and then we cooked it low and slow to ensure tender, shredded goose.

• 4 lbs goose breast
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 chipotle chilis with sauce, more or less for heat
• 1 small white onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups beef stock
• small “street taco” shells
• Serve with: avocado slices, diced white onion, lime wedges, Cotija cheese, and cilantro

In a food processor add garlic, chilis, onion, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, bay leaves, paprika, clove, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and beef stock.

Mix on high until the ingredients are combined.

Lay goose breasts in a slow cooker and cover with mixture.

Cook on high for 6-8 hours. If you are using a pressure cooker, 1-2 hours.

Pull meat out of sauce and shred. Once shredded, spoon sauce over meat to maintain moisture. More sauce can be added to prepared tacos.

To each street taco, add shredded meat, avocado, onion, Cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

The leftovers were fantastic and even more flavorful the following day.

Later in the week I used the shredded goose meat for an amazing breakfast. I buttered a thick slice of toast, spread on a thick layer of mashed avocado, piled on some warmed goose meat, a couple spoonfuls of warmed sauce, and topped with a runny egg. It’s life changing.