Investing in Future Waterfowlers

[silverdalesauer]

Update: Report added - see below.


Original Posting:
My sons and I have learned from some amazing friends on this site and other groups how to hunt waterfowl, and now it's time for us to pay it forward... and we'd love your help.

We will be taking a father and his two sons with us on an upcoming hunt this month to introduce them to waterfowling. Their family experienced a tragedy this summer when their wife/mother experienced a medical emergency and died tragically on a vacation together. As you can imagine, it's been a very tough 6 months for the family (especially the two boys aged 15 and 12).

Our family has decided to host them for a couple days during Christmas break, giving them a restful place to stay, enjoy home cooked meals, and experience duck/goose hunting.

Something that we're doing is gathering gear for each of them to take home as a gift and as an invitation to keep learning and pursuing hunting together - to build new memories and experiences together as part of the healing process.

If you have any gear that you might like to donate (I can't offer any tax deductible options), that would be huge. I'd gladly mention you and/or your business (if you own a hunting/outdoor business) as part of the group that helped.

Gear Preferred:
  - blind bags
  - hats, gloves, neck warmers
  - camo sweatshirts, camo pants,
  - camo waders (youth sizes M or L) and adult sizes (boot sizes 9, 10, or 11)
  - gun cases
  - duck or goose calls, lanyards,
  - camo coats (youth sizes M or L or XL) and adult sizes (S, M)
  - camo bibs (youth sizes M or L ) and adult sizes (S, M)
  - layout blinds or ground blinds or panel blinds
  - decoys, decoy bags,
  - and any other gear that you can get your hands on... honestly anything would be helpful

Please send me a PM if you'd like to help.

I live in Bremerton and am willing to travel to gather some items within 30 miles.

* Additionally, we are looking at hosting another family to hunt with us in January. He's disabled and has 2 teens who as well are wanting to learn how to hunt. We're excited about this next chapter of investing in other hunters. I suspect this could lead to future opportunities to help more fathers and sons (like us) pick up the joy of hunting together.

Thanks in advance for any help you may have to offer.

(Picture attached is the day my youngest shot his first duck, thanks to a "pay it forward" person who taught him how to hunt.)

[Born2late]

Pm me your address and i'll send you a box with 3 jackets.Wife says the size it says isn't correct.They say xl youth but she thinks they are smaller.Have some camo jeans and a shirt i'll throw in also.
Super cool of you to take on mentoring them.

[silverdalesauer]

Pm me your address and i'll send you a box with 3 jackets.Wife says the size it says isn't correct.They say xl youth but she thinks they are smaller.Have some camo jeans and a shirt i'll throw in also.
Super cool of you to take on mentoring them.

Awesome! I'll PM ya. Thanks!

[vandeman17]

will they be shooting 12 or 20 gauges? I have a tote full of assorted boxes of shells that I would be happy to donate!

[silverdalesauer]

will they be shooting 12 or 20 gauges? I have a tote full of assorted boxes of shells that I would be happy to donate!

Looks like it'll be a mix of both. Wow, that's super generous! Send me a PM and let's discuss how we could figure something out.

[linxx77]

Can mail over two double nasty calls and two teal whistles courtesy of the Washington Waterfowl Association.

PM me your address.


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[hunterednate]

I can get you one full lanyard of brand new calls from Sure Shot. PM me your address and I'll mail it. Really cool you're doing this for them. May God use your efforts to encourage them and help them heal.

[silverdalesauer]

Can mail over two double nasty calls and two teal whistles courtesy of the Washington Waterfowl Association.

PM me your address.


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PM Sent


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[silverdalesauer]

I can get you one full lanyard of brand new calls from Sure Shot. PM me your address and I'll mail it. Really cool you're doing this for them. May God use your efforts to encourage them and help them heal.

Thank you! I知 trying to PM you but somethings wrong with my Tapatalk.

Send me a PM if you can and I値l see if I can get a response to you.



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[hunterednate]

I can get you one full lanyard of brand new calls from Sure Shot. PM me your address and I'll mail it. Really cool you're doing this for them. May God use your efforts to encourage them and help them heal.

Thank you! I知 trying to PM you but somethings wrong with my Tapatalk.

Send me a PM if you can and I値l see if I can get a response to you.



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Will do

[Bluemoon]

Let me know how many gun cases you need. I also have a few dozen decoys you are welcome to. In the  Chehalis area.

[silverdalesauer]

Let me know how many gun cases you need. I also have a few dozen decoys you are welcome to. In the  Chehalis area.

Thanks! I値l send you a PM.


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[silverdalesauer]

The hunt was a success! Report coming soon.

A special thank you to those who donated gear for this special opportunity. The dad and his sons were so grateful.


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[silverdalesauer]

Report:

December 27-29, 2019 my family hosted our guests at a private Ranch with hunting property - generously provided by the owners for the weekend.  My wife cooked the meals, while my two teenage sons and I made the hunting plans, gathered the blinds, decoys, and other gear. Local friends and Hunting-Washington Forum members donated youth hunting clothing, boxes of ammo, duck calls, goose calls, lanyards, hats, gloves, and other gear. And the ranch donated their land for target practice, skeet shooting, lodging, and the fields for hunting.

On Friday night, when our guests arrived at we helped them unpack and showed them to their rooms. You can imagine the shock on their faces when they saw the gifts laying on their beds, from you, our friends from Hunting-Washington.com... they were amazed at the gear.

Moments later, we gathered at the dinner table to enjoy a meal of pasta with duck meat sauce, salad, and bread. Jim, the dad of Brad (12) and Luke (16), sat back in his chair and chuckled at the thought that tomorrow, he'd be hunting side-by-side with both sons. This trip, had become a surprise for the boys, and only 30 minutes before they arrived, did Jim tell them what would be happening this weekend. It was a complete surprise - a dream he'd never thought could happen until now. If only it didn't have to come after the tragic death of his beloved wife, Erica...(who tragically died on a summer vacation in July with the rest of the family).

Jim hadn't been pondering these things long in his mind before Brad, the 12 year old was expressing his joy from the meal - "this duck meat sauce is incredible...my mom and I are 'foodies' and this would be something she'd be pretty excited to eat."

I glanced across the table to see my wife's eyes welling up with tears as Brad reminisced days now gone with the death of his mom. At the same time, Jim, lost in his memories, looked at his son and said, "Yeah, you and mom are quite the pair. She always had a thing for special seasonings and tastes. You're both the foodies in our home." Brad was beaming and asked, "Can I have some more? This is so good."

At that, my wife jumped up, wiping her eyes with a Kleenex, "Yes! You can have all you want!" She grabbed the pan and filled up his plate with more - happily distracted from the sadness in her heart.

Soon thereafter, after a filling meal, my boys and I took Jim and his boys to the garage where various blinds were laid out getting grassed up for the following day. Ben, my 18 year old, and Nate, my 13 year old, took some time to go over the elements of a duck hunt - how to sit in a blind, how to cover up, how to sit up to shoot and more. They were taking the things they've picked up through the years and passing it on... something I've dreamed about for years.

After about an hour of training, we packed up our gear, got decoys and blinds ready for the morning, and set out our clothes for the next day. The hunt was coming soon.

Early the next morning, after a quick cup of coffee and oatmeal, we jumped into the truck and headed out to the field. The weather was perfect - cold, clear, and a south wind to our backs - just perfect for ducks landing on sheet water on a flooded field. The boys continued their training - showing Brad and Luke how to set decoys, teaching them how to use a jerk rig and lucky ducks and where to place blinds. By shooting light, we were ready to go and the birds began to move.

It didn't take long before the first shots rang out, a pair of Green-winged Teal zipped by our heads and the boys took some shots. Cheers erupted from the blinds when a pair of widgeon came down and then a spoonbill. It was a mixed bag kind of day as throughout the next few hours mallards, gadwalls, shovelers, and pintails darted through the sky while cackling Canada geese flew in large groups overhead - in search of their morning meal. The boys and their dad sat in wonder, looking at the sky, taking pictures and asking all sorts of questions. 

By 11am, we were hungry and ready for a meal. Back at the farm house, my wife had prepared a meal of eggs, sausage, fruit, toast, and orange juice - a "foodies" favorite - just as Brad hoped would be there when we arrived. He had his fill and took a short nap.

Luke and Jim, though, were ready to try for more ducks and were hopeful that the afternoon would produce more options. So we devised an afternoon plan, to get into a local public blind located nearby on the river, where puddle and diver ducks love to drop in. Grabbing a couple of kayaks and a set of decoys, a group of 4 guys headed to the blind for a productive afternoon hunt that brought mallards and widgeon to the straps.

As the group of 4 were taking some time together in the blind on the river, I had the joy of spending the afternoon with Brad, who'd become a trusting buddy. We spent time walking some fields, playing with Chester (our dog), observing nature on the farm (deer, cows, goats, doves, etc.), jump shooting ducks, and getting some driving lessons on the farm Gator. As we walked or drove around, Brad told me all kinds of stories about his mom and how she'd probably love to be here with him - as she'd enjoy the beauty of the farm.

That evening, after a meal of duck chili, corn bread, and salad, we played a rousing game of Apples-to-Apples, laughed, told stories of the day's hunt, and began thinking about the next day.

My youngest son, Nate, couldn't help but re-tell how he and Luke took the grand prize of the day, with each shooting a Coot in the public blind. He laughed, as he knew that the taste would be horrible, but it was something Luke would never forget - a memory that would be seared in his mind for years to come. Jim chuckled, knowing that he'd have to go home and cook the Coot for Luke.

After more story-telling and fun, we went off to bed, ready for a new day with more adventure.

The following day, a cool Sunday morning, produced a few more ducks and a few more memories. Ben and Nate taught the boys how to use their new duck calls and led them in a rendition of the song "The Eye of the Tiger" while waiting for more action. It always seems like during this silliness in the blind, birds come in, but today it wasn't meant to be. So, we decided to call it and head in for brunch.

After packing up the gear, cleaning off the Gator, and taking photos, we enjoyed one more meal of waffles and sausage with stories of the weekend filling our ears. We circled up around the boys and Jim, encouraging them to keep learning to hunt and spend time together, then said a prayer over their family. And as they drove out of sight, we knew that this would go down as one of the first memories together without Erica - we hoped it would bring joy to their hearts for years to come.

After it was all said and done, we didn't end with a limit of birds (which is totally fine), but what was gained was everything Jim had desired.

"This trip far exceeded my expectations. I expected a fun trip with my boys, a chance to forget the sadness of our loss and to spend quality time together. But this was greater... We will take home the memories of our first skeet shoot, getting free gear to take home, wonderful conversation around the dinner table and in the blind, experiencing birds coming in to the decoy spread, and your boys teaching us how to call ducks on our calls. My boys already want to continue to hunt together and are already asking when we can go again. That's a huge success! Thank you." - Jim

----

The names in this story have been changed for privacy.

If you would like to help Jim get more opportunities to take his boys out duck/goose hunting or upland bird hunting (which they've indicated an interest in) - please feel free to contact me. They live in E. Washington.

Special Thanks to:
  - linxx77
  - The Deacon
  - Bluemoon
  - hunterednate
  - Born2late
  - Vandeman17
  - YoungFowler
 

[Brushcrawler]

Very well done.