# This Forum needs a pick-me-up!



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Seems like the General Hunting Discussion forum never gets much posted on it. Seeing as this is the slowest time of the year as far as hunting goes, I think it would be fun to get a thread started talking about childhood hunting memories. I always loved to hear my dad's and grandpas' stories from when they were kids, and I think it would be cool to get a bit nostalgic with all of your stories, so let's do it up! 

I'll get started:

I remember the first time my dad let me go out deer hunting with him, as it was also the last time he hunted deer! I was probably 6 or 7, and my bro was 3 or 4. We got up really early at my grandpa's house in Richfield, ate some cold cereal, and hit the road just before sunup. It was so cold that the grape flavored gum that we had would just break into shards when we put a piece in our mouths. When we got near the area that we were supposed to be meeting my uncle, my dad stopped the truck, and hopped out to relieve himself, and just as he finished up, we heard some shots a few hundred yards away. That got my dad looking that direction, to see if any deer were coming our way. Sure enough, several does, and a small 2x3 buck came trotting through the trees right at us. Both my dad and grandpa hurried and loaded up their rifles. The deer soon saw us standing there by the truck, and took off on a dead sprint within 30 yards of us. My dad popped off one shot and missed, but on the second shot, he connected, hitting the buck in the neck, and stopping it in it's tracks. I remember giving a victory hoot after I saw it go down, and then wanted to run over to see it. Unfortunately, my grandpa said, "Oh you don't want to see that! Just stay in the truck." So I sat there watching the whole time as they field dressed the deer. I remember wanting to be close to watch the whole thing so bad that I could barely stay in the truck, but grandpa had said so, so I stayed. When they finished up, and had tagged the deer and hung it in a tree to cool, they came back over to the truck. I was still excited as ever, but not my little bro- as soon as my dad opened the truck door, my brother asked, "Dad, why'd you shoot that poor deer?" I think it really had an impact on him, and he hasn't hunted deer since. Ever since that day, all I knew was that I really, really wanted to hunt myself. My bro has since become more understanding about hunting, but still doesn't have his blue card. 

Who's next????


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## bowhunter3 (Oct 18, 2007)

I to have so many good childhood memories about hunting. I looked forward to every hunt that came up. We did everything back in the day. To hunting birds to deer hunting. I loved going hunting with my grandpa, uncle and dad. It had to be the best time in the world for a little kid. I pretty much idolize my grandpa, so anytime I got to go up and hunt with him was great. One of my memories hunting with him that stands out is a pheasant hunt we went on when. It was my first pheasant hunt so he told me that I would get the first shot no matter what, if I missed then it was fair game. So he told my dad and uncle don't shoot, let the kid have a chance. So we headed out, they explained how to shoot them, what they do, ext.. So we have been out for about 30 min. or so and all of a sudden one jumps up, I get ready, aim and ......Boom. I look and the bird is falling from the sky? Puzzled because I knew I didn't shoot, I look over at my grandpa and he has this look on his face of embarresment and apologizes. We continue the hunt, and jump another bird, same thing I aim get ready and he nailed it again, now after this time my dad and uncle look at him and they both have a little smurk on there faces and grandpa just says, well he should have shot faster. I was a little bit hurt, my dad and uncle see this so we continue and we jumped up another and finally I was able to shoot, the problem was I shot so fast that I probably came no where near that darn bird. Grandpa looks at me and says I wouldn't have missed that bird, I wasn't to amused. Dad and my uncle both laugh and told me he did the same thing to them when they were younger. I did end up getting a bird that trip, and I had the best time with the guys.


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## archery (Sep 7, 2007)

i loved the anticipation that would build and build just before deer season. then the weekend before it opened we would always drive the camp up to where we were going and get it all ready and look around for a day. then by the time it was next weekend i would never even listen to the teachers at school. all i could think of was deer hunting with my dad. and all the other extended family. we always left early on friday morning and it was better than christmas. schools would basically close on friday. one year we went up the week prior to set up an elk camp. it snowed all the way to schofield. when we got to the start of the road in , there was like 18" of snow. we had three vehicles. a truck with a cabover camper, a truck with a three horse stock rack on back , and another truck full of gear. it was so slippery that they decided to trail the horses in. that left us one driver short. i believe i was 11 years old. my dad threw me the keys and just said do it. i drove that four wheel high-boy ford up the canyon and never missed a beat. in those days there weren't elk by most every tree like now. me and another guys kid would hang around camp some. hunt with dad some and explore. the dads were huntin hard and seeing no elk. me and T.J. , had the horses one day and went riding. when we were almost back at camp . we came around a corner in the trail and there standing proudly about 20 yards away was a beautiful large six point bull. he just looked at us for what seemed several minutes. then he turned and just ghosted into the trees, swaying that nice rack back and forth between the pines like he owned the place. dads were less than happy to hear this and we had to walk them up to where he had been to prove it. many years later on a bowhunt i called a really nice bull into this exact spot and couldn't shoot him. ( spike area) . I loved those days and they built a deep well of memories in me that i can draw on often.


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

I was allowed to "come along" on the pheasent hunt on the east bench of Cache Valley starting at age five. We spread out to walk the fields and I ended up at the end of the line and the highest on the hill. My grandpa was worried I would end up falling down the hill so he encouraged me to come down to where the pheasants were. Unconvinced, as many 5 year olds are, I told him the pheasants would be higher up on the hill and I was fine. Two or three minutes later I jumped a nice rooster - my grandpa dropped with one shot. Turned out it was the only bird of the day and he let me have it.


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## girlsfishtoo (Feb 5, 2008)

Im not sure how old I was when I started going hunting with my dad, 3 brothers and my big sis, but man there sure were alot of good times. There are so many memories I dont know which would be my favorite. My dad used to take my sis and I out in the middle of the day and find a smaller aspen, through a rope around it, bent it down, put us on it and tell us to hold on tight, then he would let it go and off we would go! Hiking through the woods with my dad and sis, and coming to an opening and hearing what sounded like a bear, only come to find out it was only my brother fast asleep on the otherside of the pond. Hiking through the mountians and running into at least one moose each time we set out for a hike. Or the year when one of my brothers buddies came up with us, we had 2 hammocks that we would hang in camp. One of the hammocks was really old and starting to fall apart, so my dad told everyone not to sit in that one until he could get it fixed. Well my brothers buddy thought he was gonna be funny and sit in it anyways, well just say he wasnt on the lighter side of the scale. No sooner did he get all lounged back we heard threads start popping, soon enough he was in the dirt. We all started laughing as anyone would, he stands up and leaves the hammock. Later in the day one of my other brothers fixed the hammock so my sis and I could sit in them. Along comes my brothers buddy and finds that the hole is fixed, ignoring warnings again he attempts to sit in the hammock, this time my brother is telling me to go get the video camera. Just as the video camera gets turned on he is fully layed out in the hammock with some caution. After getting adjusted and thinking that the hammock is going to hold him he streches his arms out and folds them behind his head kinda like a pillow. Sure enough.......................BOOOMMMMMMMM!! He hits the dirt again, everyone was laughing so hard they couldn't see straight. Still to this day everyone laughs at the thought of him falling through the hammock. That next year I had a run in with the other hammocks, I tried to untie it from the tree when I lost my balance and fell off of the cooler I was standing on and broke my wrist the opening day of the deer hunt..........Nope we didnt go home, we stayed for another day and a half! I love going hunting, no matter what kind of hunting it is, its all about having fun! If we get something thats a bounus!


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