You Might be an Idahoan If....

....you go to a Hunters Education class with your two preteen daughters.  This, my friends, is what I am up to this weekend.

Many people from my life in Tennessee and beyond were hunters.  I knew my husband was a hunter before he was even my husband.  I had cousins that hunted deer, my dad shot a squirrel or rabbit from time to time, I even had a boyfriend once that hunted 'coons.  I actually went on a coon hunt once, and it was very.... different.  Bird hunting is popular in the Midwest and we saw a lot of that when we lived in Nebraska, but at that time my husband hadn't gotten into birds yet.  It wasn't until we got to Idaho that I saw what  real intense hunting was.

Brent had been itching to get back behind the gun for so long and when we moved to Idaho he was able to do it again.  He starts getting antsy every year before elk and deer season and the passion and desire is there.  He has taken the kids bird hunting for a few seasons now and takes them fishing all the time.  Their love for the outdoors is really starting to shine.  My youngest daughter gets to go on her first ice fishing trip on Monday and she is really excited about it.

I feel the kids have a really strong bond with their dad since they are able to do these things with him and I know they are building memories that will last them a lifetime and to me that is priceless.  This year is a new milestone.  My oldest will now be old enough to hunt deer.  She turns 12 in September and when she realized she was old enough to go this year she won't quit talking about it.   So it was decided, me and the two oldest girls were going to take hunters ed, because its what all the cool Idaho kids (and moms apparently) do.

I'll be honest, I have only shot a gun twice in my lifetime.   We went target and trap shooting in Wyoming once and I will admit it was fun!  Due to lack of equipment, it was also the last time I went.  After that and babies 1,2,3,4 and 5 popped out, I didn't do much of anything.  Brent took up bird hunting again and bought and trained a bird dog. He learned to fly fish and went big game hunting again with his dad.  As a new-ish mom I resented him taking off for a while to do these things but now, in retrospect, I am glad he was learning  new skills and and honing those from his own past so he can teach them to our kids.  Its tradition, legacy, and something they will have for the rest of their lives.

So now I think I am finally really converting to Idaho culture.  I love wild game meat; elk, deer, pheasant, chukar.  I think there is nothing that is more tasty.  So tomorrow bright and early, the girls and I will head off to the fish and game office once again to learn how to be hunters.  Even if I never get behind another gun in my life, at least they will know I am behind them 110% in becoming well-rounded individuals.