Changing times
The post on "hunting with a group or hunting alone", gave me an idea for a further thread. Perhaps there are others out there that may be in the same position. When my parents moved off the the farm and into the city we still continued the hunting/fishing lifestyle. This was many years ago before hunting was seen as an industry as it is today. I clearly remember being given a.22 cal and a couple of rounds and told to, "go out behind the grainery and get a deer". Beef was money so we used venison as our main red meat. There wasn't any hunting season as far as I can remember. It was just getting meat for the cold cellar. As I got older, now a city boy, there were very few my agethat ever went hunting at all so I continued following my dad, uncle, or grandfather out...whom ever was going. As I hit my early twenties, and while at university I met and hunted with a few but to many hunting was becoming a lost art (generations of city supermarket living). I joined hunting clubs and had the few real hunting buddies that you could always count on but by the age of the late 20's, early 30's there also came children, more family responsibilies, career responsibilities etc. and keeping in touch with all but a few hunting friends became near impossible. Add on the passing of the grandfather and a dad and uncles that no longer could get out (physical disabilities), and chidren too young to hunt I once again was mainly hunting alone. It has now come full circle. My sons are at the age to hunt (bow, muzzel, and gun) so they are my new hunting groups (along with my wife that likes to get out sometimes and watch). As a teacher I have seen that a few of myson's friends are with out fathers so I've arranged for them to take hunter safety anda couple are nowsometimes coming hunting with us. I guess I'm the old man in the bush now.As for now there are times when I do have to compete with my son's new flavor of the month forhe and his friends, being in their late teens, seem to be in the rut at all times of the year so there are those times that I still hunt alone. I'm not complaining for I'm usually more successful when I'm by myself. I know, on this forum there are many different age groups, all of whom crave to deer hunt but are there others that can relate to my changing times? I'm from Canada but I've read that states such as Texas are concerned by the lack of youth getting into hunting and all of you seasonedhunters out there justhave a little chuckle at that guy that thinks all they have to do is go to Wally-world to get outfitted, watch a couple of DVD's and he's ready to become the weekend warrior extreme. Long live the lifestyle and take a kid out hunting.