There is a story behind these two hunts.  What I am proud of is the shots that my grandsons chose NOT to take that made me proud.

 

First was the turkey hunt.   My grandsons' father is stationed in Fort Polk, Louisiana.  They had a special turkey hunt for the boys.  My grandsons Alex and Brandon were paired with a guide who used to play football for the Denver Broncos.  Alex had a turkey come out, but another turkey came out in front of his which was in Brandon's line of fire.  Brandon took the turkey with one shot, his first turkey.  What made as proud of as Brandon taking his turkey is that my ten-year old grandson Alex did not shoot because the situation was not safe.  He had enough maturity to pass up on a possible kill because safety came first.

 

We had a family board hunt at the Boar Creek Ranch.  All three of my grandson's shot a boar their first night there.  It was the first time ever at the ranch that three brothers took hogs on the same night.  Again what made me proud was the shot that was not taken.  Brandson saw a huge hog from his blind, but he was covered behind a bush where he could not get a clean shot at hogzilla.  He passed up on the huge hog because there was not a shot opportunity for a humane kill.  I hunted the same blind the next night and I saw hogzilla too.  He was HUGE and he did not let me get a clean shot at him either.  I guess that is how he got to be hogzilla.

 

The Safari Club International Code of Ethics

• To conduct myself in the field so as to make a positive contribution to wildlife and ecosystems.
• To improve my skills as a woodsman and marksman to ensure humane harvesting of wildlife.
• To comply with all game laws, in the spirit of Fair Chase, and to influence companions accordingly.
• To accept my responsibility to provide all possible assistance to game law enforcement officers.
• To waste no opportunity to teach young people the full meaning of this code of ethics.
• To reflect in word and behavior only credit upon the fraternity of sportsmen, and to demonstrate abiding respect for game, habitat and property where I am privileged to hunt.

My grandsons lived by this code.  They passed up risky shots to ensure humane harvesting of wildlife.  My grandsons are very respectful kids.  Their daddy makes sure of that.  He was over in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and me makes sure his kids know how lucky were are to have the freedoms that we do.  I paid for the hog hunt for all of us and it was worth ten times what I paid.  To teach my grandsons the code of ethics and the love of hunting means more to me then almost anything.  All three of those boys love to hunt with a passion..  In fact our yearly family reunion will be a hunt.  My wife's dream is hunt with her daughters.  Christopher and Brandon will earn their Eagle in Scouting so I will take them on a bear hunt.