Looking for advice
 

Well here is the deal. I am 25 years old and apparently have hunting in my blood, because I haven't had much influence from my family to start hunting. I have been hunting for the past 3 years and it has been a very slow progression to find a stable hunting area. I have finally found a permanent spot to hunt and have been finding nothing but big deer where I hunt. My point is, my father is 59 years old and claims to feel every bit of 59. He also claims to not have any interest in hunting. Although he used to hunt pretty often in his late 20s. It has been 30+ years since he has hunted and even though he says he is not interested in hunting, he repeatedly askes me about any sighting I may have had. Clearly he still gets the bug a little from seeing me hunt. I have suggested that he come and sit with me in a ground blind with a rifle and lets make the best of it but, he insist's that it is a young mans sport. My question is, how can I get my father back interested in hunting without forcing him into doing it only because he feels that it will make me happier? I want him to do it because he wants to and perhaps teach me a thing or to that i don't know. Any advice?

RE: Looking for advice
 

Good question, it's either in you or it's not. I don't understand some of my friends who don't go when they can go or are wishy washy about going. Me, it's in me, part of who I am and I'd addicted.

Perhaps bring some footage home with you from a sit? I don't know, when telling of your sits, get real excited, real emotional (if it's in you) and maybe it'll affect him more. That's a tough call and I wish you the best.

RE: Looking for advice
 

Well, only thing i can infer from what you said is that he knows that being committed to harvesting a big buck is alot of work. And he doesnt feel he has it in him anymore. So the only two angles i can see you working here are asking him for help and telling him you feel you could benefit from his knowlege, That makes most people feel good and they are then glad to jump in.The other would be telling him you would enjoy spendin some father son time with him hunting and that you would take care of all of the stand work and such for him. Either way just talked to him, see what his motivations are, feel him out, get him in the woods so he can catch that bug again.

Let us know how it turns out...good luck

RE: Looking for advice
 

My father-in-law is 63 and he hunts pretty hard. One of the things he loves is the hunting shows on TV. Might be worthwhile to buy a DVD and watch it with him.

RE: Looking for advice
 

Thanks guys, I know I could turn my father on to hunting agian! I feel like though, the more I presure him into getting out into the woods the less interested he is. I know he has it in him, he just feels like he is to old. I am a young man, and to pass judgement on an older individual is easy to do and not understand. I will definitly continue to be patient and tell him about every hunt with great excitement, which is not hard to do. Eventually, I might get him in the truck with me and manipulate him into visiting my hunting grounds. Tell him about how much of a deer sanctuary it is. Perhaps he will come around on his own and take me up on my past offers to go hunting. Perhaps, I need to let him know that I (if he dosent already assume) am going to do all of the leg work for him.