texas8point

This is an article I thought was real good out of a Texas hunting magazine.

by Justin Gayle


In this hustle and bustle world we live in, time is a very precious commodity. Whether it’s the individual moments spent with family and friends or a question of how many years and days we have here on Earth, time is always of the essence; very few of us have the luxury of unlimited time.
The same is true with regards to how much time we have to spend hunting. More and more our sport takes on the aspects of a job, with tremendous resources being required. Whether it be the rising cost of leases, filling corn and protein feeders, planting food plots, or running an intensive management program, hunting is taking more time, time most of us do not have.
You may be asking right now, "What is your point, Justin?" My point is about the price we’re paying to hunt and who’s paying it. In our never- ending search for that bigger buck, what is the price we pay as dedicated trophy hunters? Could it be that we have lost focus on the important things in life? My contention is yes
continues to decline. Fewer and fewer kids are choosing hunting as a recreational activity, and we better start asking ourselves why. I did, at least for one weekend.
Young Guns In Charge
One of the things for which I am very thankful is that my father took time out of his busy schedule to hunt with me as a child. It was clear that one of his goals was to pass on the hunting heritage and his love for the outdoors to his children, and he succeeded. He instilled in me a fire for hunting that I continue to enjoy to this day, and he regularly reminds me, "The greatest gift you can give in the life of a child, is time." I’ve told my dad many times that the only way I can ever repay him for that gift is to pass it on to my children.
It takes a special mindset to make the hunting experience enjoyable for kids. Believe me, I’ve made my share of mistakes over the years, but through them I’ve learned to cut down on the pressures of hunts with kids, to let them be the boss. I began to set aside weekends we called our "Young Guns" hunts. Our concentration is on enjoying time together and letting the kids do what they want. I have no agenda other than letting them have fun. Bonding with kids is the entire focus.
The "Young Guns" call the shots during these hunts. If they want to hunt, we hunt. If they want to sleep late, I enjoy sleeping in. We leave when they want to get out of the stand. You’d actually be surprised at how well they respond to the challenge
One of my hunting buddies, Brad Adam, and I, are much alike in our devotion to teaching our kids how to hunt. Our boys are best friends and have hunted together for years. We decided last summer that this year the "Young Guns" hunt would be at the majestic Bella Vista Ranch in Webb County. Brad was game when I explained the rules and strategy of the hunting weekend to him
"Young Guns" became the theme that summer, as the boys would greet each other with a high-five on outings. They were more excited about this hunt than I had ever seen them. Brad and I relished their enthusiasm. But then a chain of events occurred prior to our November hunt, events that would, literally, rock our world.
From Bad To Worse
While performing the annual helicopter survey at Bella Vista, a crash injured Brad’s back (though, miraculously, nobody was seriously injured when the helicopter went down). I was in shock when I saw the photos of the wreckage, and thankful my buddy was alive.
Following the crash, something just wasn’t quite right with Brad. He didn’t feel well and began to lose weight. He constantly complained of pain in his back and flank. After weeks of nagging pain, he finally went back to the doctor for further evaluations and testing. The news was not good.
A CT scan revealed a large tumor in Brad’s kidney. The crash had simply uncovered what was really causing my buddy’s problems. I will never forget that phone call as long as I live. I could hear the fear in his voice as he described the findings to me, me his doctor and friend, who insisted he seek further studies. I was numb. His voice quivered as he asked, "Could this be cancer, Justin?"
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it would be. A kidney tumor the size of Brad’s and in such a young man is cancer 90% of the time.
That probability was all I could think about. "Let’s just wait and see," was my response, as we began to plan the diagnostic studies and treatment course.
The news had come two weeks prior to our scheduled hunt with the boys, and the days that followed were a blur. Within a week, Brad flew to the Moffatt Cancer Center in Florida, to see a world renowned specialist. The specialist confirmed our fears and informed the family that Brad would need extensive surgery to both remove the tumor and determine the extent of his cancer. Bullheaded as he is strong, one of the first questions out of Brad’s mouth was, "Can I take my boy hunting next week, Doc?" Taken back a little, the distinguished physician told Brad to get his things in order and schedule surgery when he was ready.
Doctors Will Have To Wait
"You’re going to do what?" I exclaimed when he told me of his plans to wait until after hunting season to proceed with surgery. Brad wouldn’t hear of missing the hunt. But as we argued, one sentence stuck in my mind. With a lump in his throat, Brad told me, "This might be the last chance we ever get to do this." I didn’t argue with him any more. I just cried and told him, "Okay, whatever you want." We reached a compromise that the tumor would come out immediately after our "Young Guns" hunt.
That night I told my young boys, Gentry and Brady, the news that "Uncle" Brad was sick and had cancer. They cried, too. As you might expect, the first question they asked was, "Is Uncle Brad going to die?" The second was, "Are we still going hunting?" Boys will be boys!
I explained the situation in detail and answered all their questions.
For a number of reasons, this would be the most important hunt we would ever share together. More important, we’d be able to share it with a Brad and his son, Colten. For the first time in their lives, I think they truly understood how precious time could be.
Now it was time to focus on hunting. I was riding pretty high, having taken the biggest buck of my life Thanksgiving weekend, and I could focus on showing the boys a great time. Reports on deer movement in South Texas were promising. I finalized my plans with Trophy Hunters and cameraman Steve Grams, who would document this memorable hunt. We all knew the hunting would be good, but now we needed to capture the essence of what this hunt meant to a group of close friends who, quite possibly, could be on their last hunt together.
Greeted at Bella Vista by Brad and Colten, as well as by another friend, Trey Malechek, and his "Young Guns" son, Ty, the atmosphere in camp was instantly upbeat. A great hunt was exactly what we all needed
Divine intervention allowed each of the boys to take tremendous bucks for the TTHA cameras. In all, four bucks were taken that weekend of hunting with Brad and Colten on their beautiful South Texas ranch. But something else happened during the three days together. There was no squabbling about who got to hunt where or who killed a bigger buck.
When the bucks were brought into camp, the kids greeted each other with "Young Guns" high-fives and hugs. The true spirit of hunting had been found. Each was pulling for the other to succeed. Score didn’t matter here.
The last portion of any hunt for a TV show is the interview, and I dreaded this one. Steve confided in me, after a barrage of emotional questions, "This can be an average show about fathers hunting with their sons, or an award winning show about life. You and Brad will make that call."
It wasn’t a hard decision. The emotions and thrill of this weekend had been about much more than hunting deer. It was about the appreciation for spending time with family and friends, not knowing what the future would bring. The smells were more intense, colors more beautiful, sunrises more breathtaking, and memories more important on this hunt.
I guess none of us wanted it to end because, truth be known, we didn’t know if it would ever happen again, but shouldn’t it be that way for every hunt we have? Who among us knows what tomorrow will bring?
We finished the interviews and packed our gear for the long trip home, the boys relishing the hunt until the very end. They had handled the situation and emotions of the weekend with amazing maturity and grace.
That weekend Brad and I both realized our sons were becoming young men.
Brad left two days later for Florida, where he faced his battle with
astounding strength and peace of mind. That was important for him. In the end, the surgery was a tremendous success, and he has since made a remarkable recovery. We’re already planning our hunts for next year
Don’t take time for granted. Take a child hunting this season. I never forget my dad’s wise words: "The greatest gift you can give in the life of a child is time." Relish the time you have with family and friends. This weekend took me to a place that I had never been; a place where score and points don’t matter. A hunt where just being there was more than enough.

—and our kids are paying the price. Recent studies show the number of hunters in the U.S. —and there’s certainly not as much whining or complaining if you’re adhering to their schedule. I’ve found this to be treasured time with my family that has helped us grow much closer.—our goal would be to promote hunting, sportsmanship, and father-son camaraderie—and the boys were thrilled when they learned they’d all hunt together. Bringing the TTHA cameras along for the ride would add to the excitement and memories of this hunt.— and that’s exactly what we got! The boys called all the shots and decided which bucks they wanted to hunt. Brad and I reminisced about our many hunts together and watched proudly as the boys demonstrated the skills they had learned over the years. There was never a minute of downtime between deer hunts, as the kids ran snares for varmints and hunted hogs at night. It was all about being together and enjoying this special weekend.— but we both know none will ever be more memorable than this one.

millagerobert

Great story and experience, thanks for sharing.
I agree with taking kids hunting, It may take away from your own hunting time, but the rewards are worth the cost. I savor every opportunity to take my little boys into the woods, and drag my cousins kids along whenever possible. The healthy benefits of getting them outside, hooking themon a hobby that teaches them patience and self realiance, and giving them something tooccupy their time and minds other than getting into trouble, will help them make positive life choices for years to come. I get more excited when they take a game animal than when I kill something myself. The size of the horns or the rug seem to matter less than the experience of being there to give a kid a memory that will last them forever.