I love to hunt, and I’ll travel a long way to do it. Across the country, across oceans, whatever it takes. When the trip is finished, though, the animal is almost never the first thing I talk about.

It’s the people I meet along the way: in far-flung airports, foreign streets, or a gas station in eastern Russia serving pancake-wrapped chicken.

The guides who take such pride in their countries and are so willing to share them. Everywhere I’ve been, the guides and outfitters and I have shared the same core opinions about hunting and life. The places look nothing like home, but somehow they still feel like it.

The food we eat, the landscapes, the local customs. It’s a full cultural experience. And then there are the stretches of the day that had nothing to do with the shot. Those are the parts that stick.

A few of those trips are collected here.