(PSA - this is a LONG post!!!)
Youth weekend kicked off on Halloween night - when the twins were asked what they wanted to do - they choose to sit in the deer stand instead of going trick or treating. At that point I realized how fast they were growing up!
The kids have grown up either in the deer stand or duck blind - Trayce sat in the deer stand with his Daddy when he was only 3 and we all went on our first duck hunt when they were 4, Trayce even brought his bb gun with him.
First Duck Hunt - 2010
First Deer Hunt - 2009
After going down memory lane on how much fun the kids have had hunting and fishing - this year has by far been the most fun. As they have gotten older - Eric can't necessarily sit in the stand with both of them - well he just doesn't want to choose who gets to shoot :).
Finally after Paige and I sat in the stand for weeks (I mean lots of hours!!!) a spike walks out. From the moment I told Paige it was a spike I saw a look in her eyes I had never seen before. It was a look of excitement, anxiousness and pure determination! She sat in my lap shouldered the gun and as I whispered take a deep breath, take your time and squeeze the trigger - she whispers back "Mom I got this" and BOOM she shoots! Between her adrenaline and pure amazement she starts to cry! She swears she missed - but then she swears she hit him! The next 15-20 minutes felt like the past hours we had sat in the stand - we both couldn't take it any longer we had to go look! We didn't find it - but I just knew she hit him - once her Daddy got to us we started to track a little more - low and behold it bedded down under a few bushes and there you have it my baby girl got her first deer and I was lucky enough to share that moment with her. I am still not sure who was more happy - her or Trayce - I was very proud of his excitement for her (at this point he had only killed does...)
She also got her first dove this year - her Uncle Carll and Aunt Tiffany took the kids dove hunting - typical Paige fashion - she goes to sleep in the truck, wakes up and tells her Uncle Carll she would like to shoot - he gets her gun ready and when the dove flies over she takes a shot and BOOM she gets one - looks at him and said OKAY I'm done - that child she is either a great shoot or just lucky - but none the less - another first!
Trayce had one heck of a season - all species! He had some great dove hunts with his Dad, Uncle, and Poppy.
However, each year since he has been hunting he wants that buck! He has killed a couple does, but the buck just hasn't come around - he has watched bucks walk past him so many times that weren't legal and he has watched all his friends get a buck, but his was not there yet. However, a few weeks before the season was over his time came. Of course his Daddy can tell the story alot better then I can, but needless to say - it was one for the books. Someone got trigger happy and missed - but the buck stayed around, and the second time around he got him. Again not sure who was more excited him or his Daddy! When they got home - he walks in and tells me no deer Mom just an old hog - but come see how big it is - I reluctantly got up (you've seen one hog you have seen them all in my book!) But, as I walked up to the truck - I saw his big smile & low and behold he got his first buck!
His work was not over - his Uncle Drew taught him how to clean a deer - he made him get in there and cut through the skin and not damage the meat, but more important they shared a bond with each other that neither will forget.
Of course Trayce is never tired of hunting - he was ready to get back in the stand - at that point he said he just wanted to go - he has learned the importance of sitting still and embracing the outdoors. He truly has the deepest respect for what he gets to do. At the end of the deer season he was invited to go with his Dad to a friends deer lease in south Texas - no guarantees or promises were made - but he was going to see deer like he watches on TV - for a 9 year old this was the trip of his life! However he was given the green light to take a shot a management buck - to a 9 year old this was the monster deer of all monster deers! His Daddy watched and in full amazement and pride he watched his son take a deer that he had never even shot - but wouldn't have traded it for a million dollars - you can't put a price tag on that memory!
The boys ended the hunting season with a duck hunt - 3 generations of Schwab's - there was more memories made than killing their limits of birds.
As the hunting season was ended with many first - the one thing that wasn't a first was the memories made. Eric and I hope our kids never forget these moments. It's a cycle of life we are teaching them - it's not just about the hunt, it's about providing food for our family - everything that is killed is eaten throughout the year - they both take pride when I tell them this is your deer/dove/fish we are eating - even at a young age they are providing for their family - those are life long qualities we are instilling in our kids.
