Thankful

[Scoot]

After two terrible nights of sleep I was particularly crabby yesterday. I whined and complained about a number of different things and generally was a pain in the rear to everyone around me. After having a good friend put things in perspective for me, I did a 180 and started thinking about how dang fortunate I am and how thankful I am for all that I get to do.

Bowhunting is a huge part of my life, especially so at this time of year, and I'm really thankful that I get to do all that I am able to. I started thinking about all of the people who help me in some, often many, ways to let me bowhunt.

1) My wife- she puts up with a ton during (and outside of) the bow season. I am extremely thankful to her.

2) My parents- they help with the kids so I can go goof off. I leave for Western ND tomorrow to chase mule deer. No way my wife could get all of her work and deal with getting both kids to the places they need to go if I was gone, so my parents have our little girl for the next few days. They often do this and I am thankful. Also, both my parents are responsible for getting me started and teaching me a ton about archery, deer, and deer hunting- they tipped the first domino (first many dozen actually) of bowhunting for me and I'm very thankful for that.

3) My mother-in-law- same as above. She's great and always is willing to help out with the kids. Like my parents, she loves it, so everyone wins. She also lets me, my brother and his kids, and my buddies hunt on her land in MN, which I am very thankful for.

4) Tom- Tom lets me hunt on "the Ranch" in ND. It's the best whitetail place I've ever been and I'm extremely fortunate to go there and to get to hunt out there. I'm very lucky and thankful for that.

5) All of my hunting buddies- I'm super lucky to have a great group of core friends who I hunt with. They're great guys, hunt hard, and will bend over backwards to help me (just like I will them). I'm super thankful for all of them.

It's a week past Thanksgiving, but I'm curious what all of your bowhunters are thankful for? It's good to remember these things once in a while- it sometimes helps put a crappy day in perspective.

[96trigger]

Great post,

I too am thankful for my wife. She does put up with a lot, its hard when I am gone, but I think I am much easier to get along with when I have been out hunting.

My parents and in-laws really help me get out also. They take over when my wife can't, and often will watch the kids while I am out, or until my wife comes home from work.

I am thankful for my relatives letting me hunt on their land. I try and help them out and do as much as I can for them, and then I just plain tell them how much I appreciate it.

I'm thankful for god and this country. I am actually quite spiritual, attend church regularly, but am truly at piece in the woods chasing whitetails. I just love to be out there, many times this fall I went out without the intent of shooting anything, just went out to be out. This is the greatest country on earth.

I am thankful everyday for the health of my kids, they are truly special little people and they make me laugh everyday.

I'm also thankful that I have a good job, my wife has a good job and that we have a comfortable life with lots of support around us. It doesn't get a whole lot better than that.

[totally_addicted]

I also, have a ton to be thankful for. When it comes to bowhunting the things that come to my mind....

1. My girlfriend lets me hunt when I want, how much I want, etc. This may sound silly to some but we have been together for many years and have finally moved in together. The "M" word is getting very close, and although we do not have any kids to keep us busy, she sacrifices a lot of nights where we would be able to see each other so I can sit in a tree. And she even agreed to try bowhunting this year. We shot twice a week from June - mid September. She has only been in the stand with me three times, but I have enjoyed every minute of those three sits. She hasn't whined or complained and even made a sit in sub-freezing temperatures.

2. My relatives and friends who allow me to hunt their land- I do not own any of the land I hunt which makes me unbelievably thankful for the opportunities all these people offer me. I have over 400 acres in West Central MN to hunt plus another 150 to hunt in Wright County. These people let me trample all over their land and hunt as much as I'd like. Without these places I would be stuck hunting state land.

3. My best buddy. He and I kind of caught the "Archery Addiction" together. We think about whitetails each and everyday. This makes hunting more fun for me because I have someone who is constantly thinking about the same things as me and understands why I can't sleep at night.

4. For the rest of my family that haven't shipped me off to the Looney bin for all the crazy deer talk, equipment, etc that keeps me from being "normal" in my family. Other than my brother I am the only one who hunts archery in my immediate family. And I am by far the most into it. The people closest to me in my life put up with a lot of deer talk and probably wonder what is wrong with me, sometimes...

I have a lot to be thankful for even if I haven't punched a tag in the past three seasons...definitely not because I didn't have chances.

[PropsterII]

I too am thankful for friends and family who share or at least support or facilitate the passion. I am most truly appreciative of the whitetail deer itself, who brings wildness and beauty and mystery to the land, even in heavily human-populated areas, and brings wildness to our minds and hearts and soul. To be a bowhunter and truly appreciate all that that entails is a wonderful thing. I use to get it to some degree when I was a gun hunter, but nowhere near that which I do as a bowhunter.

[Rippinlip]

Thankful for;

Life I am allowed to live

Wife and daughter that put up with my passion about archery & deer hunting

Wife that now enjoys hunting with me!

A job that allows me to finance the the things we want to do

All the guys and gals that work for me, that allow me to talk outdoorsy to them..lol

Our strong belief in Jesus Christ

Our soldiers that have, are and will be serving our country

THIS WEB SITE & ALL OF YOU!

I am truly a blessed man

[slimngrizzly]

Well instead of repeating everything all you just said, I think your all pretty right on! Cheers!

Good post Scoot!

[Jeff13]

I am thankful for my uncles, dad, and grandfather who have taught me the love of the outdoors. That taught me to hunt and fish. Above all they taught me to respect the outdoors as well. I've been a teacher for almost 10 years now (HS & Jr. High) and its sad to see the lack of love for hunting and fishing. I have kids who are interested but no one to take them or show them the outdoors. It's pretty sad.

I am also thankful to all of you on this board who pass on the love and respect of our outdoors to your kids. Your kids are lucky to have you, because there are many kids out there who would love to try to catch a fish or shoot a deer that will never.

I'm thankful also for my 3 year daughter who yesterday said "will Santa bring me a bow for Christmas?"

[sparkyaber]

WOW- what a great post!

I think we should all put in perspective, how well we have it here in this country. You all pretty much summed it up (good call slimngrizzly). I would like to add that in my life I can be thankful for my and my families health. The little things can be a bother sometimes, but in the grand scheme of things, that is all very irrelevant.

Thanks Scoot!!

[6arrows]

All great posts. I to am thankful for a understanding wife that lets me and my son hunt pretty much anytime we want Thankfull that my son and daughter love to do the things i do in the woods or on the boat. I am the only bow hunter out of my 7 brothers and sisters and they all think im crazy to be in a tree on A - degree day but its just the adiction. i am also thank full that my son had a great year shooting 3 deer A buck 6 pointer and 2 does. Merry christmas and Happy new year everybody

[CC Hurl]

Most thankful to our creator for giving me the opportunity to live the life I have. Then it would be for all the folks who have served our country to give us the freedom to roam the woods we do and live the lives we live.

I to am thankful for all the other things mentioned and for this post. We do need to sit back once in awhile and appreciate what good things are in our lives. I am guilty of not doing that enough and this was a good reminder.

[Scoot]

Great replies, fellas! I'm 100% thankful for every last thing mentioned above. But, I didn't mean to put anything bowhunting related ahead of many of the other things that were mentioned that are somewhat related to our freedoms like bowhunting, but soooo much more important than any goof off privledge we have like shooting a stick and string. Love, respect, and appreciation for our troops; the blessings we have as Americans; my faith; the health of my loved ones; and on and on- too many to list! Like many of you, I'm blessed beyond what I deserve. I was just trying to list the bowhunting-related things I'm thankful for.

[Boar]

Yea its something is'nt it, realizing how lucky an blessed we all are. I didnt go very far in life, an at 45 I somedays look a some people around me an think what have i done or wish things woulda been different, you get the idea. God bless my wife for keeping me grounded an slapping me upside head when i my thinking stray. Being 45 an have 3 incrediable kids who put me in rockstar status. A wife who grows with me everyday an our marriage gets stronger as each aniversery passes, an how she tolerates my passions as they seem to grow longer than the last year. Its crazy to think that I sometimes take that for granted. I have trophy black bear hunting, trophy deer hunting, trophy walleye/icefishing virtually right in my back yard, can hit a couple grouse on a sunny day in the same woods an geese an duck if i choose right on the river that flowes thru the same woods. I think when I pass on i wont have far to go cause im already hear. Thankfull an blessed.

[HunterLee]

I would try to venture back to MN to do a little hunting, quite a few deer on the south side of your mother laws in the field.

[Boar]

Oh, well now that we've clensed our soul, yup thankful for the bowhunting opportunities with my kids or sure.

[Big Country]

One of the best postings yet. First and foremost I am thankful Christ died for my sins as I am no where near deserving of all he has done in my life. Family, friends, all the outdoor addictions I have. But I am so very thankful for all of you. Surface Tension got me hooked on this site many years ago. I have met some of the coolest people around here. Many of you are faceless. I have requested help in the past from you in many ways, mostly for advice on "What works for you" type questions. I see a lot of you have stated you are thankful for the health of your families. My beautiful daughter is a type 1 diabetic. This site has helped me cope with the devastation I have felt as a father in dealing with the pain. We walk every year to try to raise funds to find a cure for this horrible disease. The "faceless" army have generously opened their wallets in the past and contributed to our plight. I have spent many nights in wonderment at how helpful you have been. It's an emotional roller coaster and you have been there by my side. Thank you. BC

[bigbucks]

One of the best postings yet. First and foremost I am thankful Christ died for my sins as I am no where near deserving of all he has done in my life. Family, friends, all the outdoor addictions I have. But I am so very thankful for all of you.

+1 on that

We take so much for granted. I try to remember to pray & thank God for the opportunity & safety each time I get on stand, pray for clean kills or clean misses, but you know which one I want Lord.

Definitely thankful for an almost always understanding wife, sometimes we push that pretty hard.

Thankful for great friends & family that let me hunt & just shake their head when you say, well now I got my bear I can get my turkey, or I got my doe I can concentrate on a buck. Or time to get the boat out or the fish house ready. If you're like me, there's always something you hope people excuse you for. Thankful that they usually do. Still don't understand why they don't want to do all that stuff...

[eyeguy 54]

Yes indeed, thank you Lord! Being a bowhunter since 1968 God has given me a ton of great memories. And of course a couple that I wish i could forget lol. Very thankfull. 2010 I was on the couch for 9 months with back surgery #2 going on and didn't think I would be able to hunt again. Last year and this year and hopefully in the future with the help of freinds I am able to get out. No more downhill skiing, golfing or stuff like that but I can still pull the bow back. :>) Having a wife for 31 years that understands my obsession is priceless.

[harvey lee]

I am very thankful for all of my family. Great son, Daughter in law and 2 wonderful granddaughters that make me very proud.

My wife, I do not know what to say as she is the best. We have been married for almost 38 years and I do more fishing and hunting than I ever have. I could not have married a better gal. We have been through alot with my surgeries but ahe has always stood by my side.

I have had 10 major surgeries including a brain tumor removed almost 20 years ago. Knee has been replaced and well, my back is junk to say the least. But, I still get around very well for my injuries and being 59 years olds. One can find a way if they want too.

Life deals us all differnt blows but God will never deal one more than they can handle.

[fishersofmen]

Life deals us all differnt blows but God will never deal one more than they can handle.

That is the truth!

[Boar]

Amen!

[CANOPY SAM]

I'm pleased to see so many of you grateful for the gifts and blessings the Lord has provided. Everything we are, everything we have, and everything we ever will be is all by His design.

Please remember to be thankful for the challenges and difficulties we are handed in this life as well. Many of us are given lives of pain, sorrow, and nearly endless suffering, but the Bible tells us to be joyful even in our suffering. There are lessons to be learned in all of it, even though it's not always apparent.

I am eternally thankful for all the Lord has given me. With a saving knowledge of His Son, we have the promise of eternal life in Heaven. Everything else, no matter what our personal shortcomings or accomplishments, pales in comparison.

[Buckhunt]

What an inspirational post. As I am reminded of over and over again, I don't feel like I can ever keep up with all the thanks that are deserved.

With that - I leave you with my goal, to live my life in such a way that other people thankful of me!