Hunters Feel at Home at Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast

 By Heather Haley

In 1999 a retired Norman Watson and his wife Linda (Kucera) moved to the Ideal area and thanks to Linda’s brother, Rick (Kooch) Kucera they began Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast. “We always liked it here,” said Linda. “And the bed and breakfast for the hunters just sort of happened.”

They accommodate groups of hunters from opening season until mid-December. The hunters can stay in either of  their two houses. “We used to live in that old house,” explained Linda. “There’s a full kitchen, living room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.” The house sleeps 12 hunters on any given night.

The bunkhouse is a relatively new addition to the Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast. Norman built the bunkhouse in 2004. The bunkhouse contains an open area with 8 beds, along with a bathroom, and living room area. The bunkhouse also has a deck on the back, which can be found filled with hunters and their cups of coffee each morning as they watch the sunrise and get ready for the day.

Hunters experience so much more than just the living quarters when they visit the Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast. “We pride ourselves in offering our guests a laid back and quiet atmosphere.” “A lot of the hunters are from the city, so they just like to be able to come out here and watch the sunrises and sunsets and listen to the pheasants in the morning.”

 Farm cooking is another reason hunters flock to the Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast. “We offer our hunters breakfast and a nighttime meal,” said Linda. “I learned how to cook from my mother and I like to serve a good country meal, like meatloaf and real, homegrown potatoes and corn. The hunters always enjoy the home-cooked meals.”

Although the Watson’s welcome new business, ninety percent of their hunters are repeat visitors. “We like to offer our hunters a personal touch to their stay.” “I can remember who likes coffee and who doesn’t and who likes onions in their food and who doesn’t.” It is this personal touch that keeps hunters returning to the Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast season after season.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast is the opportunity to meet people from across the nation. “We have had people from every state, except three,” commented Linda. They have even welcomed a hunter who lives in China for 9 months out of year. “He works in Texas for the other 3 months, but he always makes sure to visit us in October or November.” The Watson’s also welcome a group of lobbyists from Washington, D.C. “It is so interesting to visit with them and hear how it is to work in the Whitehouse and with the President,” commented Linda. The Watson’s have even traveled to visit their hunters. “We have taken vacations to visit them; they have become friends.” “That’s why this is so much more than the money,”  “It’s about the people and making the contacts and ensuring that they enjoy themselves.”

Linda also explained how one special group of hunters made their yearly reservations at the Owl Crossing Bed & Breakfast. “This group came one year to stay. After they had left, we received a letter in the mail thanking us for the wonderful time. The group requested to make reservations with us for the next 20 years. We told them that as long as we were here, they were welcome to stay with us. This will be their 8th year visiting us this season.” It is connections like this that make owning a hunting lodge so rewarding.