Every year about this time I get real emotional. My memories are clearer, my senses are stronger, and my outlook on life in general is better.

A long, long time ago a 1st grader was sitting in class when the teacher told him to go to the office, "your dad's here." It wasn't opening weekend, but the following Friday. I saw my dad outside the school doors and my papaw in the orange and white '72 Cheyenne. Hot dog, I was going to the lease with the men! It took a lot more trips and several years after proving my skills were superior with everything from a sling shot to the .30-.30 I fell asleep with at my side under the wet canvas of the pop-up trailer we made our home for 2 nights at a time. The memories of throwing stumps in the truck for those late night fires and listening to the north winds howl just a few hours later are bittersweet. You see I've still got my dad, but he lost his 20 years ago. We've only hunted once together since and now he's not able to travel so I give him the hunting updates over the phone. My papaw was the patriarch and pretty much taught me and the other boys in the family all the tricks we needed to know to fall in love with being outside in the great Texas Novembers. I can't imagine not knowing the feeling and having the memories of what we get to do every year about this time. Harvesting a big whitetail makes for a big smile, but I'm content with the big grin I wear even when the day is full of goose eggs. Long story to read, but I guess my point is one of the best memories I have doesn't involve pulling the trigger, just me, my dad, and papaw slow poking it down Hwy 6 to Clifton with a cooler and some really cool boots. I don't have a son to pass the tradition on, BUT I've got a couple girls and I'm gonna give it my best try! Good luck to all of you and remember to enjoy the good times.

Good post!!! Every time I go hunting I think of all the times my dad and I went!!! My dad died about 8 yrs ago and was sick for several years before that!!!

I learned on my own, my dad would rather have figured a way to make money off the land, he has never hunted or fished in his life.
Fortunately I have my own memories from the past 40 years or so hunting alone or with friends. Still great memories and hardly any of the great "recalls" involve pulling a trigger. I have often thought "what do folks that don't like the outdoors do with their time?" I mean work 5 days, sit around the house or go to a movie on the weekend? whoopie...

My Brother was my hunting partner for an awful lot of years. He died about 5 years ago with cancer. Opening day just doesn't feel the same.

But, for the last 10 years one of my Grandsons goes with me. He's 16 now. The problem is that he has some buddies that love to hunt and I will have 3 teens with me tomorrow. One has never hunted so I'll be sitting with him. I just can't turn down a Kid that wants to get in the woods. No way their non hunting parents could afford a lease. But, these guys are good with either a rifle or bow. They can skin and have the legs and shoulders off and in an ice chest in 30 minutes. The chops and straps go straight to the grille. Then they put the gut bucket and skin in my FEL and haul them off.

The problem I mentioned is that I only own 133 acres. That's way too many for land that size. I slip away to hunt during the week but haven't shot a deer in 3 or 4 years. But, that's OK. I've killed my share and probably a lot more than my share.

Over the years I've taken Kids that shot a deer and decided that they didn't want to do it again. That's also OK with me.

Great write ups ..
A lot of things swirl around in my thoughts in the blind now also..

Great write ups. I missed hunting with family and friends for many years with work. I started back with friends on a Mule Deer lease in West Texas 8 years ago now. It is my favorite hunt of the year. My love for hunting was brought on from my Dad and my Uncle who both loved it. Work kept them from hunting more but when they were off they went. If I was not in school my Dad always took us along. I had not had a real chance to hunt with my Dad till 2 yrs ago now when I made it a point to do that and get him a good buck. He never had killed a good buck in all his years of hunting. We spent 5 weeks trying to get on a buck. We hunted off and on that whole time. It was fun to be able to hunt with my Dad and we finally was able to kill a buck right after Christmas in 2012. Little did we know then that would be his last hunt. The next spring his health started effect him. He fought a year long battle till March 31st of this year. He will be missed deeply this year, but is always with me. I am glad I was able to spend almost his whole final season hunting with him in the same blind.

I often think of the men who helped show me the ropes while sitting on the stand. And such memories always seem the strongest on the morning of Opening Day. It was a time when any deer taken was worthy of bragging about, and success depended greatly on knowing someone who actually knew how to hunt them. I'm sure it's why I always spend that first morning hunting the old fashioned way in honor of those and what they taught me.

I buried my Pop on Tuesday. We made opening day every year from the time I was 6 until I was 26. He helped me hold my gun as I shot my first deer at age 7. I'm 51 years old now and time to pass on the traditions to my nephews. Too many great memories to list here. Thanks for the post!

Man Cheetah, hope you can focus on those good memories. Sorry bud.

X2 Well said.

Wacorusty. Something about this time of year in Texas fills the air with memories joyful and sad.

It's easy to get emotional thinking about the ones you love. There were two men who started me hunting when I was a little boy, my Dad & my big brother. They have both passed on, but I have lots of good memories with them and I make it a point to take my kids hunting with me as much as possible. Yeh, sometimes the senderos get a little blurry sitting in the stand thinking about them. Bittersweet memories.

My dad never pushed hunting on me...think I went with him a total of 3 times growing up...I just wasn't into it and my dad and I weren't all that close growing up. Fast forward to about 3 years ago and my finally taking an interest in deer hunting at 42. But my father and 2 brothers live back in Indiana with the rest of my family and my biggest regret being that I cannot share the experience of hunting or fishing with them, especially my father.

So I have a 10 year old son and try to share as much of that as I can with him now. One of the greatest experiences in my life was last year when I took my first ever buck with him sitting in the stand with me. Just wish I could have some of those same experiences with my dad and brothers also.

My Grandfather took the time to introduce me to hunting back when I was probably 9 or 10 years old. He never really wanted to kill a deer, but loved to be in the outdoors. I guess I can only remember 1 deer that my Grandfather ever killed. We hunted on his place in the Hill Country for what would have been 50 years this year. My Grandfather was a good man and anytime my thoughts turn to him, it makes me a better person. He provided a good example of what to be in this world for me. He took up for us and he could always bring tears to my eyes when he would say, "Son, I am disappointed in you." This time of year my thoughts always turn to him and my Grandmother because we would usually get a new pair of hunting boots before the season bought by them and get ready for hunting season by sighting in guns and building blinds. We would always load up and be at my Grandparents place on opening morning. I remember the big breakfasts after hunts and the buzz of my Grandfather's electric razor every morning. Funny how I actually remember very few hunts or deer killed, but I remember all kinds of things about my Grandparents and all of the things they did for me. Living up to his standards has left me climbing to reach a goal that I may never achieve, but thanks so much for setting the bar high and having high expectations for me.

Dad would take me after Thanksgiving dinner or I would go with his older brother. My younger brothers were never into it. My uncle passed but Dad still goes with me. Now I got my own place my brothers come out. We are making new memories with our kids and families. We are going to keep it going as long as we can.

My Dad was a crop duster, so for most of hunting season in north Mississippi he wasn't working. Since he knew every farmer for 200 miles, we always had a place to hunt, and we spent a lot of times in the woods. From early mornings in a duck blind, to freezing nights dragging deer out of the woods, he taught me a love and appreciation for the outdoors, and respect for the environment. He also wasn't afraid to tell my Mom that there was a school holiday so I could get an early start to the weekend My Dad has been gone for 8 years now, but his memories live on, and I am passing those values along to my own kids. And we do take "mental health days" to get out on the water or in the woods!

WONDERFUL THREAD......thanks and God bless.

How blessed I was to hunt with members of our nation's greatest generation, who came back from Europe and the Pacific as tough as nails. They were men who weren't afraid of anything or anyone.

Here's to my cousins that will be going on their first opening day weekend without their Dad, my uncle, the man that
taught most of our family how to hunt. My uncle was able to pass on to his grandkids the same same love for hunting
he gave his two sons and me and my brothers.

OP - Very well written. I, like many on this thread, was having very similar thoughts - I didn't read them all because I'm way too emotional this time of year to begin with, so please forgive me. Lots of folks talk about the decline of hunting, but more importantly, what these couple of nights mean in Texas is slowly dying away, what with MLD, youth weekend (I am in favor of it though), and those pointed stick guys. I wish all of you good hunting on the morrow.

Hoosier,
Invite your Dad to Texas to hunt with you or plan a trip to Indiana. It's never too late to start making memories. My Dad died when I was in college and I always have regretted not hunting with him more often.
Best regards,
Lynn

Good thread.

Most of my good memories involve hunting or fishing camp. I was lucky I guess, both my grandfathers along with cousins and uncles loved hunting. I can remember being 6 yo and sitting in the stand with dad or granddad. The smell of the army tent we stayed the weekend in, piling the quilts on because I didn't have a sleeping bag, how much better the food tasted no matter what it was, even spam. I remember the first buck I shot at our lease in Sonora. I shot a 4 pt but by the reactions of my dad, granddad and uncles, I had shot a monster. I told and retold the story around the fire from start to finish many times. I was 12 yo at the time. I remember my uncle handing me a beer and telling me I was becoming a man and was to be treated as such. With the exception of my dad, they are all gone now but the memories are there and I go back to them often.

and that's what it's all about friend....making memories with the youngsters passing on what you have been taught/what you've learned, hoping that they do the same with their kids or grandkids and keep it going. Nothing like memories with loved ones in the outdoors IMO, especially kids.