I've not posted to Pow Wow before but this was on my mind all night. I have piddled with making bows off and on for a number of years without guidance, help, or resources. Since finding TG in December I've jumped in and have had some little successes and lots of fun.
Recently my oldest son (20 yrs old) got hot and heavy wanting a compound. I've used a couple so I helped him select and buy a nice Bear package deal. He pledged a fraternity last year at LA Tech and his "big brother" uses a compound. I figured that was why he just had to have one.
To make a long story longer, my wife went to BPS in Shrevesport with him yesterday. He confided in her that he was trying to find a way to spend more time with me!
Well, I know wheelies are a no-no but in this case...
He's a good kid. Worked hard for me when I coached his athletic teams and so forth. I just thought he was a typical kid who resented his parents...dad. But who knows. :dunno:
Proud Pop
Stan
Take him out with the compound and be glad he wants to come! :readit:
Let him learn how fun bare bows are to shoot by borrowing yours and attend a couple trad shoots if possible. :knothead:
Eventually the forces of good will win him over to trad, but encourage him along the way!
Just my 2 cents,
Man if he wants to spend more time with you, I wouldn't care if he was shooting a rifle. Take time with your kids even if it isn't doing what you like.
I missed out on a lot of opportunities with my dad, because of a lot of reasons that now don't mean beans, but I lost that bond with him for good. I miss him and he's still alive if you know what I mean.
get him a stick bow and shoot with him.
Other than Chunky... pretty much everyone I hunt with uses a compound or a gun. If you or anybody else for that matter will not take a kid hunting because he has a compound...... well I juist don't know what to say.
:knothead:
That is just sad
I am in agreement with those who say the trad thing will come in time.....
But in the meantime, who cares what you are shooting?
He wants to spend time with you, that is the main thing!! and at 20!!! I have a 13 yr old who doesn't like to do half the stuff I do. So I do what he likes to do just to spend time with him.
You are blessed in this case......don't let the bow thing put a stumbling block in there.
Go buy a compound off of craigslist, and have fun with him. Or go shoot your trad with him, he may be surprised at how well you shoot, and the interest will be sparked that way.
Congrats on him wanting to spend time with you.
Farmer
It's all about your relationship with him, not the kind of bow he shoots. I know lots of trad archers I would not want to hang with and there are a bunch of compound guys I would love to hang with. It's about the person, not his choice of weapon.
Hunt with him, however and whenever you can!
Who cares if he is shooting a compound? Trad is not for everyone, but who knows he just might end up a trad man after a few years. By the way, if need be hang up your trad for a while and pick up a compound if that is what will enable you to spend time with your son.
With a dad thinking in the positive way's you are thinking, nothing could be better for him (and you) than that time together. It doesn't matter what he's packing as long as the relationship grows. Of course you'll have opportunity to comment on your bow choice vs. his choice. Maybe you like the simplicity of the traditional equipment. Maybe traditional reminds you of your start in archery or someone in archery. Maybe you like the idea that game has to be even closer with traditional. Maybe its the sweep of the recurve limbs (If you like longbows I can't help you explain that deranged... ---- sorry I couldn't help but to josh with you a bit there). The point is, as you already know, the choice your son is making is far more important than the archery part of this deal.
My dad is gone now. However, when I walk in the squirrel woods his instructive presence is very strong. If I see a pile of freshly pulled leaves covering something on the trail that dad walked, I'm very careful not to step in it -- he about threw up laughing the time I did!
My son is 31 years old now. We went through all the sports -- I coached him (baseball) from 5 to 17 years old. We've been shooting archery since he was 5 also. We bowhunt together. When I began tinkering with traditional again, he wanted to also. He lives close to me. His sister lives an ocean away but we (and my wife of 32 years) are very close because we spent lots of time together. I can't imagine going through life regretting not having spent enough time with my kids.
my son hunts with a wheelbow and I don't disown him for it. he is 21 and with work, school, girls and so forth he just dosen't have the time to practice with his vintage Bear to be comfortable to take an animal like he can with the wheelie. he can grad the wheeler and hit the stand with confidence he can make a lethal shot. I'm just glad he can go every now and then. anytime you can spend with your child is time well spent.
Yup, who cares what he shoots, who cares if he ever even picks up a trad bow, just spend time with your youngen! Ya'll sure are blessed that you want to spend time with each other. Just run with it and thank God for the situtation you are enjoying. :thumbsup:
most of my friends shoot compounds, my father shoots rifle, my little brother doesn't even like hunting very much.
But WE ALL love spend time toghether in the outdoors, so who cares, trad archery is not for everyone I guess.
Everyone I hunt with except my brother uses a compound and he just started with a recurve last year. Shooting trad bows requires a lot of time and practice, especially in the beginning. Not everybody has the time or desire. Sharing time in the outdoors is about a lot more than equipment choice.
Brothers and I shoot trad but Dad still carries a compound. I don't think we've ever talked about the difference in our equipment. We all kill deer just the same. Only difference is he practices alot less than we do.
I do however have a brother-in-law that shoots a compound and we rib him mercilessly. "Hey! Lose the training wheels! Did that come with a free oil change?" He's a great guy and takes it like it was meant... just for fun.
Thanks for the responses, guys. I'm all for hunting in any capacity pretty much. I just didn't realize HE was thinking about the togetherness. We've been hunting together since he was 4. I'd take a blanket and lay him on it when he went to sleep. Then I'd hope a deer wouldn't come so the shot wouldn't scare him. LOL! I coached his baseball, soccer, basketball, and HS football teams. I didn't know he was missing me.
Stan
Stan,
That's terrific! Sometimes as the kids get older and take on different interests and activities we might think they don't value the time with us they used to. As they get older the kids might not even be as comfortable being open and frank with us (especially us dads) and sharing exactly what's on their minds. Seems like he was hoping Mom would pass on his desire to you.
You are reaping what you sowed -- you spent the time with him and he will always cherish and remember. These days when my granson says, "Papaw, come play with me" I jump to do so. Sometimes I'd rather keep on doing what I was doing but I quickly remember he won't be 7 for long. And maybe I won't always be able to answer the call.
The little fellow accepted Jesus as his Savior two weeks ago and was baptized yesterday. He did what so many adults have a hard time doing - he let his heart march those little legs all the way to the front of the church, solo. At lunch he described the day as the best in his life. Wow, out of the mouths of babes!
Stan, you are a Lucky, Blessed man. Spend all the time with your son you can, on whatever terms it requires, and cherish every second of it. Life is way too short. You obviously have been a great Father for your boy to want more time with you. Father/Son relationships can be a hard road, I know mine has been with my Dad. It's the biggest regret of my life. It makes me feel good to hear of yours with your son. Thanks for sharing!
my dad ran off when i was seven and never looked back.spend time with your boys no matter what it takes
QuoteOriginally posted by red hill:
Thanks for the responses, guys. I'm all for hunting in any capacity pretty much. I just didn't realize HE was thinking about the togetherness. We've been hunting together since he was 4. I'd take a blanket and lay him on it when he went to sleep. Then I'd hope a deer wouldn't come so the shot wouldn't scare him. LOL! I coached his baseball, soccer, basketball, and HS football teams. I didn't know he was missing me.
Stan
And that is what it is all about right there! Trad or not! :clapper:
My sons only 4 now but having him WANT to hunt with me would be an incredible thing. Your a lucky man. Who cares about the compound!! When you think about it we're the weirdos out there with the silly little wooden bows and arrows!
Sir, I had a similar situation with my son. I thought him how to shoot and darn if he didn't win a state championship in his age group. Then all of a sudden he gave it up and didn't want to have any thing to do with me. That really hurt I have to tell you it took me along time to get over it. Well to make along story short he joined the US Army and he just got back from a 9+ month tour in Iraq. He called me and said dad I want to start shooting with you again. So we met at Denton Hill last month and had a blast. All I'm saying is even if he wants to shoot a slingshot so he can be with you take him. You will never regret it. It was a 10 year span since my son and I last shot together. I have tears in my eyes cause I couldn't be happier and I have the zeal to shoot again. Mike in Ohio
If anybody would fault you for spending time hunting with your kid or anybody for that matter that shoots a compound, they have either forgot or never knew what the outdoors are all about.
I don't particularly like playing with barbies, but when my 4 yo daughter asks me too, I do it. There will come a day when she is too busy to spend time with dear old dad and I want to be able to say that I took every possible opportunity to play and spend time with her when she was growing up.
Have fun with your son this fall, and never let someone else determine what is quality time for you and your family.
My son and I hunt together every opportunity we get--which is not often since Mom and I live in WV and he lives in Indiana and has recently come to own his own optometry practice in Bluffton, Indiana and is very busy. But we do get a couple of times a year to hunt and those times are priceless. He hunts with a compound and I recently helped him pick out a new one (his old one he's been using for 20 years now). I was more than happy to do that and love the fact that he still wants to hunt with Dad. One week last season he took two days off to hunt. The first morning my phone rang at 8:00 AM as I prepared to leave for work--it was my son. When I asked what he was doing he told me that he was standing by a corn field watching the best buck he had ever seen in the woods--and it had his arrow in it! He called dad before he even went to his deer. That was priceless! Would I have been any happier if it had been shot with a trad bow? Not a bit! One happy dad here :) . He's 39 years old now and calls me often to report on a new spot he's found to hunt this fall.
Just spend time with him. My number one hunting partner is my Dad, who cares what he is hunting with.
Scott
let them shoot what they want,they wont take our advice till they learn for themselves anyway. Besides you can never get tired of hearing "you were rite Dad"...LOL
This is interesting to me, because Dad and I are pretty close. I hunt with my stick and he hunts with a compound, I just wonder what would have happened if he had not been so supportive of my choice, I think he had his doughts at first, but that first hunt I killed a deer, so any dought was gone after that.
I think the advice above about not downing his choice is critical, a compound hunter/shooter is better than no hunter/shooter!
There is no better feeling in the world then spending time with your kids on a hunt. Everyone has their own weapon choice, who cares? Savor the moment. Its not going to be too long before you will say "I should have" "If I only knew" and so on. You are lucky, take advantage of it while you still can.
I have 3 of my nephews hunting with me this weekeed and all are shooting wheels. I am just happy that they would rather hunt than play video games. One I had shooting a recurve until his buddy convinced him it would be to hard. I have a couple of older LB/cures to play around camp with,I think I will do as buckeye suggested.
all my hunting buddies shoot compounds and crossbows. i dont put down there bows i just enjoy hunting with friends. i like it when they ask me questions about my stick bows. and seem to really think im awesome when i kill something.
I love these responses and stories. Each one has merits worth noting. Thanks
Oh, he just text messaged a pic of four carbon arrows in the bull's eye on the target I put in the back yard for him. He's showing off now.
Stan
Heck, I took up snow boarding @ 50 just to be with my son...not a pretty sight but I wouldn't do it any different the second time around. Enjoy & cherish the relationship...Doc
Do what you gotta do to spend time with your son. Many of us hunted with compounds. Your son is making an effort to spend time with you. If I were you...I would take it. By the way. My dad is not a hunter. We did not see eye to eye untill I was out of college. My dad is my best friend now. Men hit that age where they "know everything". I know I did. Even though my dad was never much of a hunter...he did like to fish from time to time. Nearly all of my best memories were of me and dad fishing. Now we fish whenever he can break away. Now that I am 32 years old...I have realized that my old man was smarter than I thought...and a good person. Sounds like you have a great son. Be thanfull of it.
I never met my father. Long story. By the time I looked for him, he had already crossed into the next life.
A father is a blessing. Your son sounds like he's becoming quite a man. And, so, he's learned a lot from you.
Blessings,
Would you work on a car with him if he drove a Chevy and you were a Ford man? Enjoy the time together and don't sweat the details. My Dad shoots a compound as do all my friends. I just enjoy the time together.