What binds the brothers together with their dad at this time of year? The love of hunting that they share, of course. The brothers can be seen with their dad practicing with their bows and shotguns for weeks before the opening day of bow season. If I look out the back picture window, I can see them sticking arrows into life-size realistic deer targets with precise bowshots. They sight in their shotguns by shooting at paper targets affixed to five-foot round bales of first cutting timothy hay.

The boys return to the house with their dad and with smiles on their faces. If they were shooting guns then they all sit in the living room to clean and polish their weapons together. They discuss their awesome shots and laugh about the misses they made. They discuss all the guns they wish they had and what great shots they could make if they owned them. They talk about a certain buck that they have been watching and fantasize about who will shoot him.

As you can probably imagine, the girls and I will be spending a lot of time alone. The boys think that every unscheduled minute of sunlight should be spent in the woods in pursuit of the perfect deer to hang on the dining room wall.

So what is on the agenda for the girls of the house? We will probably be shopping. Christmas is fast approaching and Super Dad and I have a dozen children of our own, two grandchildren, and relatives with Christmas wish lists. If we really get organized, maybe I can recruit the girls to help wrap presents as well.

No doubt, the girls and I will also be cooking a lot of venison to sustain our fearless hunters. Our children can never seem to get enough venison jerky. I’m sure they would be very appreciative if you want to share your favorite venison jerky recipes with us.


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Boys Will be Boys, Bonding Time Among Brothers

Photo Credit: Julia Fuller 2006