DADS

3244 Views 23 Replies 23 Participants Last post by SpiritNugent, Nov 27, 2008

Trailcamologist

Discussion Starter · Oct 23, 2008

Quit fidgeting! Be quiet! Sit still! Pat attention! The words still ring fondly I my ears. Dad would scold me for scoping a squirrel or playing with the shiny new Buck knife at my side. I remember these early hunts as if they were yesterday.

Finally of age to join in the annual traditions of the Fall, I was green in every sense. Every skill I acquired was from watching and learning from Dad. A coal miner by trade, days off were few and far between. But the Monday after Thanksgiving was always one of them.

In my early years , like thousands of others in the “Orange Army”, we headed north. The Northern tier was our destination. Recently the farmland and woodlots of Washington county serve as the preferred haunts. Not many years have passed without fresh venison in the freezer.

Nowadays, being a father to two of my own, I realize how hard it is to balance the rigors of work, family, and play. This makes time spent outdoors all the more cherished! However the spirit and heritage of P.A. hunting will never be lost. For this I thank Dad. So heres to the Dads out there who have, and continue to, “Pass it on”! Thanks

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DAVEOTHG

· #2 · Oct 23, 2008

Amen Bonz !

Pointer

· #3 · Oct 23, 2008

I couldn't agree more. I am leaving over the weekend for our annual trip west to hunt birds and Dad is the reason I go. I will take him every year until the good lord decides that our time together is done. I am now able to give something back to him for all the things that he has done for me. I know that I can't match what he has done for me, but as a father myself, I know that he never wanted anything in return anyways.

Thanks to all of our fathers and our father's fathers who have given us what we have today..

BCozhunter

· #4 · Oct 23, 2008

Great post Clay

Every skill I acquired was from watching and learning from Dad.

In hunting as well as the rest of life!!
Thanks Dad!

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jmdb25

· #5 · Oct 23, 2008

Hey my dad still tells me these things to this day.

My dad is retiring tomorrow. Now that he has the time to hunt the way I wanted to hunt. The buck so to say has been passed on to me. Now I have limited time to hunt because of family and work.

jayd4wg

· #6 · Oct 23, 2008

I'm working on my 5 year old and the 7 month old has some growing to do before i get him out.

This year was really about being a curiosity builder for my oldest. Until this year he wasn't into it at all...he kinda took his mother's view on hunting. The wifey is okay with it as long as i'm not spending alot of time away from the family (huh?) and as long as i don't take up all the freezer space with deer meat. Oh, and no squirrels in the freezer. well...it is way past time for her to watch me man up about some of these things. I have 3 tags to fill and intend on filling all of them. AND butchering my own deer. Squaks? If i can find some this year i'll put them in the freezer. my big trophy this year will be a turkey if i can get it.

My son is a really good shot. He's too small to hold the gun right now, but we're gonna work on that next year. I think it's time for him to have his own single shot bolt 22. The way I see it, if kids are raised around guns and taught to respect them for the tools they are, then the curiosity and bad side of kids and guns never plays out. At least that's my hope. Next year, i'll try to teach him how to sneak up on things...right now it's just too dang cool to kick the leaves when you are walking

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Buckwheat Zudeco

· #7 · Oct 23, 2008

Ill always take dad with me hunting or fishing until I join him in the promised land.an he will still tell me to be still. He been gone for 15 years now.
THANKS DAD

Moss

· #8 · Oct 24, 2008

My dad only hunted squirrels. He didn't have much time to hunt working 12 hrs a day. But he did take me squirrel hunting once or twice. He's been gone now 20 years. Thanks for the hunts Dad.

iceman6425

· #9 · Oct 25, 2008

Excellent post clay, you do a great job every time you write.....

redrockhunter

· #10 · Oct 28, 2008

its 4 months today since i lost my DAD. he is the reason for my passion/obsession of the outdoors. its tough not having him here. even though he was unable to hunt the last few years. he would always call me to inquire about my day afield. we would go for all day rides in the areas we used to hunt and fish , remembering the good times. now, if i can only pass it on to my sons.

DAVEOTHG

· #11 · Oct 28, 2008

Redrockhunter sorry to hear of your loss.I know today is a rough one at 4 months (they are all rough).Remember all those good times you shared and his memory will guide you for ever.

WilySpike

· #12 · Oct 29, 2008

So true!

Swift

· #13 · Oct 29, 2008

Amen! A BIG thanks to all our Pops!

mikesdad

· #14 · Nov 25, 2008

I like to have a chat with my grandfather while I'm hunting. Tell him everything that is going on. He left me when I was 13. When I shot my first deer he told me that it must have been blind in one eye and couldn't see out of the other. He was always the jokester. Everytime it seems that we have a chat something special happens that hunt. Even though I never got to hunt with him I'm still glad for all he taught me in his stories and all he taught my dad. He was a WWII vet and he was a heck of a shot. Someday I want to take out his 30-40 crag and blast just one for ol pap then sit it up for good.

oilcrk

· #15 · Nov 25, 2008

It took me being a Dad to understand and appreciate my Dad unfortunately after he was gone I wish I could tell him I understand! and nw I use the same comments he used, makes me light heade like a flash back to long ago!
He always made the most out of the least...We always had what I needed and most of what I wanted..
Here's to old men, our greatest generation, here and gone, Green work suits, wellington boots, Vitalis, a shot and a beer, Red and Black Woolrich, Cars with 200,000 miles on them, Great Veggie gardens, Pall Mall's, Mail Pouch, Brunswager and Brown mustard; Short tempers and mens men!
Is that safety On ?!!!?!!
Gotta Love 'em
Gone 7 plus years!

Fallair

· #16 · Nov 25, 2008

Great post. I only hope to be able to pass on the great tradition that my dad has passed on to me. It's been some great years spent in the woods with Dad.

deluxe hunter

· #17 · Nov 25, 2008

My dad always like to hunt but family and work came first and when he had a chance to go him and me would go so thanks dad, my dad has been gone for 15 years and miss the days we sat in the woods together and it didn't matter if we seen anything because we were together. I am going to be a dad for the first time in june and can't wait until he or she will be old enough to with me and enjoy the great outdoors.

OutBack06

· #18 · Nov 25, 2008

Great post.. This will be my first year in the woods without my father and I'm 36 years old. I have mixed emotions about the first day. On one hand I know he would expect me to be out there so he could watch over but I know it won't be the same and that kind of scares me. Tradition at our camp has been a huge part of my up bringing and I guess I'm concerned that it won't be the same in a negative manner so to speak. Either way I'll be there just like I was in my loud snowmobile suit making snow angels before legal age (Dad loved that story)and every year since. I can re-cap every hunt with my Dad like it was yesterday. He will surely be missed. I know I need to carry on his legend with my 3 year old so it's just a basket of emotions.. Hopefully it won't be too cold and the tears will wipe off before freezing..

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wis bang

· #19 · Nov 25, 2008

This makes the 4th deer season w/ out dad. He ran the camp for 41 years, big shoes to fill. I use his rifle and flintlock every year in memory of him teaching me to love the outdoors and so much more.

Big Redneck

· #20 · Nov 25, 2008

My Dad Passed away dec 2001. He would always build a fire when we hunted deer, he could sit all day, and if things were slow he would just sit and talk softly, teaching me not only hunting but about life. I started in 1958, I was lucky enough to kill a buck the first day out. How he kept me still enough is beyond me.
The Good Lord had Dad around when my kids started hunting, man did they love to hunt with Grandpa, of course he had his hunting coat stuffed with goodies for the kids.
As Dad got older, he hunted till he was 85, he wasn't able to go deep into the woods so he would sit not far from the road and go back to his truck and get warmed up. His truck became "traffic central" everyone stopped to see who got what and where everyone was hunting.
Man what I would give to, one more time, sit on an old log, eat a sandwich toasted over a fire and listen to the Man I owe everything too tell me about hunting bunnies with a "crackshot".

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