My childhood lab and my dad

[stetson82]

When i was growing up in northern Il my father got me into waterfowl and upland hunting. Its an afflication that to this day dominates my life. We had a choclate lab female by the name of dawn. she was mybe not the best but I sure thought she was. I remember not being old enough to hunt (about 5 0r 6) my dad would take me to the blind with the guys. when the ducks started falling dawn and i would spring to action. down the bank of a very swift river we would go picking up ducks down river and both of us smiling as we returned to the blind. I also remeber the hot days dove hunting with dawn and hanging with the guys. but the memory that i best remember was walking to the truck after a limit of doves. as we crested a hill and seen the sun setting over a pastured creek bottum with dawn sillouhetted against the sun, i had a ffeeling come about me that i still remember. after years of watching her get worse from diplaysia she was later put downat 13 years. i know it was tough on my father and he has since never owned another. after i graduated college and a year and a half of chemo at a young age . i began looking for my friend, my gundog. after 2 years of looking i found the one i wanted. so that day at 7 weeks old as most of us have experienced i picked up stetson. my male choc lab. we know have 2 seasons of hunting behind us he is know 2 and excell in both the upland fields and the waters of the ol miss. i have noticed that that same feeling comes back over me the one i felt at a young age. my dad has hunted with us plenty now that i have stetson dove hunting at 9 weeks my dad looked like a proud grandfather cheering when stetson would retrieve a dove. but just last fall my father stetson and ii were hunting a rolling hunt club in the evening. dad and i looked at each other we both felt it he smiled and enjoyed the sunset. but interupting our silence a rooster against the sunset my dad shot and here comes stetson with the bird. my dad sat on the ground and stetson gave him the bird and a dog pile started we all sat there till the sun when down. we both were thinking of our dogs and we knew it. it was the best day ever.. Thank you dad R.I.P. Dawn

[dlfl]

A great tribute to your old dog and Dad. They give us joy our whole life and only want you to be happy with them. They want so little for all they give.

[postoakshorthairs]

what a beautiful tribute!

[Elroy's Bandit]

Great Tribute to your Dad and your dogs!
It's funny how it all goes back to our fathers keeping this sport alive and providing us a foundation. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were similar to your with my dad and our GSP "Duke". I have had the pleasure of multiple seasons with my boys, and I guess we all hope our kids will be out there watching a sunrise or sunset with their kids thinking about the great times they had with us. Awesome tribute stetson82
Bill L.