AHEA Continuing Workshops for Members

The AHEA Workshop Is The Thing

Workshop facilities are nice. A view from the corner.

One man’s perspective on AHEA Workshops

How much sense does it make to come to a workshop to learn more about the book you have been teaching out of for decades? That was precisely how the one I attended was billed. I asked my pal who went with me…”What you reckon they want us to teach? Heck, we know it by memory.”

You would probably guess right if you suspect that I wouldn’t take the time to come here only to write a gripey article about AHEA Workshops. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t asked to teach anything. Instead, I was entertained by other teachers. This was novel. It turned out that I got to compare their style with mine on, as it turned out, Hunter Ethics, and pick up some new techniques that I had not thought of. (I mean, well, naturally I’m the best and all, but even el supremo old doggy can learn new tricks, heh heh.)

AHEA Workshops are a study in organized chaos. A bunch of old fuds and a few younger ones generally swarm the meeting place having no idea exactly what they are doing there. Then, the workshop leaders, generally Ricky Moss or Stuart Goldsby, brings it all into focus like a pan of watery eggs congealing into a tasty breakfast. What you end up with is always a surprise.

Just in case you’re already thinking of bailing on me, I’ll just go ahead and bottom line it for you. COME TO THE WORKSHOPS. More than what you’ll learn, quite frankly, the fellowship and comradery you’ll experience with guys who think just like you makes it worth the drive. I look forward to each one of them and I have never been disappointed and neither will you. You’ll leave smiling each and every time, and a be a better fellow for the effort.

But back to AHEA Workshops. Did you perchance see the latest rabbit hunting article? It was a sort of AHEA Workshop. We didn’t learn a whole lot but we had ALL the fun and ALL the great eats.

Did you happen to attend the Treestand Workshop a few years ago? Let me tell you something. That thing is legendary with the guys who made it. I had to go find that page for you to look at. It’s a golden oldie, long shelved. Just five years ago from the current date… but look at how some of us still had hair. Good bribe stuff, these old pages.

Looking back over long forgotten pages here I was struck with one thing. Us AHEA guys always manage to have a ton of FUN whenever we come together. If you spreadsheet this place, three quarters of the text on here is about all the fun we had! We also spend a lot of time eating. Maybe a little heartburn. I envy you fellows who can chomp down those deadly spiced deer sausage patties and never break a sweat.

Check this out:

This is from our latest romp up in Cullman. This guy is a real card carrying chef. One of his muchachos called him “Chef Boy Ardee” but he also sometimes goes by the name of Chris Ryberg. This is him MAKING a chocolate cake. He also MADE sweet rolls, all the usual breakfast stuff, chef-like chicken salad…the real fancy kind me and you wouldn’t take the time with, plus a bunch of other things. No hamburgers and hotdogs this time. No sir! And guess what? You missed it. You didn’t come. More chiding in a minute.

But it didn’t stop there. The host, none other than Ricky Moss himself MADE a huge batch of potater salad to compliment the baked ham he brought. Baked beans…and some other stuff I forgot. We gorged on that Friday night. Ryberg didn’t truly get ramped up until Saturday (starting with fancy Norleans style chickory blend coffee). And there was more stuff.

Stuff just kind of appears at these things. All YOU have to do is just appear yourself and assimilate the in-your-gut generosity of these wonderful cooks who ask nothing for their great and good efforts for you. (But the wise AHEA attendee will lavish compliments on them.)

Did I mention that we also had a blessing before every meal? A good old fashioned hats off, thank you Jesus blessing with Amens afterwards by appreciative AHEA members basking in the glow of the fellowship. And nary a one complained or evoked a first amendment issue. We just did it.

Here is a table shot. Supper, I believe.

Here’s the skinny on who showed up. Ricky Moss sent me the particulars. Here it is verbatim as we spoke on it in email:

From L to R….

The hand belongs to Conner Crumley
The Mountain Dew can belongs to the photographer Norman Morrison
The orange hat belongs to: on head-belongs to Mike Gooch ……… on table-belongs to Clayton Spencer
The pretty purple shirt belongs to: Lynn Rager
The chef: Chris Ryberg
The coffee cup belongs to: Don Byford
The naturally curly forehead belongs to Ricky something or the nother

And the rest of the gang is…..  Harry Knight is not in any of your pictures (he’s the one who bought the pink towels that you like!)

Sam Walton- isn’t in any of your pictures, he’s the younger guy with the boot cast.

Also, Stuart Goldsby & if you wanted to include Tim Scott (the guy who oversees the house)

I heard that from a little birdy that 16 or so had committed to this particular AHEA Workshop. Not nearly so many actually showed up. Welp, that just meant more for the rest of us. We had enough eats for about 44 and since everyone attending received a collector’s vintage over and under .410 shotgun with a leather case for coming, some of us brought home two.

This is another view of our domicile overlooking the grand Duck River in Cullman Alabama…

Fellow AHEA Instructors. What I wanted to do with this article more than just rehash what we did is to inspire you to make the darned workshops yourselves. Besides whatever you might learn, they are refreshing and renewing of the spirit. We had all the fun. I’ll say this much. Stuart Goldsby our man up in Cullman told us not only about his history with the program but shared other historical tidbits as well. The guys who made the Cullman workshop know a whole lot more about how we came to be than you do. We’ll share our knowledge for a small remuneration, I’m sure.

On the other hand, if you’ll make the currently planned AHEA Workshop, wherever and whenever that is, we might just tell you all about Stuart for free. We might also explain Ricky’s remark above about his pretty pink towel set. See what you missed?

Hey, I can’t grab you up like I’d like to do and physically shake you until you say, “Awright gosh darn it. I’m coming!” You a man, (Unless you aren’t) and responsible for your own decisions. Me? I’m just tickled that I made the decision to go to the last couple of functions put on by Rick and Stuart. I’m also kicking myself for the ones I missed.

Please. The next time you get a mail saying sign up for so and so or which and which, do yourself a favor and do it. You’ll be thankin’ me. I promise.

Norman Morrison

Ed note: This article is 100% literal truth with the exception of one teensy exaggeration.