“It’s a work truck. You’re a smaht guy.” Those were the last words spoken to me by salesman Sean, through the truck window, as I drove my F-150 Heritage off the lot in April of 2004. After I rolled the window up, my wife and I looked at each other and wondered aloud what that was supposed to mean. It seemed nonsensical. We laughed and shrugged it off, but never forgot that moment. I’m not sure what made those words so immortal, whether it be their cryptic nature or because it was fun to say “smaht” in our best manufactured Massachusetts accents. Either way, they stuck with us. After fourteen and a half years, however, Sean’s absurd adieu now seems strangely prophetic. Continue reading “Product Review: 2004 Ford F-150 Heritage”
hunting
Compliance
The Deer Hunt
It was the third day of deer season. My dad, my brother, and I were done hunting and were standing around by the new blind I’d been sitting in. I glanced westward and noticed somebody in blaze orange walking straight toward us across a neighboring soybean field. Having no idea who it was and what they might want, we went to meet him at the property line. When we got close enough to each other, I could see he was wearing a badge that identified him as a state conservation officer. He introduced himself as Jeremy, we shook hands, and I invited him across the fence so we could talk properly. He asked us about the hunt and checked our licenses. Continue reading “Compliance”
About Roy and NAGC
Roy Heilman is a lifelong outdoorsman with a love for storytelling. Fishing, hunting, and foraging topics are of special interest to him, especially when those topics intersect with getting kids outdoors, public lands, and Minnesota’s natural resources. An adventurer at heart, he is always looking to do something new.
In addition to writing exclusive content for Never A Goose Chase, Roy also produces material on wide-ranging topics for newspapers and magazines. Publications where his work has appeared include American Hunter, Pointing Dog Journal, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, Whitetails Unlimited Magazine, Outdoor News, MidWest Outdoors, and MDHA’s Whitetales Magazine. He has been a freelance contributor to Press Publications newspapers since June 2021, and Mankato Free Press since September 2021.
Roy is an award-winning communicator and an active member of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) and Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). A naturally curious lifelong learner, he is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and the New England Conservatory of Music.
This website is dedicated to the idea that when we venture outdoors, it doesn’t matter if we return with a stringer full of fish, a basket full of mushrooms, a belly full of berries, or nothing at all. What does matter is that we go out, we make memories, and we make our lives richer. No matter what, it’s Never A Goose Chase.
Partner with Roy
Are you an editor, webmaster, marketing specialist, or other industry professional? Roy would love to hear from you. He is always open to new ideas and partnerships. It doesn’t matter if you have a specific proposal or one still in the brainstorm stage— Roy is a creative collaborator who brings his genuine nature and dogged determination to bear on every project. Use the contact form below for inquiries, proposals, or to request a link to a portfolio of his work.