We drove through the night to meet up with Brian in the Midwest. Dad decided to make the trip and stretched out in the backseat and got as much rest as possible. Josh and I shared the driving duties. There were points during the night that I felt like packing it in, but I pushed forward and made the best of it. I’m thoroughly exhausted tonight.
Brian has been seeing some deer. He passed a dandy in the spot that Dad usually hunts. He passed it because it’s so hard for Dad to get around and he wants to do his part to help him succeed. We both hope he gets an opportunity at that buck.
We headed into the woods for an afternoon hunt. I carried Dad’s stuff into the woods. He has to use a crossbow that Dan Ladd let him borrow. He can no longer draw his bow. He simply doesn’t have the strength to draw it, even at 40 pounds.
As we walked along an overgrown road, tears formed in my eyes, and I felt that pang in my chest that only comes every now and then. It’s difficult to watch him shuffle his feet because he doesn’t have the strength to pick them up to walk. Instead of packing it in, he continues doing what he loves to do. It’s dedication, determination and pure will, and it’s incredible to watch. I wish I had half of the inner-strength that lives inside him.
I did a lot of walking near the road in hopes of finding another spot where he can hunt and not have to go too far. Although I saw a few deer, I came up empty-handed. I was disappointed.
As it began getting dark, I headed up the road to where I had left Dad. I waited for him to get to me, so we could head out of the woods together, just as he has waited so many times for me over the years. I grabbed the crossbow and slung it over my shoulder for the walk. Usually, he would insist that he could do it himself. Today, he just let me take it with no hassles. I was glad to lend a hand. I gotta do my part, too.
Dad saw six does tonight right at dark. No bucks came with them. He waited for them to clear out before heading out of the woods.
Brian headed to a place we checked out one other time. He said it looks good and we should probably return. Josh went out behind the tent tonight. He saw a young kid from Ohio who was rattling up a storm and grunting every few minutes. People just don’t get it. It cracks me up and makes me want to politely tell them to stop. I’d like to know what they’re thinking when they’re doing stuff like that. In the end, Josh saw one doe and Brian had a deer blow at him when he stood up to come out of the woods.
We will see what tomorrow brings. It’s supposed to be in the high 70s. It was 65 when we headed into the woods today. The cloud cover kept the temperature down.
Todd,
Your dad is a inspiration! A true warrior! I hope he kills a giant!