There’s something about a crisp Iowa morning that makes even the most seasoned outdoorsman take pause—the heavy quiet of CRP fields, frost clinging to last season’s stalks, and a dog’s breath swirling in the cold air. For Cray Weirich, that’s exactly the kind of morning he lives for. Whether it’s walking Fred’s 80-acre property in search of cagey roosters or fishing local rivers during a cool spring thaw, Cray’s hunting and fishing stories are built on equal parts grit, good company, and just the right amount of gear-induced frustration.
Started With A Bow
Cray’s hunting roots didn’t begin with feathers or fur—they started with a college spring break and a borrowed bow. “My cousin was in 4-H and I tagged along to his archery club. One of the older kids let me shoot a Diamond Core, and next thing I knew, I ordered a whole bow package online for like 500 bucks.” That impulse buy turned into a five-year journey before he finally harvested his first deer with a bow in 2018. “Once I felt that adrenaline rush, I was hooked. Nothing beats having a deer walk in that close without knowing you’re there.”
Earning The Kill
For Cray, success hasn’t always come quickly—or cleanly. He hunted with that first bow for years before sealing the deal. “I didn’t grow up turkey hunting or bow hunting. It was pheasant and shotgun season with family and friends. You learn as you go.” And learning meant everything from tinkering with new sights to adjusting to vertical pins. “Now that I’ve shot with a three-pin vertical, I can’t go back. It’s so clean. Nothing clutters up the sight picture.”
The Great Mud Incident
Ask Cray about his worst hunt and he won’t even hesitate. “We were duck hunting in a dry year, and I tried to retrieve a bird that landed in the mud. It was like quicksand—up to my crotch. Took me over an hour to dig myself out using my shotgun like a shovel.” He laughed about it later, but at the time, the frustration was real. “My waders still don’t zip right from the mud. That day just beat the hell out of me.”
Dog Days and Rooster Rushes
Cray’s German Shorthair, Reggie, has become part of the story. From energetic zoomies to slow, steady flushes, Reggie’s taught Cray that bird dogs sometimes know better than we do. “There was this one day, cold and snowy. Roxy caught one, then Reggie caught two roosters. They were just pinning them down. We didn’t even have to pull the trigger.” But the weather wore on both dogs. “By the end, Reggie was looking at me like, ‘Carry me, please.’ He was toast.”
Shotgun Talk and Choke Debates
Cray isn’t shy about gear. He’s put time into dialing in his Matthews Lift, experimenting with sights, and patterning shotguns (though he admits, “I’ve never patterned mine either.”). When it comes to pheasant loads, he leans on Prairie Storm and Fiocchi. “They just work. And I like a modified choke—enough spread for reaction shots, but still tight enough to knock them down.”
Whitetails and EHD Woes
Even though pheasant hunting gets a lot of airtime, deer still hold a special place. His area, Hardin County, isn’t a trophy destination on the map, but big bucks still roam. “I had one giant on camera—thought someone was messing with me at first. But he was real. Saw him once the year before at last light.” That said, the herd’s taken a hit. “EHD got rough last fall. I found five dead deer myself, and pheasant hunters said they found 20.”
The Weird and The Wild
Between electric fences shocking him mid-straddle to getting surrounded by cows on a deer hunt, Cray’s had his share of “what the hell” moments. “I had a hen pheasant knock me on my back once. Scared the crap out of me. I was like 13, walking through tall grass, and boom—she was in my chest.” And like many bowhunters, he’s had that eerie moment in the woods where your imagination fills in the dark. “I once carried a decoy out at dawn and spooked a skyline buck and doe—I’m lucky they didn’t come after me.”
Cray may not be hunting every weekend, but his stories remind us why we get out there: dogs chasing roosters, that first bow kill, birds flushing at your feet, and a few lessons hard-earned in the mud. “Sometimes Reggie gets it right. You just gotta trust the dog, even if he’s being a goofball.”
