My dad was a lifetime trout fisherman and small game hunter. His dad was a casual fisherman and not a hunter, but he supported my dad in it when he was little. For some reason dad took an early interest in it. Bought him a pump shotgun and he'd just wonder about after quail and rabbits at 12 years old. He tought himself to trap and became a muskrat and skunk trapper extraordinaire, and I still have the old fiberglass spinning rod he won in the local trout derby in the late 60's.
Our family vacations were always fishing trips. Often just cabins at a trout park. We'd all gang up and hit the bell, but I'd head back out after breakfast and fish until they came and dragged me away or the bell sounded that evening. I started on a spinning rod and soon as I could hold one, and a fly rod when I was 12.
Deer hunting was something dad pretty much taught himself. He didn't start until the early 80's. A guy from work took him, showed him where deer would likely be and told him to make a stand or a ground blind. He'd build wooden stands and sit in them until the first legal buck came by (before doe days were common). Shoot it, tag it and go home. He was under-geared in the early days, and sat through some cold seasons. "I was dumb. I don't know why, but at the time I thought you had to get in your stand 2-3 hours before sunrise. It was brutal."
So that was how he taught me. He wasn't about to give up his hunt for me, and not only do I not blame him...I'm glad he just made me figure it out. "This is a rubline and it looks they trail through here. Find a place you like and make a blind." Off he walked to his stand. I wrapped camo netting around 3 trees, kicked the leaves out and sat there in a lawn chair (unarmed) while he bowhunted for the next 2 weekends. Didn't see jack crap. 30-45 minutes into opening day of gun and I shot a little buck 20 yards from that blind. 3 of us hung 4 deer from the pole that weekend. I was 12 years old. I was hooked the first time I saw the woods, but that solidified it. I picked up a muzzleoader and a bow quickly after that.
That's what it's all about. Some things are more important than school. I don't remember what I was studying in middle school, but I remember watching out the window for dad to pull up and waiting for the intercom to call my name on Friday before opening day of gun, so we could get to camp before it got late.
I've seen the sunrise every single opener since, on the same place, with the same guys. Things will change, and it it'll be hard to adjust. My dad and his buddy are my only true hunting partners I can count on. Nobody else makes it a priority like we do. No exceptions, we are there. The normal schedule is to go on Friday afternoons and come home Sunday from Oct. 1st to the end of rifle. And any weekday we can when the rut is on or the weather is nice. I have a guy that will hunt sometimes, and I might make my non-hunter buddy into a deer hunter eventually...but I guess I'll go solo most of the time eventually. Nobody is going to put in the time like I do. And that's not counting the time off season we put in. It will always be a priority over most anything to me. It was there for me when jobs and people weren't, so I'm not giving it up for either. Annoying people always tell me "your priorities will change". No, not really. Come to my camp on any Saturday night in November and tell these old farts they "never grew up" as they sit around the fire laughing and telling the same tired stories for the 100th time. Priorities only change when you want them too. If you love something, you'll find a way to do it.
^^That was a damn novel.
Our family vacations were always fishing trips. Often just cabins at a trout park. We'd all gang up and hit the bell, but I'd head back out after breakfast and fish until they came and dragged me away or the bell sounded that evening. I started on a spinning rod and soon as I could hold one, and a fly rod when I was 12.
Deer hunting was something dad pretty much taught himself. He didn't start until the early 80's. A guy from work took him, showed him where deer would likely be and told him to make a stand or a ground blind. He'd build wooden stands and sit in them until the first legal buck came by (before doe days were common). Shoot it, tag it and go home. He was under-geared in the early days, and sat through some cold seasons. "I was dumb. I don't know why, but at the time I thought you had to get in your stand 2-3 hours before sunrise. It was brutal."
So that was how he taught me. He wasn't about to give up his hunt for me, and not only do I not blame him...I'm glad he just made me figure it out. "This is a rubline and it looks they trail through here. Find a place you like and make a blind." Off he walked to his stand. I wrapped camo netting around 3 trees, kicked the leaves out and sat there in a lawn chair (unarmed) while he bowhunted for the next 2 weekends. Didn't see jack crap. 30-45 minutes into opening day of gun and I shot a little buck 20 yards from that blind. 3 of us hung 4 deer from the pole that weekend. I was 12 years old. I was hooked the first time I saw the woods, but that solidified it. I picked up a muzzleoader and a bow quickly after that.
I remember my mom coming to get me out of school because my uncle killed a 6x6 elk waaaay back in the Arizona forest, and my dad thought I should see the process of packing out an animal. Plus I had to carry the backpack full of water while everyone else had elk parts strapped to their backs.
That's what it's all about. Some things are more important than school. I don't remember what I was studying in middle school, but I remember watching out the window for dad to pull up and waiting for the intercom to call my name on Friday before opening day of gun, so we could get to camp before it got late.
I've seen the sunrise every single opener since, on the same place, with the same guys. Things will change, and it it'll be hard to adjust. My dad and his buddy are my only true hunting partners I can count on. Nobody else makes it a priority like we do. No exceptions, we are there. The normal schedule is to go on Friday afternoons and come home Sunday from Oct. 1st to the end of rifle. And any weekday we can when the rut is on or the weather is nice. I have a guy that will hunt sometimes, and I might make my non-hunter buddy into a deer hunter eventually...but I guess I'll go solo most of the time eventually. Nobody is going to put in the time like I do. And that's not counting the time off season we put in. It will always be a priority over most anything to me. It was there for me when jobs and people weren't, so I'm not giving it up for either. Annoying people always tell me "your priorities will change". No, not really. Come to my camp on any Saturday night in November and tell these old farts they "never grew up" as they sit around the fire laughing and telling the same tired stories for the 100th time. Priorities only change when you want them too. If you love something, you'll find a way to do it.
^^That was a damn novel.