Do it with the kids

Thanks, to my father, I have been involved with hunting since I was 11 years old. I remember him loading my brother and me up and heading off to the woods for a weekend of camping and squirrel hunting. I don't think we ever shot a squirrel but, we had a blast getting lost in the woods.

By the time I turned sixteen, I had started hunting with a bow and arrow. My brother and I shot at everything from the house, the trashcan, to chipmunks. If it moved through our backyard we shot at it. I shot my first deer with a bow and arrow when I was in my early twenties. I can't remember the whole story but, I remember missing the first shot and somehow connecting on the second. That deer must deaf, blind, and dumb because the tree that I was in was shaking so bad that I almost fell out and my teeth were chattering like crazy.

Needless to say, my love for archery has grown. Archery is now a year round love. I am hunting for whitetail and mule deer, wild boar, pronghorn, elk, etc, etc during the fall and winter months. Springtime brings 3-D tournaments and turkey season. And Summertime bring bowfishing. I have a blast enjoying all of it.

But, what I have really enjoyed the most is watching my son, nicknamed "Bear", grow into a young archer and hunter. Bear started shoot a bow at the age of two. Matter of fact, his first kill was my rear end. Yep, he put an aluminum arrow about 1 inch into the meaty part of it! I limped around for a week or two. He started going with me to 3-D archery tournament when he was three and by the time he turned five he was bring home trophies at most shoots. When Bear was seven years old he won the "Shooter Of the Year" for the state of Alabama(cubs class) and did it again the following year. It has been very exciting watching him grow and become a proficient archer.

I also started dragging Bear with me to the wood to deer hunt. Many time I would be in a tree stand hunting for deer and he would be sitting right beside me, more excited than I was at the chance to watch me shoot a deer. We have spent many hours in the woods working on our tree stands, hunting, and just watching the clouds blow by.

A few year back, Bear was finishing up his school year with great grades and I told him that he could choose a trip to reward him for his hard work. I thought we would be heading toward Disney World but I was wrong. He pick a Texas hunt for exotics. We found a place to go and off we went. We hunted for three day for a Black Hawaiian Ram. We had several close calls and near the end of our hunt he smoked a 18 yard quartering away shot on a big ram. Bear had just taken his first animal with a bow and arrow. I wouldn't trade that animal for a Boone & Crockett whitetail. (left to right; Pop, Bear, me, and "T" dog) After that ram, the Bear was hooked by the archery bug. If he is awake, he's shooting his bow. He is now nine and has taken several big game animal, one was a several hour stalk, followed by a 26 yard heart shot!

I have had more fun helping him and watching him grow as a archer and hunter. All I can say is thanks, to Bear, for letting me enjoy it and thanks to the Lord above for giving me the abilities that I have.

So, anytime you begin to get bored with whatever it is you do, just add a kid to the mix and it will add many more chapters to the book. It doesn't even need to be your own kid.

Oh, one more think, Sweet Pea, my three year old little girl has been shooting for several months now.....and I haven't taken another arrow in the rear end.....