I got ripped one night and started thinking I could take my son(10) and one of the grandsons(11) out hunting this year. The plan was to go this Saturday. Yesterday the grandson's dad (a good friend/family member/drinking buddy) and I went out to our hunting spot to check things out and sight in the SKS (I juniorized it and added a scope).

Huge freaking mistake! The roads are all bumpy and rutted up and bouncing around made my back get worse. I took off after a doe and made it about forty or fifty steps before I remembered how screwed up my back is. What was I gonna do if I got it? I never thought that far ahead because I took so many lortabs and flexerils (5 or six of each I think, took so many I can't remember how many I took) that I wasn't thinking right anyway.

So today both my legs are numb in varying degrees in different spots and the lump in the small of my back is bigger than it's ever been. The deep bruise feeling just above my pelvis in the spine itself is worse than it's been since this whole thing started in May.

I'm wondering about the wisdom of taking the boys out there. I killed a little diamondback yesterday and the boys know what to look out for but the whole ordeal got me to wondering what I'd do if one of them got bit or broke a leg or whatever crisis might happen. They are expecting to go hunting Saturday and come hell or high water I'm taking them (also, in my infinite wisdom I set the hog trap - bad call). No way I'm gonna take all the pills that allowed me to go so far while two boys are in my care (two boys with high powered rifles).

Anyways that's the conundrum that I have until about 5am tomorrow to solve. The son in law's gonna have to come and help out and the boys have been hunting with me a lot. It's funny how kids who are all tail wagging and tongue hanging out will stop and listen when you're talking about hunting or fishing.

This should be one of my best stories ever once it's all said and done. I'll let y'all know how it all plays out.

Good luck to you madchad

Chad you can't take a 10 and 11 yr old out with semi auto assault rifle on pills man. Come on man...

Whatever you do, be careful and have a good time.

I'm still wondering how you have a 10 year old son and an 11 year old grandson.

Well, you started their education, do you think there's somebody else out there who could finish it?

Instead of thinking about what you can't do, think about what you can.

Here, you've got a nice deer lease all set up.. its primed and ready to hunt. There's got to be guys itching to go.

Got the hog traps already set. Probably got something in it.

You got two boys who are just chomping at the bit to go.

Let the guys on here know what you need!!!! Say "Hey, Prime deer and hog hunting opportunity! Free! But, you need to know what the heck you're doing, AND the one thing is you need to teach the future generations" or something like that. I'd go myself, but I'm no hunter. I could teach 'em all about the wild foods they encounter, and everything but shooting stuff, but that's what this is all about.

Just an idea.

Chad I hope you get to feeling better also be safe and have fun with the boys tomorrow.

I hope you are slowly coming to the realization that you are going to have to have some dr cut on your back for you to get any quality of life. Go see the dr in Tyler that did Denny Brauer's sugery...I hear he is the best around. If he can fix a guys back that has rode in a Ranger all of those years and taking that pounding then he can probably fix you, bet he had to dry him off first (had to get my Ranger joke in there )

Good luck!

I agree with Kattelyn, get some help. I am sure that someone with a strong back would be happy to help out. I am sure that the boys will do a lot to help out also. They are pumped about the whole thing and keep your cell fully charged. Good luck and let us know.

Best of luck to a successful hunt and to you getting better.

I feel your pain. I haven't been able to do much of anything for about 3 months now because my back is so messed up. I missed half the fishing season. After tinkering with the garage door and carrying in groceries last night, I couldn't sleep I was hurting so bad. Supposed to leave for the lake this next week and don't know how I'm goign to hook up the travel trailer much less load my 120lb pontoon in the bed of my truck or my 90lb generator...but I'll figure something out and cry about it later. I have figured out a 6-pack works better than muscle relaxers. And I plan on taking plenty of beer with me...for medicinal purposes of course.

sheesh...and I'm only 30 something.

Guns and pills are just like Guns and Booze. Not a good deal.

Serious answer here. Have you though about having one of the boys (assuming he doesn't weigh alot) walk on your back? Just lay on the floor and let him walk, slowly up and down your back. Just have him walk on the spinal erector muscles and NOT your spine. The lump, is more than likely a big old mess of nerves (that's the layman's description). It works for me. Sometimes when I have the girls do it, my back pops like a string of firecrackers. It takes a while after that for the muscles to loosen up. I use some stuff called Theragisic for that, but it kinda sorta smells like Ben-Gay. Not sure what that would do for hunting.

Loading up on pills and a semi auto rifle isn't a real good idea, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Hope it works out okay. Take your buddy to help gut it, bending over doing that wrecks my back.

You've got to be kidding me... You're a disaster waiting to happen.

i hope you can find a way to take em, i bet they're pumped!

I am sure you have built up a tolerance over time but that is a bunch of meds. I dont see how a horse could have functioned on that much medication.

What kicks and winks like a horse?

Wait...you have a son who is 10 and a grandson who is 11? Or, do you have 11 grandsons? Who are you dude? Charlie Chaplin?

Good luck Madchad!

I got it all worked out folks. The son in law and I will take them. We're taking my son, the grandson, and one of the bigger grandsons. The big feller's 17 and has no interest in hunting but he's gonna come along and help out (he loves to fish and I'm thinking that after a hunt or two he'll change his mind about not being into it). I've spent most of the day on the couch resting myself up and taking muscle relaxers and other stuff to get me back on track. Tonight I'll use the inversion table if the muscles have let go enough. I still can't stand up straight since yesterday but I'm a tough guy, I can hang.

I'm gonna take regular doses tomorrow (painkillers only so I don't get sloppy) and bite it down as long as I need to. There's a few places where I can park the truck and let my son shoot from the bed, he'll have better chances up high anyway. He's going to use the H&R 7mm-08 junior model that I got for Mrs Chad. He wants to take a few pigs first so when he shoots at a deer he can be certain he'll kill it clean.

ATTA BOY!

The grandson is going to use his dad's M-44 (I was thinking that the sks might be a little much). He's shot it a few times and I'll recomend that he practice on pigs so he doesn't foulshot a deer.

At the end of our trip tomorrow I'll set up a target and let the boys practice with the guns they will be using so they'll have an advantage. I took my first deer with a lever action 30-30 that I had never shot but I grew up around guns and so have these boys. They've got their own guns (bb, .22, 20 guage) and they're both good shots.

Both of them have been on hunting trips with me every year since they were big enough to take. They've both taken rabbits so I know they're good to go (a rabbit's a much smaller target). They know what's up and are HIGHLY TRAINABLE. I can pass on my knowledge and tactics and in 5 years when they are old enough to drive they'll be seasoned enough to go on their own.




Deer or no deer, pigs or no pigs, I'll spend the day teaching these boys how to find and get their own food. Just like my dad did with me.




Also, they both love to fish and have both eaten fish that they have personally caught. They too think that it tastes better when you kill it yourself.

I have a son and a daughter from my first marriage. Mrs Chad has 4 daughters, a son, and a gaggle of grandkids from her first marriage.

Savvy?

get some vagisil...