Well guys, it was a great night of hunting but a hard one for me last night. Sorry if this gets long winded.

My grandfather, whom I was really, really, close to passed away on August 26, 2002. It was the worst day of my life, so far. I can't count the number of times I spent hunting, fishing, or riding around on the pontoon with him at the cabin. He was truly a great man. He loved life and man, did he live it to the fullest. I don't think there was anyone he ever met that he didn't care for. He was an honest man, and a man of the lord. He put others first and then himself. Family meant everything to him and could cheer up anyone on any given day. Thats why it was amazing that our family didn't fall apart after he passed. He was the knot that kept us together. December 5th would have been his 66th birthday.

Due to a test in college on the 5th, I couldn't get into the woods until the 7th. As I gathered my things, and walked through the snow on my way to my stand, I stopped. I was going to the first stand location him and I ever built a stand, something wasn't right. I felt as if I was forgetting something, and it hit me. I turned around on a mission back to my house. I walked up the steps to my bedroom and grabbed a ring. My dad and he went on an elk hunting trip not long before he passed, and they made matching rings from teeth. My grandma thought he would have wanted me to have it. I slipped on the ring and my trip felt complete. I arived at my stand.

All the timestanding on my portable,I was thinking about all the great times I shared with my grandpa, and caught myself getting a little choked up as I glanced down at the small wooden stand, now rotting away, that he and I put up.

Thats when I saw it. A red cardinal flying through the woods. My grandpa absolutly LOVED cardinals. I know that was a sign from him. I watched the bird the rest of the night. It was simply amazing.

I only saw one deer, a button buck that I elected on passing. But this was truly the BEST day I've ever been hunting in my entire life. Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy post. And if you are on who believes in prayer, if you could, please send one upstairs for my grandpa. Thanks.

Kyle

Great post Kyle. You can have some TRULY amazing thoughts and moments in the woods, that has nothing to do with killing deer, this is one of them.

Thanks for the kind words, Matt!

Kyle,

My grandpa was the same type of man, and when he passed, that too was the worst day of my life as of now. I know that I amthe person I am today because of him, and for that alone. I betour grandpa's struck up a quick friendship upstair's because that'sthe way they are.

Dennis

Well, I know mine wasn't family related, but it sounds ALOT like my post back in June or July, about deer standards. Not sure if you remember it or not. It was just something that I thought of on stand.

Absolutely Great Post Kyle!!!

Made me think how lucky i am to still have mine around and how much i am going to cherish every day of it!

You deserve to get a monster Kyle!!! Good luck to you!

Great post Kyle, this is for your grandpa.

Kyle, Great post! I was trying to think of something a little different to say about my Grandpa too. I think you just about said it all for me. I think its great how Granparents can have such an effect on their grandkids.

That was an excellent post Kyle! My heart goes out to you and your grandpa!

Sounds like my grandpa, it is this time of the year I find myselfthinking ofhim and my dadthe most. Thanks for sharing your day with us Kyle.