Watching old friends grow old, and fade
- Thread starter John Y Cannuck
- Start date
Reading these stories brought a tear to my eye. I have been enjoying the company of deer hunting with my Uncle & I know one day he will be gone. It is painful watching loved ones grow old. Gives me a good reason to get my young nephew involved in the hunt.
George
George
Thanks JYC - I've lost a few friends and family too over the last year, but it seems when I am alone in the woods, sitting still while the sun slowly rises over the trees, I am as close to those gone as I could ever be. Traditions define us.
LH
LH
Great thread!! I've never hunted from a "camp", but my buddy and I have stayed at my cabin at Crooked Lake in the Qu'Appelle Valley and hunted up on top of the valley from the cabin. Some of my best memories are being with my Dad "huntin' chicken". I am not a "trophy" hunter, so it matters not if I even get a deer. More important to me is to be able to go out and stroll around the area I've hunted in for the past 40 years, carry an old rifle, smell the air, and share the time with my buddy. Last year, we stopped and lit a fire, cooked some sausage on a stick, made a sandwich with a bun, no trimmings. Best meal, we both agreed, that either of us had eaten in a long while. Keep those camps going!!
Thanks, guys. All of you who have posted.
Some of my best memories have been spent Hunting with those who are no longer here. Makes every day in the bush more special.
Who says Hunters are heartless, cold-blooded killers?
John Spartan
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Just a little more to the right...
Great topic. Each year, part of hunting is remembering and discussing past hunts. Sad not to have those who are no longer with us, but happy to share with the younger generations the great experiences we older hunters have had so they can continue our Canadian hunting heritage. Part of what makes me and others look forward to hunting season each year.
Last year a friend and neighbour passed away on a hunting trip, he told his brother he was going to have a rest in the back of the camper as they were driving back after a fantastic week of hunting, and hours later his brother found he had died in his sleep...a few months later the brother also died.
I have a feeling he knew it was going to be his last hunting trip, and he didn't look well.
I have a feeling he knew it was going to be his last hunting trip, and he didn't look well.
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
Dad's turning 82 this year. He keeps saying that each hunting season may be the last one because he's getting old and hunting is getting harder. But at eh end of each season he puts away his rifle and then he slowly gets started putting together he hunting gear and by summer he starts planning and by fall he's ready to go again. but I know one year it will really be his last, but till then I'll be hunting with my Dad.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Hopefully, you will remember the good times, not those when they begin to have problems.
I think I didn't get shooting this year because there were too many ghosts around me scaring off the deer,
I think I didn't get shooting this year because there were too many ghosts around me scaring off the deer,
I have a great uncle that just passed away at the beginning of this year.
He was 85. This man, up until the last couple years was an absolute amazing man. You wouldnt guess his age until you saw him drive
(But thats another story)
The trail into the camp is a big muddy hill, and I dont want to walk it on my best day. You think the old bugger would ever take the quad? Nope, he'd just walk the hill. I'll never forget an 80 year old man splitting wood at my pace and busting my balls about it. (and Im not slow, just down on technique I was told)
I'll never forget the last year he hunted with us at the camp... I came walking by him in his run, and he was slumped under a rock sound asleep.
All I did was look to see if he was breathing... (Dont ask me why... just one of those things) And I guess me standing over him was a bit startling, because when he woke up, we both yelled. I scared the #### out of him, and vice versa.
It was funny as hell. This man was the most respectable man you've ever met in your life, and taught me a great many things as I kid, and growing up.
Its sad that he's gone, but we cant all last forever... Its the only thing we're guaranteed to do in life is Die. We may never be born, we may never breath, but we will die. Life is what you do between the first and last.
These people whom we hold close to our hearts whom have gone, are never gone. They're there on every trip if you let em...
One of my favourite things about hunting ever since I was a kid was the stories in camp of past present, and future members and hunts.
I would spend hours with anyone willing to tell a good story.
I hope I end up as respected as some of the folks I have had the chance to hunt with that are gone. One day, their stories as well as mine will live on...
I guess a legacy is what we live for...
Im ok with that...
He was 85. This man, up until the last couple years was an absolute amazing man. You wouldnt guess his age until you saw him drive
(But thats another story)
The trail into the camp is a big muddy hill, and I dont want to walk it on my best day. You think the old bugger would ever take the quad? Nope, he'd just walk the hill. I'll never forget an 80 year old man splitting wood at my pace and busting my balls about it. (and Im not slow, just down on technique I was told)
I'll never forget the last year he hunted with us at the camp... I came walking by him in his run, and he was slumped under a rock sound asleep.
All I did was look to see if he was breathing... (Dont ask me why... just one of those things) And I guess me standing over him was a bit startling, because when he woke up, we both yelled. I scared the #### out of him, and vice versa.
It was funny as hell. This man was the most respectable man you've ever met in your life, and taught me a great many things as I kid, and growing up.
Its sad that he's gone, but we cant all last forever... Its the only thing we're guaranteed to do in life is Die. We may never be born, we may never breath, but we will die. Life is what you do between the first and last.
These people whom we hold close to our hearts whom have gone, are never gone. They're there on every trip if you let em...
One of my favourite things about hunting ever since I was a kid was the stories in camp of past present, and future members and hunts.
I would spend hours with anyone willing to tell a good story.
I hope I end up as respected as some of the folks I have had the chance to hunt with that are gone. One day, their stories as well as mine will live on...
I guess a legacy is what we live for...
Im ok with that...
My first hunting mentor took me under his wing 10 years ago when I was 22. This is the first year we haven't gone out together and probably the first time in 70 years he hasn't been hunting. But his son and I went out for a couple days, talked about him, tried to remember things he taught us and carved his initials in the tree by his favourite stump! Just the way it goes I guess.
Just the way it goes I guess.Wow what a post !! I went through the same thing this year with my Dad and my son. This is why I took this pic. My Dad also says that this year is his last but come July he wants to know when the tags got to be in and so on. And now my son who I took hunting when he was 13 now wants to hunt with these old guys now. (something got in his way when he went through those adolescent years and now he has realized they all have one) heheeh We also found out he can cook for the older ones and do dishes. I promised not to tell his Mom. hahaha
Any way I will cherish those memories and bringing my son to carry them on when I am gone is all that I can wish for.It is also one of the reasons we all have the same first name ! I am not the young buck in camp any more go figure
[/IMG]
Wrong time stamp on the Pic !!!
Any way I will cherish those memories and bringing my son to carry them on when I am gone is all that I can wish for.It is also one of the reasons we all have the same first name ! I am not the young buck in camp any more
go figure
Wrong time stamp on the Pic !!!
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Throttle_monkey1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
well, I have hunted, not so much with the same group of guys. but, my old man runs a big game outfitting business in northern alberta. What tears me apart is seeing these repeat customers (guys from sweden, norway, and usa) who have seen me almost every fall since i was in a diaper, start fading away.
They are men, in the truest sense. RIP George Wilson. When that frail old man told me his experience in the korean war, I nearly ####. I'm 28, and what they had accomplished and survived in their lives makes me realize I have it easy. And Dagfinn, the toughest norwegian SOB you have ever seen. That man was a warrior. last I heard he succumbed to a stroke. Kurt Johansson. that stubborn SOB was chiseled from iron. poor guy had a stroke.....then he got pushed over by a homeless guy in sweden and broke both his hips a few weeks ago. 50 years ago, kurt would have hunted a bear with a knife, after using the disrespectful homeless guy for bait.
We will all face this problem of dying. I hope that when I die, I get to go doing something I love. RIP all the hunters and warriors that might be gone, but their spirits walk amongst us.
If we do it right, a seat in valhalla awaits us.
They are men, in the truest sense. RIP George Wilson. When that frail old man told me his experience in the korean war, I nearly ####. I'm 28, and what they had accomplished and survived in their lives makes me realize I have it easy. And Dagfinn, the toughest norwegian SOB you have ever seen. That man was a warrior. last I heard he succumbed to a stroke. Kurt Johansson. that stubborn SOB was chiseled from iron. poor guy had a stroke.....then he got pushed over by a homeless guy in sweden and broke both his hips a few weeks ago. 50 years ago, kurt would have hunted a bear with a knife, after using the disrespectful homeless guy for bait.
We will all face this problem of dying. I hope that when I die, I get to go doing something I love. RIP all the hunters and warriors that might be gone, but their spirits walk amongst us.
If we do it right, a seat in valhalla awaits us.
National Geographic november issue writes and claimes that man has hunted for over one million years, and that we are still very much programmed to hunt, and this fine article also claims that the idea of european hunters in North America hang their tropies on the walls, go right back to early hunters painting game animals on the wall of caves in Europe
Great post. Thanks for sitting my ass down to reflect. Although I am fairly new to the hunting scene, ( only 3 years ). I relisj the time spent with buddies, and family and telling stories to my kids about the joys of hunting and the season all togehter.
I did notice this year that the camp I have been invited to each year, does not have a photo album in it. I have decided to start on, and gather back as many photos as I can from this year and past years so that the memories and good times will live on.
The camp has lost some members, before my time there and there are members that are the "elders" that have become good friends.
I hope to continue on there, and also bring my kids into the sport as well as they get older.
Dave
I did notice this year that the camp I have been invited to each year, does not have a photo album in it. I have decided to start on, and gather back as many photos as I can from this year and past years so that the memories and good times will live on.
The camp has lost some members, before my time there and there are members that are the "elders" that have become good friends.
I hope to continue on there, and also bring my kids into the sport as well as they get older.
Dave
