My son is 16 now, learning to drive and conveniently fits into my best Gortex hunting outfit.. We just returned from our first real hunting trip together - two weeks hunting Mule Deer with a group of other fathers and their sons in Wyoming. We have hunted together here in Ohio since he was 12, hunting squirrels, deer, groundhogs and even pigs. I have hunted most of the US, Alaska and Africa but this was the first time Jack went with me on a Big Game hunt. He has become an avid hunter and I could not be happier but this changes the dynamics…. Dad could usually afford a guided hunt with another adult hunter but now Dad is looking at TWICE the guide fees, travel expenses, etc. - ouch!

So what to do? I'm certainly not going to stop hunting nor am I going to stop taking my son. It's time to shift gears for a few years - "do-it-yourself" hunts on public land, reduce price hunts, etc..

One of our chapter members, Dave Sattler brought the idea up to me last fall and we put together a trip. Most of the boys (and some of the fathers) had never been west of the Mississippi, never seen the Rocky Mountains and for certain never hunted mule Deer. We have a good friend that lives on the South Fork of the Shoshone river outside of Cody, Wyoming that graciously offered to open his home to four adults and six teenage boys for two weeks. We applied for general deer tags in the draw and were confident of success since the region had been a 100% draw for the past three years. July 2nd brought great news, everyone drew a tag - we were going to hunt in Wyoming!!!

Now the logistics…
Hunting gear, rifles, food - lots of planning.. As Ohio hunters, not everyone even owned a rifle, not to mention being able to confidently shoot out to 200 or 300 yards. The next couple of months saw many trips to the range, packages from Cabelas, planning sessions and lots of excitement. Coordinating with the school that we were going to pull these kids out for two weeks to go hunting required planning and serious commitment from these young men that they would keep up with their studies while on the trip.

We're on our way!
October 26th came quick and now we're pulling out of the driveway for the long haul - 1668 miles. Having made this trip many times I have to admit I wasn't too excited at the prospect of sitting in the truckseat for 30 hours but was excited about going hunting.

As career military, I was fortunate to be able to travel the world and see most of our great country. I had forgotten how excited one gets when first seeing "Big Sky" country! Our travel plans took us to Rapid City where we turned south to visit Mt Rushmore. We had decided early on that this trip would be more than just hunting - there is just so much to see! We spent the night and went to Mt Rushmore in the morning, then got back on the road to Cody. We went up through the Bighorn mountains and down into Cody, arriving just before dark.

The next morning I found myself sitting on a log beside my son on Carter mountain at 8500ft glassing for Mule deer and breathing the fresh mountain air (and maybe catching my breath just a bit).. As I sat there several thoughts came to mind; how much I enjoyed hunting with my son, how important it is that I pass along not only my passion for hunting but my hunting skills and knowledge and that I have to find a way to continue to take him on these types of hunts - at least until he starts college!

Over the next week and a half I successfully guided my son to a nice 4x4 buck and another young man to a good 3x3. Neither were B&C trophies but both were trophies to these young hunters! The stalk, the sneak, the final 300 yd belly crawl to get within range. The shot and even the 3 mile carry back to camp (Ok maybe not the carry..) are all memories that will they will never forget - and neither will I!

Overall, ten hunters made the trip and brought back 10 Mule deer bucks. Before leaving for home we toured Yellowstone and went to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody. Mountains were climbed, hundreds of pictures were taken, and memories beyond count were made.

Our children are growing up fast and we're not getting any younger - take a kid hunting!

To quote a good friend and frequent hunting companion: "It's all about making memories!"

Good Hunting!
Scott Powell
SCI Northern Ohio Chapter Vice-President