Heading out tomorrow with my 82 year old dad: Updated, he bagged a double beard!

[busta biggun]

We hunt on a farm that is at the top of a huge hill that takes me almost 20 minutes to climb by myself. When I take him, we have to stop every 10 steps or so for him to catch his breath. In order to get the blind, 3 full-bodied decoys, the video camera, two chairs, a tripod, my gun, his gun and my 20 pound vest up that hill I have to take two trips each way. We have to leave almost an hour earlier than normal and he doesn't see too well in the dark so I have to guide him by holding his arm. When I drop him off at the blind I have to make sure he actually gets in the blind, otherwise he wanders off in the darkness and I have to go searching for him when I get back. When we are sitting in the blind he tends to talk. Loudly. He can't hear any gobbles or me talking so I have developed sign language to keep him abreast of the situation. He gets bored real quick and starts taking his gun apart just for something to do. Two years ago he fell off his chair as he was getting his gun up to shoot a turkey. I catch myself at times being impatient with him or getting frustrated, but then I remember that it was exactly the opposite scenario around 40 years ago.

It's funny how things come full circle. When I was little my dad hauled me around hunting even though it meant a lot more work for him and he shot far less game as a result of tending to me. Now I get to pay it back. I went scouting last weekend and have a nice gobbler patterned for my dad. Kansas opened on Wednesday but I have stayed away in order to increase the odds of him getting one. When he does shoot one, he talks non-stop about it and retells the story a hundred times to anybody who will listen, sometimes twice. It's when we are driving home together and he is babbling about what a great shot he is and how big his turkey was, I smile with a tear in my eye wondering if this will be our last hunt together. So I cherish each moment I share with my dad in the field. I think about all the memories of our hunts together and can still recall most of our trips. And when my 50 year old back is aching and my heart is pounding while hauling all his gear, I never have to ask myself,...."is it really worth it"?

[RussM311]

Best wishes for a great day!!

[guesswho]

I know where your coming from.  My Dad's 84, and if he want's to hunt in the toughest place we have, I make it happen.  And enjoy every minute of it.

Good luck!

[kansas hooks]

Good luck to you and your dad.  I wish I could have one more hunt with mine, so cherish each little thing with him.

[lightsoutcalls]

Hopefully you guys will have good weather and active birds.  God bless you both.

[BrowningGuy88]

Wishing you guys luck.

I have watched a bunch of toms walk off this season wondering why my granddad didn't shoot them. He always says I thought they were too far or I didn't hear them come in and they caught me with my gun down. Is it worth it? HELL YEAH!!!

He started taking me when I stood in his back pockets on his overalls and held on to the straps as he walked through the woods, so I believe I have a lot of paying back to do to catch up to that!

I am just thankful to have him there with me!

[mnturkey]

I miss the hunts with my dad and wish he was still around.
It is worth every ounce of effort you put in.
After my dad couldn't go out anymore, he was the first person I called with my sucess.
He bragged to everyone that would listen that his son got a Turkey.
Enjoy every minute of it.
Hope he gets one.

[Dray223]

I have been very fortunate to have had a dad and papaw who both enjoyed taking me hunting more then they did alone. Everything ive learned about hunting ive learned from them. this spring will mark 20 years since i killed my first turkey all the way down in sonora, TX ( live in KY) setting between papaws lap, and if the good lords willing sat morning we will be in the woods again together. When i talked to him a couple days ago he wasn't to excited about season, then i mentioned id come hunt with him he done a 360 and was like a kid at christmas time. Love it.

[headbanger]

May the good Lord and the sun shine on y'all tomorrow! Hope your pop busts a big one!

[frank1969]

take every moment and cherish them

[barry]

Savor every second you have in the woods with him.
Hope he kills a bruiser!

[tomstopper]

Good luck to both you and your dad.......

[DirtNap647]

thats great good luck

[FANMAN]

Ray, Sounds like an awesome hunt,Wishing your Father the best of luck.

[busta biggun]

Thanks Mike! And thanks to all of you for the nice comments. So I schlepped all the stuff up the hill. And tried to set the blind up but it got all tangled up. After messing around I got it up 3/4 of the way. Made a lot of noise. At daylight I hear close to 10 different birds gobbling. After a while I called in two nice two-year old gobblers. They skirted around our setup and started walking away. My dad tried shooting at the back bird but missed. I ran into the trees to see if he was wounded but he was gone. He was really dejected and feeling like he's getting old and can't shoot well. The birds were still gobbling so we got set up again. Within another 30 minutes I had birds working again. I had a hen come in and started putting so I am beginning to doubt my setup with my flappy blind and was worried that the putting would scare off the gobblers. Next thing I know I see a jake coming in. My dad has no problem shooting jakes, so I was waiting for him to shoot him. Right as he was getting his gun up I hear birds gobbling in the field right behind us. I grabbed his gun and told him not to shoot. Then the three birds came in strutting and on a string. He was so excited, and started getting his gun up way too early. I had to run the video camera with one hand and hold his arm with the other to keep him from getting buck fever and scaring them off. They kept coming and soon I had all three within 15 yards. I took my hand off his gun and he pounded the strutter. He was so excited he was like a little kid. I thought he was going to cry! He ran out to get his bird and it was nice! 3/4" spurs and two beards! One was around 10.5 inches and the other was around 6. Believe it or not there were birds still gobbling after we were standing around talking about the hunt. I put him back in the blind and walked out about 20 yards and started working a bird for me. He was getting closer and closer. just when I thought I would be seeing him soon I hear my dad, shouting about something. I turned around and saw him sitting in the blind talking on his cell phone! LOUDLY! He was calling my mom to brag about his hunt. At first I was mad because I never heard that bird gobble again, but then I thought about how happy he was and I had to smile. This was a hunt to remember for both of us.