My Dad: The Virtue Of Deer Hunting

Hunting is very valuable to me, but the value is deeper than just hunting. There are so many aspects of hunting that I love. But I cherish my bow above all of them. Having my bow with me when I’m in the stand or when I’m at my neighbor’s house practicing, gives me a since of dominance. Also brings me pride knowing I’ve worked hard and stayed committed to something I truly love. There are all kinds of animals to hunt and different ways to hunt them. My favorite type of animal to hunt, is the white tail deer. While hunting the allusive deer I like to follow a code of ethics, which a lot of people don’t follow. Even though I would have liked to be given all my hunting needs, I’m proud of myself for going out and getting those needs by myself. Buying my bow and getting into bow hunting, caused me to take responsibility and taught me to stay committed to a true value in my life.

Many people think of the bahamas, or a five star hotel when a vacation is mentioned, however that is not true for all. For those who enjoy the outdoors and nature, a nice hunting trip speak more to them. Hunting has been seen in our culture for centuries as a way of reconnecting with nature, and in todays world with the lack of predators it is used to keep nature in balance, as well as keeping in touch with our ancestral traditions.

Many people have misconceptions about hunting. One such misconception is that hunting is easy and any person can go sit in the woods and wait for an animal to cross the hunter’s path. However, people who believe this are sorely mistaken. Hunting is not just sitting in the woods with a rifle; there are many other aspects that must be considered. An individual must have all preparations complete, purchase or gather the equipment needed, and know what to listen for while in the woods.

The third Saturday of November was one filled with conflicting emotions: excitement, fear, optimism, and nervousness. The screeching sound of the alarm at 4:00 a.m. initiated a sense of panic and thrill throughout me; it was the opening day of the gun deer hunting season. Within minutes, I was dressed from head to toe in bright, blaze orange that could be recognized from miles away. I reluctantly, yet willingly, climbed into the truck to head to the hunting land in Adams County, Wisconsin. My stomach felt like it was tied into knots. My mind was again flooded with conflicting emotions. I began to wonder: will I get a deer? Will I not get a deer? Will I get a buck?

Have you ever been deer hunting before? If so then you should know the feeling of buck fever. Buck fever is when you see a deer and start to shake and get all worked up. This is the story of when I shot the biggest buck in my life.

It is a chilly, snowy, winter day that’s just perfect for the start of the shot gun deer hunting season. Gabe, with more excitement than he could contain, is spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house while Mom and Dad are slaying deer. This happens every year the first weekend in December. As he runs to the patio door, he imagines what fun he will be having for the day.

When a Minnesota dentist killed a prized African lion named "Cecil" he received an onslaught of criticism and reignited the debate concerning hunting. I hunt. I have hunted for years and I don't see anything wrong with it.  The reasons I hunt are for the meat, I think it tastes better than store-bought meat and it doesn't have any additives in it, and for the time I get to spend out in the mountains. However, there are some people who are against hunting.

I go to my dad for almost everything. When there is something wrong with my car he goes right out and looks at it. The other day I needed help with my school algebra. He had no clue how to do it. He looked up videos to try to help me. He spent 30 minutes trying to figure out how to do it just so he could teach me. Once he finally got the hang of how to do it he showed me tricks and tips he learned that I could use to make it easier for me. We sat down together and did every single problem until I knew how to do it on my own. I will forever be grateful for my father’s

I began to rebel and grades were no longer as important to me as they were to my father. My grades slipped to a C average, and that was not good enough. Instead of getting upset, my father encouraged me to apply myself. It took a couple of years, but he made me realize the importance of school, and that I only had one shot at doing it right. I graduated high school in the top ten percent of my class, thanks to my father.

“Hunting isn't just something I do, It's a part of who I am.” Is one quote I relate to on a lot of levels because my family is a huge hunting family. It was a crisp cold day, around 4:00pm my dad and I headed out into the field. Right to his friends land because of crop damage tags a deer had to be shot. With me I carried a 243 rifle, fully loaded with 4 bullets and an arm strap. The field we were hunting on was a fully grown, ready to cut soybean field, with about 4 leaning tower stands on the edges. We had been hunting there for a while and seen multiple deer but waited to see their behavior and could tell how edgy they were.

It was a crisp morning in Alaska, the wind carried snow for miles upon miles. But, the most beautiful sight was the moose feeding with his young. The day was November 28th, 2016 or as many Alaskans know the day before deer season starts. OBJ walked into the cabin with his gear. You could see OBJ’s muscles exploding from his shirt! Also, he was wearing his game uniform for some odd reason?

It’s funny that this is the subject of discussion this week. My youngest son, who is 19 and in his second year of college, told me just told me just today, “Mom, I really appreciate the way you always listen and then think before you say things. And, the way you always put yourself in someone else’s shoes instead of just getting upset with them.”

It was a Sunday. We had been hunting since Friday after school. We saw plenty of doe, but the only buck we saw was the huge one that we kicked out of Dan Herding's land on Saturday afternoon. A nice big buck with huge horns came out of the cattails. I got two shots off and Dan got three off before it ran into the shelter belt and came out on the opposite side. Dan got at least another six shots off but missed all of them.

If I thought of one word describing my father it would be "leader". My dad is someone I look up to in high esteem, whose opinions I can respect, and simply someone to go to for encouragement. However, more than that, my father embodies the qualities that a true leader should possess, and I believe that his leadership has and always will play an inconceivable role in the values that I uphold, and simply who I am as an individual. Thinking back through my childhood, I can identify three distinct leadership qualities that my father exemplifies and has helped to instill in me. Through his example, he encouraged me to take initiative in everything I do, he demonstrated how maintaining unquestionable integrity in small things as well as larger things, and finally, he showed me the importance of making an effort to help and encourage individuals I interact with.

My dad has always had to make choices and sacrifices for my own benefit. For the first four years of my life my family couldn’t afford a car. Since both my parents worked my dad had to walk me to my babysitter before work every day (no matter how hot or cold the weather