Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

1481.0. "Enjoying the outdoors more every year (STORY)" by ASDG::DUFFY () Tue Nov 07 1995 11:37

    Hunting and fishing...outdoor sportsman.....
    
    I seemed to be enjoying the great outdoors more and
    more as days go by.....and I'm not sure why ????
    
    I guess this is a little story about this year by 
    the water and in the field (even though we still have 
    a few more week in the field..)
    
    I've basically fished my whole life, but started fishing
    more in my middle 20's, when I bought a brandy new Bass boat. 
    Since then the boat had to be sold 2 years ago.Started hunting 
    about 8 years ago, mainly birds, diehard bird hunter the last 4,
    since I got Kelsey (lab)..
    
    I've been a single parent of 2 for the last 2 1/2 years ,  
    1 girl (4) 1 boy (3), so it can't be I'm enjoying the 
    outdoors more because I get to spend hours on end in the
    field or on the shore, because as all parents know having kids
    cuts down on OUR play time.
    
    Lets start off in the fishing season, I got to toss my line out
    less this year than any other year in the last 10 years (take 
    away a fishing weekend in May, I only had time to make 1 cast
    for the reSt of the season..)but it was my best year fishing 
    yet...I spent the season baiting the kids rod... Put on a worm
    and cast out Breanna's rod, the do the same to Jason's, turn around
    and watch Breanna reel in her fish (I did fish in Kiver country
    all year) take her fish off put another worm on...turn and watch
    Jason reel in his fish and so on....I'm sure you can get the 
    picture, then comes the day when fishing at a small pond near 
    the house we are doing the same thing when another fisherman 
    shows up with the whole get-up, you know, all the best equiment.
    My kids are killing the kivers,with their Snoopy and Mickey Mouse 
    rods the other guy going for the trout.
    Then all of a sudden Breanna has got a fish on and it is giving her
    4 year old arms a fight, I see that it is a nice Trout, (guy 
    fishing next to us is turning grean (and not from being sea-sick
    either), Breanna asked me to help her bring in the fish, I wouldn't 
    touch the rod, I said it is your fish, you bring it in, just keep
    the rod up baby..well a minute or 2 later after quite a fight we 
    have a 15" trout on the string with a picture to remind us for many 
    years to come. 
    
    I see the kids appreciate the outdoors, they always pick up their
    trash and I have seen them (without me saying anything to them) pick
    up junk they see by the shore and throw it where it belongs. They love
    to chase bugs, looking under rocks for the special magic bait
    (salimanders (sp??) and other creepy crawling things). 
    
    I was able to take the kids camping a fair amount this year and watch
    them learn how to swim, (with life jackets on) first the older one then
    the younger one. Part way though the year I was getting tired of having
    one out in the water and one on shore. SO, I force Jason into swiming, 
    and it didn't take a whole lot, 5 min... I took him out on my floating
    lounge chair let him float for a second held on to him, assured him I
    wouldn't let anything happen to him, had him float again, grab him,
    then he pushed me away and annouced "I CAN DO IT DAD" and now he is
    a swimming fool, people would get a kick out of seeing me in my chair
    the kids floating around me and the dog swimming with us in the middle 
    of the pond, to give to dog a good workout, I would have the kids grab
    my feet, I would grab the base of the dogs tail and she would bring us
    around the pond, I can see the difference in Kelsey swimming this year,
    she is out swimming all other dogs now...
    
    By the camp fire the kids would help Dad clean up around the fire place
    (twigs and leaves) and help find kindeling (SP??), before we would start 
    a fire. They seem to really take to the outdoors, always asking "When 
    are we going to go to Mr Warren's camp again Dad". Never had to bring
    any toys for them, they always found things to do around the camp to
    keep them busy, except the one day when it rained, I decided then that I 
    should always have the back-up plan (BRING SOMETHING).
    
    September rolls around and the kids and I are watching the outdoormans
    shows on ESPN saturday mornings blowing my duck calls, shooting at the
    birds we can :*), the kids saying "DAD when can we go hunting with you"
    (something all us Dads hope to do with kids when they get older I'm
    sure). 
    
    I've had a fairly good season with up-land hunting this year, mainly
    because the dog is 5yrs now and in her 4th season, she has made great
    retieve after another (I have only been able to wing birds this year)
    her best retrieve this year is about 200yd retrieve on a pheasent. I
    winged it, it coasted about 70 yds before he went down, then my dog
    tracked it down 135 yards or so, when she caught up to it...I was
    as proud as I could be, because she did it in front of other hunters,
    when they were telling me the bird ran in a different direction...
    
    Everytime I have gotten out to do a little bird hunting, before I can
    get the dog out of the car my kids are at the door asking "Did you get
    any birds dad". 
    
    My daughter has dance class on saturday morning, and one  time I made 
    arrangments for a buddy to sleep over to get up with the kids, and a 
    neighbor to take my daughter to dance class for me so |I could do the
    duck hunting thing . When I went to pick her up, her class wasn't over 
    yet, and with the next class waiting to start (another word lots of 
    people there) she calls out as I walk into the class "Get any ducks dad" 
    well I had to admit to everybody I got skunked, you know how hard that 
    is...
    
    They want to be right next to me when I am cleaning out the birds,
    asking me what this and that is when I am taking the innards out.
    And they also go for the game feeds in a big way, they have tried
    everything, They like alot of it, some they dont.... 
    
    I was wonder why do I enjoy the outdoors so much more this year???
        
    Duff
    
       

    
       Thanks ever so much for bringing some reality and ease of mind to my
    ever intense day. As a father of two teenagers (son out of high
    school),daughter a junior I can still remember those awesome days and
    hope that someday those days will come back when the kids settle down. 
    
       Thanks again and hope you have many more days with equal enjoyment.
    

    good note! As a father of 2 teenage girls (women now), that were raised
    in a 4x4 and a tent, I can relate to both .0 and .1
    My kids "outgrew" the outdoors around 12 or 13...now they are both back
    into it as often as they can be, not so much fishing and hunting (both
    vegitarians now, and no comments about that please) but the oldest has
    her heart dead set on being an "in the field" research biologist while
    the youngest now wants to tour the US and backpack, camp and tecnical climb 
    every rock in the country. 
    
    We all still set down and look at old photo books of us camping and
    fishing.....
    
    deadhead