Well this is not just about my old K-Mag , you see its much more than that .
My dad got me shooting a bow and arrow in the early 60's , I was around 6 years old . He would take me hunting with him and I would watch as he dressed out the harvest .
As the years crept by I finally got old enough to hunt myself , I got a Bear Cub that I bought from a friend at school for $5.00 and I hunted with it for a few years . I had seen the Bear Kodiak Magnums in the department store and I wanted one real bad .
A year or so later I was completing the requirements to become an Eagle Scout and my dad asked me what gift I would like to celebrate the day . Well let me think " A KODIAK MAGNUM ! " He got me one and it was wonderful . I had never shot a bow that was center shot let alone one over 36# draw . I had it under control quite soon .
Two more years went by and I had still not taken a deer . The season was starting and my dad told me " If you want to get a deer you are going to have to sit quiet and not move and don't get up and walk around . "
OK , opening day ; packed enough snacks and hot chocolate to last until dark . I was set , got in my tree branch , tied in my rope seat and settled in for the long haul . It was 6:45 am and just about light enough to see .
7:05 am I heard some walking , two deer were going to walk past my tree . Took aim at the closest one and drove my arrow down threw its back between the shoulder blades . I had a good hit and was ready to wait a half hour and the deer jumped forward one leap and was down . I climbed down ran over to it and dressed it out and started dragging it back home as fast as i could because my dad left for work at 7:30 . My mom saw that I was coming across the field out back and told my dad that Dale is pulling something . My dad waited for me to get to the house before he left and I was so excited .
Well that K-Mag has taken countless carp , dog fish and gar , as well as many snapping turtles while it was still legal .
Now many years later I still have the old K-Mag and I had loaned it to my son so he could shoot with his daughter . And one day last year we were at my mom and dads farm shooting in the yard . My dad has a brain cloud and was getting very mixed up . We were watching as my son was trying to shoot and my dad asked me what they were doing . I said they were shooting bow and arrows . He said " did I ever do that ? " and I told him that he taught me to shoot .
About then my son said " grandpa come show me how its done . "
My dad took the old K-Mag and was about 15 yards from the target , knocked an arrow , drew back very shaky about half draw and hit about 6 inches high and a little left of the bull . He took another arrow and the same shaky short draw , put it about 2 inches below the bull and said " that's all I want to do , it hurts to much . "
Its now about a year and a half later and he doesn't know who any one is . And fore some reason I felt that the old K-Mag needs to be refinished and retired . It has been sent to The Bow Hospital and will be made like new .
Sorry to hear about your Dad, went through that with my Dad and it is terrible to see someone dear have to travel that road. Be happy with the good memories and just be there for him in his remaining time.
Its tough when we see people we Love and Admire, people who have given and taught us so much start to fade.
I Love that you have that old bow. Great idea to having it refinished.
I'm not telling you what to do but, If it were mine, I would make a proud spot on the wall for it but continue to use it. but that's just me.
Nice story, sorry to hear about your situation with your Father.
Sorry about your pops ....
,,,Sam,,,
Sorry to hear this...just be sure to put yourself in place to make memories with someone like you had with your father...sounds like your well on your way
All a human really needs to know is that he is loved. I am sure that you are doing what you can to make your father's final years happy and comfortable for him.
I just lost my dad, sorry that you are having to travel that tough road. I have a '65 KMag that smoothes out the gravel a bit.
Killdeer
Like Charlie said, "I'm not telling you what to do but, If it were mine, I would make a proud spot on the wall for it but continue to use it. but that's just me."
I don't have much from my dad - a Colt pocket .25 auto and a Win M-12 16ga. Every time I take one out and shoot it and then carefully clean it, I remember him taking me out shooting. The memories are worth much more than the guns even if they were perfect (and they are not).
I'm sorry to hear for your slow loss - but cherish every day you have left with him (as I'm sure you do).
My first bow was a K-Mag from my dad as well. We have matching mag's and hunt together with them relatively often. Even if it's not my favorite bow I own, I'm always going to come back to those memories every time I shoot it or pull it out of the case. Those are memories that are just as relevant to me whether I hang it on the wall or shoot it once a week.
Do whatever you feel honors your father the most. Either way it's going to be something you can pass down to your kids and still be every bit a shooter as it was the day it was made - only with a thousand stories and memories attached to it.
Alex
:campfire:
Thanks for the kind comments .
I do think the old K-Mag will have it's own bow rack and I do think it should fling an arrow once in a while .
Love your story , it makes me think about the shooting and hunts with my Daddy . I miss him every day .
Mike
Was hoping to get a picture of the Old K-Mag when it got back with my dad holding it .
Don't look like that's going to happen . He has took some bad falls this past weekend and he now has pneumonia and that induced heart failure . He is in Hospice care and they are just keeping him comfortable .
Prayers sent for your dad. God bless, Scott.
Prayers for you and yours.
Thanks for the continued support
Prayers for both you and you dad, may god bless you both
Cherish the memories, Dale. That bow is one of them.
homebru
My father passed down his 53lb Kodiak mag to me. I killed my first big game animal with it. He was born and raised in Anchorage and killed a grizzly and a bull moose with it before he was 15. He is now suffering from terminal cancer and I feel that I need to return to Alaska and fill a moose tag before he passes away. Your story reminded me how important this is. Thank you
(http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae302/bruinbow/IMG_20141228_130459975_zpslrsr7mam.jpg) (http://s982.photobucket.com/user/bruinbow/media/IMG_20141228_130459975_zpslrsr7mam.jpg.html)
Refinish in progress .
(http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae302/bruinbow/first%20deer_zpsmnly3bpb.png) (http://s982.photobucket.com/user/bruinbow/media/first%20deer_zpsmnly3bpb.png.html)
Check it out , this is the picture of the deer I got in the story . My son just found it in some of my parents photos .