Reminiscing on life and times spent with my Dad

[FlGunner]

I thought I would share a lil moment I had this past week….

This past weekend was youth weekend and my son (11) was fortunate to be able to take a doe. Nothing crazy about the hunt but we were riding in our hunting club here in North Florida and he was able to use his Stoeger M3020 and some 3" #2 buck to smoke a nice sized doe at 45 yds. Perfect shot and had most every pellet completely penetrated up to the off side hide. Zero tracking…a fun moment spent with my son. Well, after letting the meat sit on ice for a few days, I got out my stuff to process it. In my collection of knives, I grabbed a new to me Ontario Knife Company "Old Hickory" that my mother gave me a few weeks ago. It was my father's and is very old. I cleaned it up with a wire wheel and put a fresh edge on her. It was a tear filled but joyful time as I thought back on the memories of my dad as I worked through processing the deer. A good of man as there ever was, who took time to be a dad and involved himself everyday with me and my brother and sister. I will forever be grateful for the influence he had on me and for him taking the time to always spend time with me.

Hope you guys that have kids take time with them and make a point to be intentional with them.

 

[Beluebow]

Congrats young man! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Huntnful]

That's awesome!! Thank you for sharing! I also am lucky enough to have an amazing dad. The type of dad everyone deserves to have. Love him dearly and now intentionally cherish every hunt even more, as reality sets in, that one of them will eventually be our last together.

 

[john k]

I miss my father deeply especially this time of year during hunting season. I'm so grateful to him for being a great and loving father who taught me how to hunt, handle firearms, and to love and respect the outdoors. The memories are eternal as I keep them alive now along with my son who was fortunate to hunt with his grandfather. I truly love deer hunting but so much more when my son is with me. Like most young adults with young families he is quite busy raising children and providing for his family but we make sure there are at least 2 extended weekends during hunting season where we are in the deer woods making memories and reminiscing about my father and his grandfather, a great man and passionate deer hunter!

 

[CCAguns]

Sure miss my Dad. He was so busy working and providing for us, hunting and fishing times were few. But I still cherish the memories I have - mostly funny ones as Dad was really a novice fisherman and hunter (unlike most others Dads in these articles) so we ended up in some real comical situations. He was full of love and laughter. God, I miss him!!!

 

[MOA or bust]

My dad taught me to hunt and fish like a lot of you. He was a WWII vet and of the "Greatest Generation". Going through the Depression and a world war instilled a sense of determination and "pull together" spirit that we seem to be lacking now.
Oh and John K, could you rotate your emoji pic? I'm OCD.

 

[Rosebud]

I miss my father deeply especially this time of year during hunting season. I'm so grateful to him for being a great and loving father who taught me how to hunt, handle firearms, and to love and respect the outdoors. The memories are eternal as I keep them alive now along with my son who was fortunate to hunt with his grandfather. I truly love deer hunting but so much more when my son is with me. Like most young adults with young families he is quite busy raising children and providing for his family but we make sure there are at least 2 extended weekends during hunting season where we are in the deer woods making memories and reminiscing about my father and his grandfather, a great man and passionate deer hunter!

Is that a Florida buck? If so it's a monster. Really great buck. But monster from Florida.

 

[john k]

Is that a Florida buck? If so it's a monster. Really great buck. But monster from Florida.

It is a Florida buck. Not many like him. Rack was much bigger than body.

 

[C-130 Dude]

I thought I would share a lil moment I had this past week….

This past weekend was youth weekend and my son (11) was fortunate to be able to take a doe. Nothing crazy about the hunt but we were riding in our hunting club here in North Florida and he was able to use his Stoeger M3020 and some 3" #2 buck to smoke a nice sized doe at 45 yds. Perfect shot and had most every pellet completely penetrated up to the off side hide. Zero tracking…a fun moment spent with my son. Well, after letting the meat sit on ice for a few days, I got out my stuff to process it. In my collection of knives, I grabbed a new to me Ontario Knife Company "Old Hickory" that my mother gave me a few weeks ago. It was my father's and is very old. I cleaned it up with a wire wheel and put a fresh edge on her. It was a tear filled but joyful time as I thought back on the memories of my dad as I worked through processing the deer. A good of man as there ever was, who took time to be a dad and involved himself everyday with me and my brother and sister. I will forever be grateful for the influence he had on me and for him taking the time to always spend time with me.

Hope you guys that have kids take time with them and make a point to be intentional with them.

What I would give for another simple conversation with my dad. The hunting and fishing trips. The adventures we went on. The places and people we met. The things he taught me. His council and temperament. Just celebrated his birthday yesterday. My heart breaks every day. I miss him terribly. I am my fathers son.

 

[Turkeytider]

My dad taught me to hunt and fish like a lot of you. He was a WWII vet and of the "Greatest Generation". Going through the Depression and a world war instilled a sense of determination as and "pull together" spirit that we seem to be lacking now.
Oh and John K, could you rotate your emoji pic? I'm OCD.

Same with my dad. Navy Seabees in the Pacific. I'm sure I speak for others in saying that as he taught me life lessons about many things, to include how to hunt and fish and respect firearms, we were not conscious of the lessons at the time, nor did it seem was he. It was just " the way things should be done. " I dare say many, if not most of us, only come to realize those lessons later in life, often after they are gone.

 

[john k]

What I would give for another simple conversation with my dad. The hunting and fishing trips. The adventures we went on. The places and people we met. The things he taught me. His council and temperament. Just celebrated his birthday yesterday. My heart breaks every day. I miss him terribly. I am my fathers son.

Your not alone brother! Your words choke me up as I feel identical. 4 more days until his birthday. I will be in the deer stand with the memories, smile, tears, and my .280AI!

 

[g0cherr]

Thanks for sharing about your dads. I still have my dad but our days of hunting together are passed. 2 years ago we finally drew any bull tags here in Oregon but it wasn't quite the hunt we waited 6 years for. He was 83 then and struggled to walk very far so as the hunt came to an end he told me he was retiring the hunting rifle. Now we share memories of past hunts and laugh at our "learning" mistakes but sure miss the days together in the mountains. Choked up just writing this and reading all your stories. Enjoy every moment, they go way too quickly.