Memories of a Dad
Memories of a Dad
These days I find myself remembering some of the most memorable hunts that I’ve had on these very familiar grounds in the timber. They come flooding back as if I’m actually stepping back in time reliving the adventure of the moment that happened in the past. I feel my chest begin to tighten, my breathing enters a state of nervousness, and a smile breaks on my face as I remember the outcome, good or bad, of the hunt that happened there. And here’s the other truth of those moments, they aren’t hunts of mine at all. Yes, I was there, but it wasn’t me pulling the trigger. It was one of my four daughters.
Pass It On
Our walls testify to the success that my daughters have had over the years. All four (yes, four!) are accomplished hunters and their shoulder mounts, skull mounts, and pictures are proof of their dedication to a long-standing tradition in our family.
I grew up in a hunting family. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all enjoyed the sport on various levels before me. When I was three, I was finally allowed to venture along with the men in my family on my first squirrel hunt. I was hooked! For the next number of years, I gleaned all that I could from them and then began to take new steps to new methods of hunting, tactics, and even species. When my daughters were born, we began the fifth generation of hunting within our family tree.
>As my father and grandfather did with me, I introduced hunting to each of my girls at a very young age. It began by examining the animals I would bring home before and during processing. Taking them out into nature on a regular basis. Teaching them the sport of shooting along with the safety that MUST come with it. It really didn’t take much convincing. They took to the sport as if it were already a part of them. Our greatest adventures began when they decided to participate in the Iowa Youth Deer Hunting Season.
Safety Is Paramount
In order to gain permission for the opportunity to get a license, each daughter had to demonstrate their understanding of gun safety and accuracy in shooting. We spent summer evenings shooting BB guns, pellet guns and then lightly-loaded muzzleloaders. What I wouldn’t trade for those times! There is nothing like hanging out at the shooting range with your kids. Conversation, frustration, and celebration were all a part of those moments as we practiced shooting. It allowed me an opportunity to teach and mold them in many ways.
Four Girls, Four Deer
I will never forget when Rylee harvested her first deer, a doe. After a few days without success, this doe finally stepped out and worked her way towards the blind where Rylee was sitting with me. We took careful aim and waited with patience as the deer continued to get closer. When I gave her the “green light”, Rylee carefully pulled the trigger making her first harvest! It wasn’t a trophy by the hunting world’s standards, but it remains a trophy to me. Rylee is now married and lives out of state with her husband. We will see if there might be a sixth generation that takes up the sport!
Brenlie, my second daughter harvested a 170” trophy at the age of eight! What a way to start! It was yet another memory in my library of hunts. That particular evening, Brenlie had the patience to wait as a yearling buck stepped out of the timber followed by a 2-year-old buck. They both stood about 25 yards away and quietly fed as we prepared her for a shot.
>As Brenlie was getting settled in, I happened to look just inside the edge of the timber and spotted a buck that I was hoping to shoot during bow season. He slowly stepped out into the clearing and I knew what I had to do. I repositioned my daughter to shoot a buck bigger than I had ever taken. A carefully placed shot by Brenlie left the buck dead on the hoof as he piled up a short 30 yards away! Brenlie got married in August and her husband is excited to start his adventures in hunting!
Taydem was always quick to follow in her older sister’s footsteps. The desire to “keep up” drove Taydem to try things much earlier than the previous two. She watched her older sisters as the put in the work to have successful hunts and Taydem was not afraid to do all that she needed to do in order to have success like them.
>When Taydem was ten years old, we were sitting in an elevated blind that allowed us a view of a distant alfalfa field. That evening, a good young buck walked out and began to graze at about 110 yards distance. Taydem had practiced out to 50 and no more. We watched and her confidence grew. After a short discussion, Taydem took a steady pose and careful aim as she slowly squeezed the trigger allowing the gun to “surprise” her. Truthfully, I didn’t think she had a chance. The shot startled the buck forward in a strange-looking prance. After a distance of about 20 yards, he looked back in our direction and promptly tipped over! I couldn’t believe the skill it took for her to do that! Taydem is now a Senior in high school and will be going to college next fall.
Paysen was the last to enter the sport as she was the youngest. But with Paysen, much like Taydem, she was ready for anything that she saw her sisters do. Hunting was no different. She had incredible confidence as a five-year-old which told me she was ready to begin. Paysen went through all the same shooting and safety training that I did with her older sisters and at age five, I took Paysen on her first deer hunt.
>As with her sisters, Paysen has had a lot of success over the years, but one hunt is easy to remember with her. It was her quest for “Lopsy”. The buck had one long brow tine and one short brow tine. After a few previous nights out during the youth hunt, we were back in a blind again where we knew Lopsy was frequenting. With five minutes left in shooting light, we saw a shadow appear just inside the tree line that started to make its way to the clearing before us. I quietly told her, “There is Lopsy!” Without hesitation, Paysen changed her posture, set the gun on the windowsill, and carefully made the effort to get Lopsy in her crosshairs. Watching the seconds tic away, I told her to shoot when she was ready. After she fired, Lopsy spun on a dime and retreated back into the timber. We gave him time and a bit later, we were able to recover Paysen’s target buck. Paysen is a freshman in high school and very active in a variety of high school events. Sports and drama are her favorite.
There is nothing better in the world than being a “girl dad” to these ladies. I have counted my blessings over and over again and wouldn’t change anything during those years. Before parenthood, I had thought that the only way to carry on this family tradition of hunting was to have a son of my own to take into the timber. Boy, was I ever wrong! I could go on and on sharing with you the stories about every one of their hunts, but this magazine would not have room for all of that!
The Ties That Bond
I have watched my daughters fully embrace every outdoor activity that I have introduced them to. These are the very activities that I have practiced for years having learned from others who practiced it years before me! Trapping, fishing, camping, hiking, hunting, and even cooking wild game was not too much of a challenge for my daughters to attempt. In their willingness to trust their father and jump into the things that he had a passion for, they’ve given me the gift of memories.
I don’t know if they will always like to hunt. I’m not sure if life will give them the time as they enter into their next stages of life, whatever they may be. But I do know this, I have a mind full of memories that I will always cherish and remember. Especially as I pass through those places in the timber where these events happened.
If you have children, no matter what their age or gender, consider taking them on some adventures! If you have a passion for the outdoors whether it be hunting, fishing, trapping, or something else. Teach them about it! Show them, bring them, and give them an opportunity to see why these sports and hobbies mean so much to you. You might have to force them to put down the phone. But I promise you, it will not be wasted time! You will gain a memory, and your child might gain a new hobby! As well as a memory or two of you.
So to all the dads and moms out there, make plans to lead your family to the wilderness! Explore the natural beauty of all things through all seasons and seek the most to make memories with your kids. You might be surprised to find out that they’ve been waiting for you to do just that!
Good luck!
by Ryan Graden
September 2024
