One angry hunter.........

[First-light]

Well there is this guy who has hunted for maybe the last 65 years of his life. Camped at Indian lake, Catskills and hunted the Finger lakes. Has more stories about hunting then you would care to listen to. My 6 hour drive to camp would be filled with stories from the past, I've heard them a zillion times but when he tells them it's like the first time hearing them. He would wear his boots and gloves he brought back from Korea,

the tent we camped in, from Korea. After a while he didn't wear gloves and I swear he lost the feelings in his hands but he was still able to pull the trigger. He has passed down some really nice firearms and hunting equipment, each of us has something of his. Yea he is really angry right now, this will be the first year in probably 65 that he will miss the hunting season. He actually left his bride the day after coming home from Korea to hunt at Indian lake! He had to be put in a nursing home this year because he can't walk anymore. It got to a point for 24 hr care and that could not happen at home.

My brother in law has spent the last few seasons with him on opening day, getting him out to a spot so maybe they could take one more deer together. That never happened

but it didn't matter he was out in the woods. I'll miss him at camp and for sure the ride up. My gun season is dedicated to my father in law Gus. We took a lot of deer together and may I'll take another one this year so I can tell some stories by his bedside.

Be safe this year and bag a big one!

[TreeGuy]

I'll be sure to have a window view when I'm in the home if ya know what I mean. Good luck to you guys, hope all works out for the best

Too bad you could set up a webcam in your stand...

[Dad 6424]

Sorry to hear about Your hunting buddy. There is so many of the old school hunters getting to frail to hunt .I have a very dear older friend age 83 and he gets around like hes 40 dont know how they do it some times god bless them and your buddy be safe out there and good luck to all

[Lawdwaz]

Age is going to get us all someday and all we can do is make the best of it until......

I'm the 2nd youngest (50 yrs old) in our group and I can see the fire is slowly dying out in a couple of the guys. My father & uncle both would rather be in Florida!

I'm sure it'll be tough on 'ol Gus this year but hopefully you can fill him up with your stories and photographs.

I'll think of him from the stand on Saturday and have pleasant thoughts.

[ny hunter]

When you shoot the big boy this weekend I'm sure he would love to hear the story.

[Fantail]

Well, to Gus

[joe12]

Reminds me of my grandpa. He and my dad would take me hunting from the time that I was able to walk. My grandpa would be out at 5am every weekend of deer season well into his 70s. He was diagnosed with Alzheimers about 10 yrs ago, so he could not carry a gun any more. My dad and I would still bring him with us and he would sit in the ground blind with us. My grandpa passed away about 6 year ago. I now use his old 30-06 for deer hunting as a tribute.

[tughillhunter]

Reminds me of my grampa too. all he has is story after story after story. he has really bad heart issues now, and still tries to hunt. scares me because he is so stubborn. he asked me to put a tree stand up for him, but im kinda iffy on that.

[First-light]

Thanks everyone-good luck to you and your hunting party!

[nybuckboy]

It is with a heavy heart I write today.

I lost my hunting buddy on March 9 of 1999 at 9:30pm... my father. Hell or high water my father would be ready and out on opening day.

Opening day, 1999, at 9:30am my Dad sent me a doe followed by a 9pt 130 class buck which I killed at 35 yards away. Easy shot. I had not seen a deer prior to this all morning.

My Dad was always ready for opening day SZ shotgun. He was the kind of man that would name every "watch" as he liked to call them. I call them stands but you get the point.

He would be ready to go always filled with such anticipation. he had a back pack filled with every thing he may ever need... an old eagle scout and he was always prepared and he took a number of decent bucks over the years... nothing really special except a really perfectly symetrical 115 class 8 pt which was his pride.

He never did get a chance to bowhunt with me as he passes away 2 years before I started to bow hunt. He died at just 72 from viral encephalitis. I thank God he never saw a nursing home.

Funny thing is every year that goes by i am more like him... I carry a pack filled with shit I might need... I name all my stands and I have a 17 yo son who goes hunting with and really likes it but could give a shit about anything else. Oh... he is so much like was once.

Good luck this weekend, be safe and let's not ever forget these people that gave us this gift of deer hunting. Amen to all of you.

[phade]

I honestly fear that day...hopefully I've got a handful of decades to go before that point...but still. Most of it probably springs from my first job as a teen working in a nursing home. I also watched a family friend go through L.G. disease over time and it was heart-breaking.

My FIL is 63 and I'm hell bent on getting him a deer this weekend. He's the hunter in everyone's group who tries real hard but never gets a deer...the kind that overpacks, shoots well at the bench but gets nervous when there's a deer in the sights, and is always hopeful that this year is "THE" year that one drops.

In fact...I'm letting him sit in my typical opening day funnel stand. The wind be good and he's going to at least see some deer up close and personal.

My stepfather hunts with a group of guys and they're all getting long in the tooth. About 6-7 years ago one of the guys in the group never made it out of the woods. He was the older guy in the group and they found him at the base of his stand slouched over on a log with his gun in his hand - died of a massive heart attack.

I can't help but think that short of being with loved ones, that he went the way he wanted to go....in the deer woods, gun in hand, on opening morning.

Cheers to Gus - hopefully you can relive a nice buck harvest to him this season.

Edited November 16, 2011 by phade

[growalot]

It's a tough thing...I made Mr. B promise that if it gets to such a point rig up a pulley system to get me in my tallest tree stand....leave the harness at home and take the rigging and walk away ....I'd rather leave this world at the bottom of a stand after a days sit...than a slow death with no joy....

His Grandfather went out hunting one year...he was in his late 80's...with a broken neck....his cast went from his neck to his hips...we drove him to a field and sat him in a chair....Tough old bird...he hunted all week...took a buck

[Elmo]

Sorry to hear. Best of luck.

[RichZ7]

Your story makes me think of my grandfather. My grandfather was the one who got me hooked on hunting and fishing. He was more of a father to me than my own dad. I would always get excited before deer season just to sit with him as he got his gear ready to go upstate even though I was too young to go.I remember my first opening day of gun season when I turned 16 like it was yesterday. I hunted with him for years until he was diagnosed with leukemia in the summer of 1990 and finally became hospitalized from it. He passed away in the hospital in early spring of 1991. I always think of him when im in the woods. I am so thankful he turned me on to the outdoors.This is the first year of my son and I hunting together. I tell him to cherish the time together anytime he's with family and friends because life is way too short. My 3 girls aren't into the hunting scene but they do love to fish and camp. I just hope I can do as good of a job passing the outdoors onto them as my gramps did for me. Miss ya every day Grandpa. And Burt.......God Bless Gus.....I hope you have many great stories to share with him this season. Good luck

[First-light]

Rich-Grandfathers are a blessing to young boys. I can relate to your story, best of luck!

[Robinson446]

Take a video of the parts of the hunt and what not and show it to him after.

[NYBowhunter]

These are all the same reasons I cherish every hunting season, my two only hunting buddies (I'm 41) are my dad and my uncle, both are in thier mid 70's and both are slowing down a little. Yes I have other family and friends that hunt elsewhere, but these the two I share camp with and would not have it any other way. Last year was very cherishable for me as the day after opening day I spent the next couple days helping the two ole timers take thier bucks (3 and 8 pointer) out of the woods and butcher. I think my hunting pals know time is really ticking now. Its sad for me but every time my uncle shoots a deer he cries and we embrace for awhile to give thanks for another year together. I would gladly give up my days in the field to help my ole buddies to drag a deer..

Burt, Get that deer and share your story....I'm sure Gus will be very proud of you........Best of luck to all...

[Fletch]

Rich-Grandfathers are a blessing to young boys. I can relate to your story, best of luck!

That is certainly true. Learned to hunt from my grandfather, still the best man I ever new. Passed away over a decade ago. He is with me very time I hunt.

[Geno C]

one thing is for sure, it sucks getting old... sorry to hear about your friend Burt, the times shared in the woods will be ones to remember!

[joe12]

These are all the same reasons I cherish every hunting season, my two only hunting buddies (I'm 41) are my dad and my uncle, both are in thier mid 70's and both are slowing down a little. Yes I have other family and friends that hunt elsewhere, but these the two I share camp with and would not have it any other way. Last year was very cherishable for me as the day after opening day I spent the next couple days helping the two ole timers take thier bucks (3 and 8 pointer) out of the woods and butcher. I think my hunting pals know time is really ticking now. Its sad for me but every time my uncle shoots a deer he cries and we embrace for awhile to give thanks for another year together. I would gladly give up my days in the field to help my ole buddies to drag a deer..

Burt, Get that deer and share your story....I'm sure Gus will be very proud of you........Best of luck to all...

Can totally relate here. Some of my fondest memories are celebrating a buck kill in the woods with my grandpa, dad, and brother. Now it is just my dad and brother. There is no more exciting feeling to me when I hear my Dad or my brother shoot during rifle season. When I hear them whistle the all clear signal its like kids on Christmas to run and see what they got. We continue the tradition that my grandpa passed onto us - we all take a swig of blackberry brandy following a successful buck kill. Good luck to everyone.

[Elmo]

These are all the same reasons I cherish every hunting season, my two only hunting buddies (I'm 41) are my dad and my uncle, both are in thier mid 70's and both are slowing down a little. Yes I have other family and friends that hunt elsewhere, but these the two I share camp with and would not have it any other way.

No disrespect to you, NYBowhunter but your story reminded me of my situation. Last year my brother left full time service and transferred over to the National Guard so he had all the time in the world. We started hunting together pretty much every weekend. This year he started a new security position and started college at the same time so if he's not patrolling hot spots, in class, studying, then he's passed out. I don't see his schedule changing anytime soon. All of a sudden I found myself going out hunting by myself all the time. That's when I decided to become aggressive in finding new people to hunt with. All those hunting buddies people have had for years haad to start out at some point. Sure, I miss hunting with my brother but we sometimes forget that people's lives changes and life doesn't need your permission to change on you so you have to accept it, adjust to the change, and cherish the moments that we do have now.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Elmo

[GreeneHunter]

Great Stories ... Good Luck to All !

[First-light]

Well we got it done!!!! All the guys who used to hunt with Gus scored opening weekend! His son got this nice 8pt using gus's Savage 308 lever action!!!! I got a 7pt and my brother got a 4pt. Gus's grandson got a 6pt. He was real excited when we called him!!!! Thanks everyone.

[ny hunter]

Very nice!

[GreeneHunter]

Great Pics Burt !