I really haven't paid much attention to the how the youth season worked and for some reason thought that my son had all season to fill his tag. Well, Wednesday I realized that was not the case and I had better get by rear in gear or I was going to have one mad young man.
With rain in the forecast for the whole weekend I was feeling a little pressure and decided to release Big C from school this morning and try to get it done before the rain. Ya Right! That never happens but we had to try. I woke up and checked the weather and woke my son up and I have never seen him jump out of bed like that. He was excited and so was I. A renewed view on things for me as I was trying to help my little buddy shoot his first longbeard. Something I hadn't been introduced to until I was around 20 and have been ate up with ever since. It seems as though his passion is the same. He has been tagging along with me since he was 4 and now it was his turn to try to bring something home.
A short ride on the 4 wheeler and a quick walk and we were in the spot I wanted to be in after seeing a couple of good birds here a few days ago while we were dialing in his gun. After getting settled in I went over the safety rules as well has showing him the duck tape repair I made due to his grandfather not getting the gun barrel high enough and creating a 12 inch tear in my blind. After telling him this was about having fun when he was done, I was done. We were good to go and the box of 24 granola bars opened and crunching ensued. I swear to God that kid is going to eat me out of house and home.
Gobbling? None. Cold? Yes. He was ready to pack it in but didn't want to tell me. I looked at him and said some of my best days started with no gobbling at all. That was good for a roll of the eyes and "whatever Dad". I don't let him take video games in the blind because that is one reason we go out in the field is to get away from such trappings but I gave in and was going to download some game he wanted and glanced out the window of the blind and 100 yards away was a cue ball doing the mean walk to the Jake decoy. Phone got thrown down, camera got turned on and he was as cool as a polar bears toe nails when that bird was strutting in. After he made it to the jake decoy the pummeling began and the bird ended up on top of the decoy and I was about to tell the boy to take the shot and the bird got blown off the decoy with a load of #5s to the face... We sat there in astonishment and the raw emotion of a father and a son took over and it is something I will never forget.
I am truly blessed to have a father that took the time to introduce me to the outdoors and now being able to pass it down to my son with my daughter ready next year. My season is complete.
Connor went to get the 4 wheeler to warm up because he was cold and still shook up with excitement from what just happened. I am picking all the granola bar wrappers up under his chair in the blind and counted 10! Get most of the stuff put away and he rolls up and looks at me and realizes it is still early and he is going to have to get on the school bus... LOL! "Dad", he says, "yea", can we go get another tag and stay out the rest of the day... I lost it laughing, I wondered when he was going to realize he was going to school. I really don't think he cared that much, because he was so pumped.
We are taking the bird to Sterner to get it mounted. Will post pictures when we get it back. :way:
