RE: Win these Scent Blocker items
My dad has been my biggest help and greatest influence in my hunting career. Though I have only been hunting for 8 or 9 years, all but one trip that I can think of has began and ended with my dad and I driving the 45 minutes from his house to our small 80 acre parcel of heaven on Earth.
Since the very first time my dad brought me in the woods with him when I was 10, he has been teaching me and helping me grow as not only a hunter, but as a human overall. I’ve learned nearly everything I know about hunting from him. Everything from identifying and using deer sign to setting up stands and, of course, waiting for the perfect ethical shot and taking it when the opportunity presents itself. My dad has also taught me how to adapt with whatever life throws at you and still keep your enthusiasm towards this great sport.
My dad is also the person who handed me my very first rifle, a small remington .243 bolt action with open sights. It wasn't much, but to a 12 year old with a passion for hunting--it was everything! I bagged 3 deer with that gun, and remember each of those hunts as if it were yesterday. I have since upgraded to a Remington model 700 .270. I took my first buck with that rifle--dropped him in his tracks actually. Before I even went down to look at my trophy, I hiked over to where my dad was standing to share the moment with him. Again, that's something that I don't think he or I will ever forget.
Unfortunately, I realize my time in the woods with my dad is not going to be forever. His eye sight has been robbed from him every day since childhood thanks to a genetic disease that has affected 4 generations of my family. Amazingly, he still insists on joining me when I venture to the woods, though I do not pose any type of argument against his company. He still cares so passionately and is so enthusiastic about my success in the field, and I don’t take that for granted.
If I could tell my dad one thing right now, I would tell him thank you and to keep his positive attitude towards life and hunting. I know that one day the Lord will provide the miracle cure to give him back his eye sight. He has been such a huge part of my hunting career and hunting experiences in general that I would hate to think of the day when he would rather just sit at home than to go out into the woods that he and I both love.