Hack’s Stand » Blog Archive » Blake is 8 Years old and what a year he had in 2006 with his Dad

When you meet Blake you know a couple of things right off. He loves his Dad very much, and he is full of energy! His size has nothing to do with the heart in this fine young man. His Dad is John and John is an avid outdoorsman, fisherman, and even does taxidermy. Blake started going hunting with is Dad at 6 years of age. Going hunting means the getting up at 4:30 am and doing the full all day regiment that deer hunting in Indiana entails. Blake had no weapon at that age but he was learning every time he went. He would share the climbing treestand with his Dad and all those memories that happen only in the woods. Blake has got to be with his Dad when he harvested several bucks, even with a bow. Blake almost always starts laughing when the deer get close to the tree because the deer did not know they were there and Blake says it is just like playing and hide and seek! John has told us about the ones that got away because Blake started giggling, I think it is just an excuse; but he uses it

This year Blake was given a 410 shotgun and his own bow. John taught him the safety and marksmanship for both of them and he is a very good shot. It is amazing to see really when he shoots his bow. I could talk forever about Blake because I have seen him grow up at our deer camps each year. Blake and his sisters Abby and Jenna have been coming for the last two years and it is always so much fun to have them there. Take your kid hunting with you and share our heritage like John has done with his 3 kids. You will never regret it. Blakes first big hunt with a weapon was for turkey. He got his first gobbler this year and it was a real trophy! The next season to come along for Blake was squirrel and I bet a lot of us got started that way. Blake killed his first and it was a red fox squirrel on the first weekend it opened this year. He was so proud because now he didn’t have to carry his Dad’s squirrels, he was too busy carrying his own! Deer season followed up right after squirrel and Blake was determined to get one this year and he hunted every weekend with his Dad. He had some bad luck and even popped a cap with his muzzle loader on a good buck; but the misfire didn’t dampen his spirits at all. It was the last weekend in late December that he finally got the shot he had waited all year for and he harvested this big doe. He could not wait to eat the brats and jerky she would be used to make. Last weekend of December he caught a 12 lb wiper on his own and so he finished out 2006 with what has to be an eight year olds grand slam for Indiana! Way to go Blake!