Through the Eyes of a Two Year Old

     As I grow older, the outdoors is my release.  I express that release primarily through deer hunting, planning for deer hunting, feeding deer, taking pictures of deer, and just reading and talking about hunting.  I do however enjoy forms of hunting such as dove hunting, duck hunting, squirrel hunting, and the occasional turkey hunt.  I also enjoy fishing, planting, gardening, and even yard work.  My boy Jamie is coming along nicely and I  thought this year was time to start getting his feet wet.  I feel that I need to instill a love of the outdoors and teach him what I can.  It will be up to him whether he is a deer hunter, a fisherman, a hiker, or whatever.
     Our first outing was at my buddy Matt's pond.  We picked a nice Saturday morning in June and made up a small picnic and headed for the pond.   We got there not too early.   We looked at the pond.  Thankfully the fish started biting quick and I was able to get my boy his first fish.  He got a huge thrill out of the fishing.  I taught him how to bait a hook.   We took breaks, looked at crickets and birds, and snacked about as much as we fished.   I am confident that did however have fun.  He has talked about it and its my goal to get him back fishing more this next year.
     Next was a nice December afternoon where Jamie and I got in the pickup with our orange hats on.  I carried my trusty rifle and went for a very quick sit on one of my deer stands.  It was just a quick sit.  Jamie wanted to see a deer as we watch hunting shows regularly but we were happy to see a rabbit and couple of birds.  We had a good chat and I will always cherish the memory of he and I sitting and talking under the power line.   It was a short as we got cold, so we loaded back up in the truck and headed for home.  This I am sure was fun for him and I look forward to more deer hunts with him down the line.
     Squirrel hunting is where I hope to really get him into hunting and we did go on a nice February afternoon.  Again,  we didn't go for a long time.  We probably road the 4 wheeler more than we walked.  But we did walk in the woods and saw a squirrel.  He did outwit us, but  we enjoyed sitting on a log and looking at acorns.  I got to show Jamie a couple of squirrel nests and he enjoyed when I shot my Daddy's old Stevens shotgun.  We ended the day with a 4 wheeler ride and talked a little about gun safety.
     I try to teach Jamie my values.  I carry him to church as often as I can and try to set a good example for him.  Hopefully, I will teach the value of the outdoors and maybe he will at least see why I love it so much.  All I can do is try to do what I believe is right and hopefully he will learn the things he needs to be a good steward of the land one day as well as just a good man.