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5 Generations Gather
One of the things I always enjoy in our local newspaper is when they print a picture from a recent event that says “Five Generations Gather” and show some happy smiles of folks brought together at a reunion or wedding or something of that nature. The first thing that I notice is that it is usually women iholding the two older generation slots (probably outliving their husbands as nature seems to have it), and also that one of the family members in the 5 is a newborn infant. I mean God bless them all, but then I think now there is one hard thing to pull off in the woods or at deer camp for a hunting family.
Taking a look at the numbers involved that would more than likely put one hunter in the group of 5 into their late 80-90’s and the other within their first year or so of their life, so it sort of knocks out the possibility of 5 generations right there. I am sure we do occasionally get up to four generations out there now and then, and perhaps that is why I am such a HUGE fan of the mentored hunter program here in PA, as it may put what I call a true hunting "grand slam", 4 generations hunting together, into reach for many many more families. Even at 40 years old I realize how much getting a few year head start on the hunting career for the young one can mean alot to the hunter on the other end of the age spectrum.
BTW, If anyone has had 4 or 5 generation hunting experiences out there I should would love to hear from them on this thread.
This weekend coming up will bring me to one of those magical 3 generation moments. I am many years off of having a try at a 4 but am gald to join the many that have had the blessing of being a part of a 3 Gen hunt. I was in one once before, but I was the youngster then, now I am the middle man and I am beginning to think that this may be the most special of all the stages. Sitting next to the man that you idolize, while having the one that idolizes you leaning back on you for support. Enjoying the spring woods together and all of you having that moment in your separate lives that met at the one place in the woods, at the trunk of that tree, sitting above roots that have been there for years, I mean how appropriate oand how symbolic on how we as hunters try to blend into natures ways.
Frankly my favorite part of this 3Gen hunt aren’t the hunting itself but usually the walking out of the woods afterwards, joking, laughing, rehashing the day’s events. Makes you look across this line of hunters and well up inside a bit. I am sure my Dad gets the same chill as I do, I mean he caused it all or at least did his part to keep it rolling along. Hearing your father tell your boy “I am proud of you kiddo” is a true hunting trophy for over any mantle, even if it was for nothing more than the youth showing an unprompted act of safety or caution all on his own.
I get worked up a bit on this stuff; because it always brings me back to a memory of a man I will no longer be able to hunt with. But I continue to keep faith that he is there beside us and perhaps even his Dad is there too , all leaning up against that tree that has lived the span of all those lives as we enjoyed the wodnerment of all that goes along with such things.
You know what?, perhaps this weekend when I take that picture of my dad, my boy and I all hunting together, under it I will write the caption “Five Generations Gather” , after all I am sure they are there, I know I always will be.
Be well, Get out there and hunt! And remember Dad's don't teach kids to hunt, so they can hunt alone.
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One of the things I always enjoy in our local newspaper is when they print a picture from a recent event that says “Five Generations Gather” and show some happy smiles of folks brought together at a reunion or wedding or something of that nature. The first thing that I notice is that it is usually women iholding the two older generation slots (probably outliving their husbands as nature seems to have it), and also that one of the family members in the 5 is a newborn infant. I mean God bless them all, but then I think now there is one hard thing to pull off in the woods or at deer camp for a hunting family.
Taking a look at the numbers involved that would more than likely put one hunter in the group of 5 into their late 80-90’s and the other within their first year or so of their life, so it sort of knocks out the possibility of 5 generations right there. I am sure we do occasionally get up to four generations out there now and then, and perhaps that is why I am such a HUGE fan of the mentored hunter program here in PA, as it may put what I call a true hunting "grand slam", 4 generations hunting together, into reach for many many more families. Even at 40 years old I realize how much getting a few year head start on the hunting career for the young one can mean alot to the hunter on the other end of the age spectrum.
BTW, If anyone has had 4 or 5 generation hunting experiences out there I should would love to hear from them on this thread.
This weekend coming up will bring me to one of those magical 3 generation moments. I am many years off of having a try at a 4 but am gald to join the many that have had the blessing of being a part of a 3 Gen hunt. I was in one once before, but I was the youngster then, now I am the middle man and I am beginning to think that this may be the most special of all the stages. Sitting next to the man that you idolize, while having the one that idolizes you leaning back on you for support. Enjoying the spring woods together and all of you having that moment in your separate lives that met at the one place in the woods, at the trunk of that tree, sitting above roots that have been there for years, I mean how appropriate oand how symbolic on how we as hunters try to blend into natures ways.
Frankly my favorite part of this 3Gen hunt aren’t the hunting itself but usually the walking out of the woods afterwards, joking, laughing, rehashing the day’s events. Makes you look across this line of hunters and well up inside a bit. I am sure my Dad gets the same chill as I do, I mean he caused it all or at least did his part to keep it rolling along. Hearing your father tell your boy “I am proud of you kiddo” is a true hunting trophy for over any mantle, even if it was for nothing more than the youth showing an unprompted act of safety or caution all on his own.
I get worked up a bit on this stuff; because it always brings me back to a memory of a man I will no longer be able to hunt with. But I continue to keep faith that he is there beside us and perhaps even his Dad is there too , all leaning up against that tree that has lived the span of all those lives as we enjoyed the wodnerment of all that goes along with such things.
You know what?, perhaps this weekend when I take that picture of my dad, my boy and I all hunting together, under it I will write the caption “Five Generations Gather” , after all I am sure they are there, I know I always will be.
Be well, Get out there and hunt! And remember Dad's don't teach kids to hunt, so they can hunt alone.
