Syracuse.com - Readers share how their fathers influenced their love of the outdoors

[HuntingNY-News]

"I love the outdoors, but most of all I love the man who taught me all about it."

The feelings are deep and heart-felt for those whose love for the outdoors was influenced by their fathers.

The following is sampling of thoughts on this topic submitted by readers in recent weeks:

"My father instilled a love of nature and the outdoors in me at an early age. It started with

watching birds visit our feeders. Once I was old enough, it progressed to hunting and fishing in the Adirondacks. It was the pursuit of these activities and the quality of time spent together, more than the game or fish harvested that mattered.

"This fall marks my forty-second yearly trout fishing trip to a pond near Tupper Lake. My two sons will be on their twenty-first and thirteenth trips and the tradition lives on. My father passed many years ago but I never feel closer to him than on these outings. I feel comfortable knowing my sons will be sitting around the campfire recounting trips with me to their kids as I do with them. I've successfully passed to them a tradition.

"My only regret was that the boys never got to go with their grandfather. Hopefully he's where he can see what has continued and feels a sense of pride. Before we head home I stand between them with an arm on their shoulders and say a prayer thankful for being together and hopeful for next year.

*Don Therre, North Syracuse

Bridget Strub, left, with her father, Brian Dwyer, of LiverpoolSubmitted photo 

"As far back as I can remember, my dad carved time out of each summer to take our family to the Adirondacks. A minimalist at heart, he found a cabin five hours away from our home that had no television, phone or bathroom in our cabin. It was there that my dad showed my brother and I the wonders of the great outdoors.

"We were regularly shown how stillness offers you a ticket to an often over-looked and unseen show. Our days were filled with canoe trips across mirror-like lakes, listening to the breeze whisper through trees and watching as nature danced carelessly about us. A man of few words, I'd often catch my dad just standing and staring, just taking it all in. It was in those moments of stillness that I understood appreciation for simple beauty. It wasn't until my dad took me up a mountain, though that I realized the magnitude of nature's beauty.

"As we stood at the summit and stared at panoramic expanse surrounding us my dad passed on to me the secret of appreciating the simple and love for the awe-inspiring, breathtaking beauty that is the great outdoors.

Bridget Strub, of Rochester (formerly of Syracuse)

"Forty years ago hunting was more of a tradition passed from father to son. It was the anticipation of opening day and Woolrich red and black plaid coats. My first deer hunt in 1969 with my father was one of my best. We saw deer but did not harvest one. My dad found the trail of a wounded deer that day and helped another hunter track it. I learned valuable skills and respect that day watching my dad unravel the sign and find the deer.

"Any crisp October morning now brings back memories of my dad and the pheasant hunts we went on. The smell of frosted goldenrod and the feel of soggy boots just added to the experience. Most times back then I missed because I rushed my shots, it mattered then, but not now as I reflect back to those days. Although my dad has passed away, he still travels with me when I hunt. His guidance instilled a passion for the outdoors that only deepens each time I go afield, hunting, fishing or even just looking for puffballs."

Tom Adessa, Auburn

"My father taught me an appreciation for the outdoors at an early age.

"As kids, my sisters and I used to fish on the St. Lawrence River with homemade fishing poles fashioned from sticks. He would take the fish off the hook of course!

"My father used to take me out to the cornfields early in the morning to watch the Canadian Geese. He also taught me how to walk in the woods silently and look for signs of deer bedding down and where they scraped their antlers on tree trunks, when the males were "in the rut." There are many more examples of how he taught me and my siblings to respect and appreciate the outdoors...too many to list here."

Melinda McNeil, Fayetteville

"Most Saturdays in the summer my father would rent a row boat at Lemon Creek, Staten Island, and we would row out onto Princess Bay to fish for porgies and fluke. This ignited my need to fish."

Bill DeForest, of Oswego

Leighton and Sue Bookhout after a hunting trip for ruffed grouse. Sue is holding a grouse.Submitted 

"Give a girl a fish and you feed her for a day. Teach a girl to fish and you feed her for a lifetime. Teach her to shoot side-by-side shotguns, run pointing dogs on grouse, chase big game, call turkeys and shoot trap, and you set her up for a lifetime of adventure.

"I am not sure if my dad realizes how much his love of the outdoors has affected my life. Not only do I have a tremendous amount of fun hunting, fishing and shooting, but the knowledge and skills that my dad passed along to me have helped me build a career and a lifestyle that I wouldn't trade for anything.

"And on those days, when things just aren't going right, or during times of hardship, loss or sorrow, I can always grab my dogs and my shotgun- or my fly rod and my vest- and head for the hills. I've learned that the outdoors has a way of making things better- a way of putting things back into perspective."

Sue Bookhout, of Cazenovia

"Our father, Jack Plumley, instilled in my brothers (Jeremiah, John and James) and I a great love and respect for the outdoors by immersing us into the sportsman's world of the Adirondacks. I suppose this was only natural as he was descended from Adirondack guides, who honed their craft (livelihood) during the period preceding the Civil War to about 1910, when the automobile rendered the guides all but obsolete.

"I cannot remember a time when we were not hunting, fishing or fur trapping. As a pre-schooler, I accompanied dad on his trap line (he mercifully left me in the truck to stay warm while he checked his traps). When we got home, we would watch him skin and stretch the fur in his woodstove-heated shop, often with his friends paying a visit to review the catch. The friendly banter (and the smell of wood and pipe smoke) are forever impressed upon my mind.

"In second grade I took my brand new .22 rifle to show-and-tell, and was, as far as I knew, the envy of the entire world . I still get a chuckle when I recall my father telling a friend, in all seriousness, that he waited until we were 10 years old until we were allowed to hunt deer alone in the "big woods" with a high-powered rifle. He wanted to make sure we were "mature enough" (brother Jim took a 12-point Adirondack buck as a 12 year old boy and dad was worried that such a trophy would spoil him for future hunts).

"Jack is now 84, and my brothers and I are all in our 50's. We still look forward to the fall when we can again gather in our remote camp for some healthful fun "taking our rifles for a walk."

Joel Plumley and Father John (Jack) Plumley in their remote Adirondack lean-to, Fall 2007Submitted photo 

"Living in the woods every fall, we learned great and rare skills, few of which are useful in the modern world, although we all are pretty good cooks. More importantly, we learned life lessons that made us good and productive citizens:

"Ethics: It is important to follow game laws, never take game that was not to be eaten, and be absolutely sure of your shot.

"Hard work: When your only heat is from wood, shelter from cloth, and water from the stream, you either work or be damned uncomfortable.

"Patience: Nature exists in a much slower time scale than modern humans, and it does not adapt to yours, you must adapt to it.

"Respect: I am in awe at how animals thrive in the wilderness, and often humbled by their ability to out-smart me.

"Confidence: When faced with a difficult decision, such as starting a business, I have asked myself "What's the worst that can happen". The answer has often been "You'll go broke and have to live in a wall tent with a wood stove................and you'll be just fine!".

"We cannot possibly thank our father enough for such a rich and dventurous upbringing, except maybe to pass on his teachings to our children. They will undoubtedly prosper from it."

Joel Plumley, of Baldwinsville

" Dad is gone now but he was a significant influence in my outdoor activities. He was a game warden in Connecticut for many years and had a wealth of knowledge about the outdoors. We camped and fished the upper Connecticut River in Vermont and netted crabs off the piling of the dock in Saybrook, Connecticut.

" We also enjoyed digging for clams, ice fishing in winter and trout fishing in local streams. He would take me early in the morning to tend my trap line before he went to work. He let me pick out my first hunting dog pup. Spotting a pheasant from the bus on the way home from school, he never questioned me when I told him " I saw one Dad!" Away we went no matter how tired he might have been. For my eighth birthday a BIG SURPRISE! He gave me a new 22 rifle! Because of Dad, I cannot bypass picking up a discarded bottle or can. "Wow! I get it; plus a 5 cent bonus!"

" My only regret is that I was not around as much to take him out in his later years due to work and marriage here in New York. Now, in my later years as a sportsman educator I can pass on to youngsters that which was passed on to me; so they might enjoy the outdoor experiences that have meant so much to me."

Moose Dibbern, of Elbridge

"Enjoy it all, Moll. The beauty, sounds, and smells. Remember to set the hook! Love, Dad." My father had those sentiments inscribed on an old USCE compass he gifted to me years ago. It is one of my favorite presents.

Molly Sartori and her dad. 

"My father is still very much alive, but our adventures in the Adirondack Mountains have become much less frequent. I've spent many happy hours in the woods with my father.

Hunting for small game... (er, taking my gun for a walk in the woods just to spend some quality time with him), trout fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing, and camping.

""I'm not sure what I've enjoyed more. Learning about nature, listening to the stories of his childhood, eating that nice warm meal after a long cold day, joking and laughing during the long car rides, catching those beautiful native brook trout, seeing wildlife, or just listening to his words of wisdom. One of the most profound things he said to me is that every little thing you do, every interaction or kind deed or word, affects somebody in some way."

"I love the outdoors, but most of all I love the man who taught me all about it!"

Molly Sartori

"I've always had a great love for the outdoors thanks to my Dad.

"Some of my best memories growing up in the 1970s and 1980s were the many camping trips he would take my brother, sister and me to the Adirondacks. These weren't your average car-camping trips, these were the real deal: canoe trips that required portaging between ponds and several miles of hiking and paddling before we set up campsite. Cooking on the campfire at night we knew we were the only people for miles and miles around. We would wake up to the sounds of loons, pick blueberries for a pancake breakfast, and then head out for more adventure with plenty of GORP and "bug juice." We would go on day-hikes up into the mountains, go swimming in the lake, or try to catch some fish for that evening's dinner.

Here is a photo of my father, sister, brother and me (eating a snack) on top of a mountain in the Adirondacks. 1978Submitted photo 

"These childhood Adirondack adventures with my father were only the beginning, they continue on to this day. We have canoed down the Oswegatchie River, explored the Five Ponds Wilderness Area, and most recently had the biggest trip of them all - to Lake Placid where I married my beautiful wife. "

Jonathan Hall, of Ithaca

"Like father, like son" is a familiar expression to most of us. I like to say like father, like daughter as many of my dad's interests have become mine. Dad taught me how to golf, garden and often shared with us his home movies of fishing trips with the boys. The 8 mm reels are now on video so it is easier for us to view them

"He did take me to Drumlins once to golf, but the laughter that came from the clubhouse after I whiffed so many times probably prevented him from inviting me on a fishing trip. I was never a quiet child,

"His favorite trips included Canadian trips with his good friend Stanley who became my sister's godfather. We always looked forward to the rainbow trout he would bring home and the amusing stories he would tell.

"It is a bit difficult for him to go on fishing trips now that he is 91, but he enjoys listening to my stories about my annual Oneida Lake fishing trip. He is always the first person I call when I make the first catch..

"As a child, I could never understand why anyone would enjoy fishing-too quiet for me. Now that I am a retired adult, I find a day on the fishing boat so relaxing, and the joy I feel when I get that first legal walleye is hard to describe.

Thank you , Dad, for so many things-family trips, a college education, good advice, and introducing me to two sports which have enhanced my retirement.

Jean Edminster, of Fayetteville

"Some of my earliest memories bring me someplace outdoors, whether it is hunting, fishing, camping, or hiking and nearly all of them involve my father in some capacity. As a child, I can remember many November nights waiting anxiously for my dad to get back from a hunting trip.

"The later it got the more sure I was he would come home with evidence of a successful hunt. In the spring and summer, I looked forward to camping trips and afternoon fishing excursions but hunting season was always the highlight for both of us.

"My dad accompanied me to my hunters safety course. At 12, I started tagging along with him in the woods. I almost certainly cost him a few opportunities, unable to sit still or stop asking questions long enough for the woods to settle down. At 14, I started carrying a shotgun in pursuit of small game but was just as happy to tag along. At 16, as a licensed big game hunter, he continued to teach me proper woodsmanship. He demanded responsibility, sportsmanship, and respect for the game being pursued and the land being used.

" Now, as an adult, I still enjoy hunting most when I am with my dad, even if we are on opposite ends of the land. Nothing is more satisfying than sharing the success of a hunt with him and I continue to learn from him, as he does from me. I look forward to passing the same passion, knowledge, and appreciation for the outdoors to my son when he comes of age and look forward to many more years of hunting with my father."

James Wright, of Onondaga Hill

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog