Re: Thinkin\'
This thread is another classic example of why I am here, the commonality of ideals. As a youngster on the farm we "harvested" deer, we really didn't hunt although thats what it was called. I called it harvesting because it was similar to combining wheat, wind'er up, lower the header and go. Thats how we hunted, we did deer drives.... I grew tired of family members coming up north from the city for 2 days a year to kill things and gravitated to bow hunting by myself or 1 or 2 close friends or going to other states.
Times changed as I got married, kids and career took over, soon I found myself "one of the family members who came back to the farm to kill things". I first went back for the family harvest back in about 92, things were the same. Except the younger city cousins of mine were dangerous and after I took one's gun away and threatned to beat em with it my dad stepped in and took me aside... I was livid and swore I was never coming back to this BS. I took off and went to Gramma's for lunch and cooled down. After talking with my Dad, Gramma and a few other family elders it dawned on that this was not about city cousins just wanting to kill deer (as how I veiwed it) but it was an important family gathering. It was a social time for the family to take part in just being together as my grandparents before me had done, this so-called deer hunt was about a family being together and if I didn't get with it, it could easily end. I am the eldest grandson and next in line to head up the herd.
Over the next couple of years, I just concentrated on enjoying time with the family, ensureing the ones who just had to kill something, got there fair chance. There has been great rewards in that as I have seen several cousins and 1 brother take there 1st, showed them how to dress a deer, taught them the importance of wind direction, food sources, natural funnels, but more importantly to show them that you don't have to kill something to have a great hunt and that there was far more to hunting than just shooting...
Two years ago I had one of the best times yet as I witnessed my Dad take a very nice 8pt buck, he was so **** happy as it had been quite a few years since he had a buck like this, he was like a kid. I dressed it out for him as he relayed the shot to others who came to see his deer. I finished up, my brother and I were dragging it to the truck when it dawned on me. The roles were reversed, I was now the elder hunter helping out. I did not take a deer that year, but it was the best year I had at the family harvest yet...
I realized years back that it wasn't about just killing, but it was just two years ago, I finally figured out what really matters..
Nodak
[ 11-19-2002: Message edited by: Nodak7mm ]