It's been a little while since the last posting. The kids are on their last week of summer vacation and they have been keeping me busy! We have been getting some target practice in with the bows, as well as tune ups on our equipment that included swapping out Dad's 5 pin sight to Mom's bow, Mom's 3 pin sight with a level, and Dad's whisker biscuit to Michael's bow when Dad got his new sight and fall-away rest. It's not a matter of everyone needing new equipment to do upgrades, but to recycle parts that will make improvements to the other bows in the family. Our daughter will be the next one in line for the hand-me-downs on the next batch of upgrades.
Our summer also included a trip to Tucson, AZ for our 10 year old to complete his hunter's safety course. It is required in our state for youths, a great precaution, so that Michael will now qualify for tags in the youth hunts. The test is in two parts, the written course that can be done online and then the class in person that is both field work/range safety as well as another exam on written information. We are super proud of Michael for passing and can't wait to hunt as a family. Our daughter will be able to start her online work in January when she turns 9 but can't take the field course until she is 10. We wanted to find an activity that our family could enjoy doing together that will help us maintain a close relationship with our children.  We have a few short years before those challenging teenage years are upon us, when all they want to do is get away from us.  With a hobby like this our desire is to create an unbreakable bond, and avoid some of that angst with the help of the great outdoors. Now I have a Hunter's Safety Course Graduate badge to sew onto my son's hunting vest. So proud!!!

1st Camping Trip blog #2
The camp site we stayed at had several amenities, one of which a swimming pool. Our kids, however, took their first walk through a creek bed and found a nice swimming hole only about 4 feet deep in the deepest area. There was never a second thought as to what might be swimming in the water with them, and Mom kept her mouth shut! Our goal is to become an outdoorsy family, and I'm not going to ruin it by "what if's". They had fished the creek so they knew there were fish in there with them, and we just didn't worry about the rest of the inhabitants. The water was chilly, but refreshing. The kids swam and swam, while Dad found a natural rock recliner to lounge in. Well, when it comes to our children, an hour in the water hole isn't enough and they just had to check out the camp ground pool too. Turns out the pool was even cooler than the natural creek, but the kid's didn't seem to care one bit. What fun to watch them enjoying nature and all it has to offer, no electricity required!

This website shares one family's desire to find the "outdoors" again. To unplug and go play. Well, we went on our first camping trip in an RV (as to not shock our children too much), the goal was to fish and fish and fish some more. Turns out, our 10 year old son was quite the fisherman. All fish too small to keep, but we fed them lots of fat worms, so they will grow up to be nice size for someone else. Our daughter got several nibbles on her hook and pulled up a lot of half-eaten worms, but she didn't quite get the knack of setting the hook on this first trip.

We always preach to the kids to strive for one shot, one kill. This being said, we are all working to get our draw strength to be where we need it, in order to humanely harvest an animal, not wound it without being able to retrieve it.  The other life lesson we are hoping to teach is to use every bit of the animal as possible. Our intention is not to trophy hunt, but to put organic meat in the
freezer.  If we happen to be lucky enough to shoot a beauty, I am sure part of “using” the whole animal could involve a trip to the taxidermist.  I am proud, and a little wounded to say that our ten year old son just surpassed my draw strength, so potentially he’ll be ready to hunt before me! It’s a thrill to see him get to that next level. He has such a sense of pride when Dad says, “looks like it’s time to take it up a notch Buddy!” He may get tired out a little faster, but the confidence building is unbelievable!
 

Archery target practice with your children is not only fun, but also a lesson in patience.  Going over safety first is crucial to the day running smoothly. Reminding everyone, even the adults that we all have to follow the rules, like, paying special attention to what is in the background of your shot.  At one of our usually practice spots, the next door neighbor has a menagerie of animals including emu’s (yes, they really do have them) and pygmy goats. There’s also the reminder that if we have multiple archers shooting, we have to wait for everyone to finish their set before we run to retrieve our arrows.  It does not take long for our 8 yr. old daughter to feel the distracting pull of the nearby trampoline, and soon we lose her to the fun of weightless bouncing.  Once she has her official bow that can better penetrate the targets we are hoping that will improve her focus.  What a great activity to be able to enjoy with the whole family. Fresh air, sunshine, and sometimes a little wind to remind us that the conditions are not always ideal when you are archery hunting make for a beautiful day.