I've got 2 boys ages 5 & 3 who love to be outdoors with me...I have taken them the last few bowseasons on opening day - it's now tradition that I will never break (even if people say that's a good day to get a big buck). Also a 1yr old daughter...the door will be open for her as well. I always like to see someone get into hunting that never would have otherwise - I have a buddy I got into it a while back - scored on a small button-buck the first evening we hunted...hooked. His Dad has since taken it up as well...these are two guys that would never have hunted. Also got my teenage nephew into it recently...another from a non-hunting family...probably most proud of these and bringing 3 more to "our side."
i dont have any young folks in my life but a gal i know is becoming pretty hooked and a few buddies who havent hunted much in the past have the bug now too!
My little brother, he's a good kid. Sorry about the neck tie:d By passing my "skills", I mean passing my love/enjoyment for it. His interest has grown a lot recently
Nobody right now. My job is complete. I taught hunter safety for years and all that. I got my nephews, 3 of them, into bowhunting. A also taught a couple kids who's fathers didn't hunt and was there for their first bowkills. My final mission was my 65 year old friend who I taught this summer, gave him a bow and set him up. He shot 4 deer with my old Darton this year. I knew my job was complete when he told me, I may never hunt with a gun again. I had tried for probably 30 years to get him into it.LOL My job is complete.
Ah Fran.. we share so much in common. I see your points.. valid and clear. I know them all to well.. cause I think about them too. But then I always remember. Remember that their is no difference in that what we do as hunters or what any other man does with his leisure. Some golf fanatically.. some build cars.. others hunt. But we all have them obsessions between us all. Of money. Well.. money is a sickness all of its own. It will ruin a relationship much faster than hunting or any other obsession ever could. But the sad part about chasing money instead of whitetail dreams is.. money and how you made it will never bring you the compassion for life that hunting will. When you lay on your death bed you will realize this. Of time.. what of it? What is the difference if your sitting at home or walking the woods. Cause if your not walking the woods.. your likely sitting at home. Walking the woods at least let you live for a few more hours.. instead of dying on your couch. The point Fran.. hunting is NO different than anything else in the world that you will ever do. Whether that's family.. job.. or what ever. YOU have to draw the line and walk it. Similar to our work lives. When we're home.. we're home.. and when we're at work.. we're at work. No difference when it comes to hunting.. otherwise bad things can happen.. yes. But they can happen and will with anything you don't take in moderation. I once read an interesting story about Harry Carey (the great baseball analyst). The writer went to meet Harry for the first time to see what he was like in person as he was writing a biography on Harry. When the writer went into Harry's house he was AMAZED at what he saw. In Harry's entire home.. he had not 1 piece of baseball memorabilia. NOT ONE. And this coming from a man who spent more than 50 years broadcasting baseball.. but in his home.. nothing but the looks of a normal everyday home. The writer was stunned. And rightfully so. Harry knew that baseball would consume him if he did not leave it at it's own place. Fran.. you need to do the same. Learn to leave it in the woods.
I have no problems with what Quik said except this bogus bullcrap: "Hunting has introduced me to some grade-A losers. It attracts that certain lowly, scumsucking demographic. They bring you down. They bring everybody down. It's a reputation that precedes all hunters. The stereotypes . . . like all stereotypes - are all true. Your only defense is to walk the moral high road and try to distance yourself. I know I've had this conversation with others before. Maybe it's the unsavory crowd that hunting attracts. Maybe it's the socioeconomics of the whole situation. "
In my opinion, all the problems Quick sees are character problems, not hunting problems. If its not hunting, it'd be football, or drinking, or drugs, or welfare, or politics, or gambling, or sex... Blaming hunting is like blaming McDonald's for burning yourself on coffee. I don't intend to be mean, that's just how I see it. If it wasn't hunting, it would be one of a million other things to fill the hole. Hang in there Quick! The best words of wisdom I can offer are in the Book of Matthew 18:8-9. If it truly is that bad for you, stop it altogether!
No rugrats here so I corrupt other people's kids. I 'run' kid's archery/bowfishing ranges at several shows/events each year. Teach bowfishing at the Women in the Outdoors local event. Take out newbies bowfishing. (I'm president of the state bowfishing club so I push that pretty hard.) I'm on the board of Benefit4Kids, a charity organization that takes 'life-limited' children out on their dream outdoors experience. (speaking of B4K, I really need to get a local fundraiser going, been slacking on that) ...so, I do a bit of 'passing it on'.
I don't think the problems come from being consumed at all. They come from the "ME" way of life. It's true, it can be golf, hunting, fishing or yes even bowling. It's not being consumed with the activity that causes the problems or taking work home with you... it's the ME, MINE, I DESERVE mentality.
I'm passing my woodsmanship down to my daughter. She is going to be 10 in a month and has no intrest in hunting yet. I do teach her to respect the outdoors and leave no trace. I'm teaching the finer points of finding your way around without all the toy's people carry with them now. Fran we all have obsessions in life that's what makes us who we are. It is being able to control it to keep the other parts of your life together.It's the people that can't control it that's where the crap hit's the fan. I rather have a bowhunting addiction than a crack addiction.
