Real Sportsmen

soupcreek

Active Member
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Earlier this year, I was complaining to a friend on the phone about a brief financial difficulty I was having. In the conversation I also talked about how excited I was to get my young son out hunting this year. After our conversation, out of the goodness of his heart, he dug into his wallet and mailed me some cash with a little note that he wanted to make sure I could get my son out for his first hunt. Finances are better now, but they weren't during the hunt this year. The cash he sent was a huge blessing to me and my son.
I was able to take my son out for his first few hunts. Despite our best efforts, our freezer ended up empty except for the good memories and high hopes for next year.
At last light on our last hunt, we were driving out and saw another party in the bottom of a ravine about 70 yards off the side of the road. It looked like they had a deer down, so I thought it would be good for my boy to take a look. We pulled over and climbed down. A 13 year old kid had taken a nice buck. We congratulated them, listened to their story and asked if they needed help pulling it up to the road. It seemed like a small thing to me, but they were VERY grateful and kept saying what a "real sportsman" I was. I didn't think we were doing anything special. I was just happy to take a look, help a little, and find joy in their success. We hadn't had any of our own.
On the way home that night I started pondering what it meant to be a "real sportsman".
My friend who sent the gas money that got us out hunting this year is a real sportsman.
In 2013 I shot a little six point bull with my bow about 2 1/2 miles back. My brothers and cousin who helped carry that elk and my sorry backside off that mountain are real sportsmen.
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In 2012 I took a nice little muley (about 155) as another party looked on. They had a tag, but because I was there first, they waited and let me shoot. It's my best buck to date, and the kind folks who waited (and actually had an easier shot than me) are real sportsmen.
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This year my little brother shot an elk and my father (who is nearly 70 and was less than two weeks out of gall bladder surgery) hauled himself up the mountain with a grandson to help out. For this reason, and a thousand others I don't have time to list, he is a real sportsman.
As a kid, we had a little hunting spot that a land owner would let us hunt on. Last year I mapped out the deer that we killed on that spot back in the 80's and 90's. We had about 40 kills in a fairly small area. That generous landowner is a real sportsman.
Too often here on MM we read stories about other people being jerks, or making what we consider silly choices out in the hills. I would like this thread to be dedicated to good stories about good people. Please add your stories to mine. Thank you, to all of the real sportsmen out there who are doing good things, and helping others. Life is good, and you make it better.

Merry Christmas,

Soup
 
There has always been more good guys and good sportsmen than bad, we just seem to notice the bad not the good. Nice post thanks.
 
I agree completely that the negative tends to stand out. Here are my thoughts on what makes a real sportsman:

Anyone who puts the experience of another ahead of their own (mentor, father, grandfather, etc..) is a real sportsman.

Anyone who goes above and beyond to help another enjoy the outdoors, whether in good times (pack out game) or bad (someone who is "really stuck"/ etc..), is a real sportsman.

Anyone who honors the unwritten code of the outdoors (you were here first, so you ought to have the luxury to pursue the critter without being bothered) is a real sportsman.

Anyone who helps facilitate the perpetuation of fish or game animals through sporting organizations or through the donation of time, energy, or money, is a real sportsman. The idea here is that if you give more than you take or leave the woods cleaner than you found them, you hope to ensure that the fish and/or game (and permission to hunt) will be around for the long haul.

These are just a few of my thoughts. I applaud all of the "real sportsmen" in the outdoors today doing their part.

Happy Holidays to you all. May your 2015 be filled with joy and of course-----------BIG bucks......
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-24-14 AT 12:09PM (MST)[p]I have two friends who were hunting in region G in Wyo deer. They were up high glassing some bucks off a trail. They heard horses coming up and moved away from their spotting scope. They talked with the horse hunters who were from Afton. After visting for a couple minutes they found out that the hunter was a young man leaving to go on a church mission for two years, and that would be his last day hunting. My friend Royce told the young man to come take a look in his spotting scope. In the scope was a nice buck. Royce asked him if he would like to shoot the buck. He said sure like WOW. Royce and Eric told the young man how they would get a good shot. Royce and Eric watched through the spotting scope as this young man made a good shot on the buck. They then went over and helped him cape and clean the buck, prior to going hunting the rest of the morning. The young man's father couldn't believe how much Royce and Eric were willing to help his boy get this buck. The last day of hunting prior to him leaving for his mission. Royce and Eric talked about hteir missions and how glad they went to serve.

Later that day morning Royce and Eric headed back to camp, and ran into the horse hunters again.They were having some problems with a load of deer. Royce helped pack some deer back to their cabin, which was near their camp. Again the horse hunters couldn't believe how nice Royce and Eric were. They struck up a friendship. The local horse hunters told Royce and Eric to stay in their cabin for the rest of their hunt. They showed them were a key was. A great example of Sportsmen helping Sportsmen.

The next day Eric and Royce had a fun day of hunting. Elk were bugeling, the weather was great. That night they were cooking on the back patio of their new friends cabin, laughing and having a good time. Royce suddenly collasped and died. Royce was only 38 years old. He was in great shape. He had an aortic aneurysm, and died instantly. Because of the kindness of the Local Sportsmen who Royce and Eric helped the day before, Eric was able to deal with and leave Royce's body in a safe cabin, instead of a tent.
Royce, Eric, and the Sportsmen from Afton, are true sportsmen. Helping each other. The big buck that Royce helped this young man get, was one of the last of many kind acts that Royce did.

Merry Christmas to all.
 
I like the "unwritten codes" idea. Don't shoot sitting ducks, don't groundpound birds, don't snag fish. Leave guys stuff(trailcams, equipment etc alone).
I grew up on the mountain, dad had a rule which was NEVER leave anyone on the mtn. In town picking up some dude might not be a good idea, but on the mtn you offer a ride to anyone and everyone. If you come into camp, your offered a drink and food. Beat the guy to the spot or its his(seems to be more and more a problem). SHARE!!!, share gas, spare tires, beer, bullets, whatever you have, you never know when you might be the guy that is broke down, or thirsty, or forgot something.

That friend that mailed the money, that is a stand up guy. I think realizing that you were in a bad spot was just being a good man. IMO being a stand up guy is the biggest compliment you can give a man!


"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"
 
I am thankful every year for the good true sportsmen I get to share my outdoor experiences with. Thankfully the good people "out there" still outnumber the bad. From helping haul out your kill, to getting me out of a hole, I too have been blessed by many strangers. I'm trying to teach my boys the way an honest, courteous, and respectful hunter should act. Thanks for all the stories. Merry Christmas!!
 
My dads a good sportsmen every time me and my brother take him to one of our hunting spots he tells all his friends where it's at!
 

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