Page 15 - January/February 2023 Outdoor Oklahoma

SARAH SOUTHERLAND/ODWC SARAH SOUTHERLAND/ODWC

Erika Diaz shows the American wigeon that her brother Eric bagged.
Smokey Solis and Erika Diaz make their way into the water to deploy the decoys.
Luis was extra proud to talk about his accomplishment. SARAH SOUTHERLAND/ODWC
“To me, hunting as a family gives me the feeling of
unity,” he said.
“To be able to learn and teach my sons and daughter
the respect and responsibility that comes with hunting an
animal and caring for nature is a great feeling.”
When the hunt concluded, the group hung out, talking
and laughing. Everyone shared their family history and per-
sonal stories of how they started pursuing the outdoors.
Solis talked about growing up in snowy Colorado. Eric told
about his time as a soldier. Erika, a former Los Angeles
kid, is a filmmaker and soon-to-be mother. Luis came to
the United States and quickly took to the outdoors and
has encouraged his family to do the same. Obviously, his
prompting paid off for the Diaz family.
Each person there was both proudly Hispanic and now
proudly a part of Oklahoma’s outdoor heritage. A love for
Outdoor Oklahoma is what took them all there that day, and
everyone looks forward to doing it all over again. Eric and Luis worked on blending in the duck blind.

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