I'm 15+ years younger than the two of you. I still get excited the night before a morning hunt or throughout the day before an evening hunt but my focus has shifted to my 13/14 year old. Times have changed so much in regards to hunting tradition and the number of kids getting involved is waning for various reasons. I figure getting the boy up and running at least teaches him about a different aspect of life that otherwise he won't experience e.g. the actual killing of an animal, processing, and seeing how much work is involved as to not take it lightly or for granted.
On the other hand as he and I talked this weekend while out hunting, are the moments in time that one experiences while in the woods and what really matters. To see his eyes light up when awakening from a nap and having a nice buck standing 15 yards away, hearing his breathing as gang of gobblers walked by within 5 yards as we sat motionless and listening to their sounds of contentment, seeing a pair of raccoons climbing up a tree for the first time, and the boy commenting on how cool the woods sound as they awaken and how beautiful the sunset is as it fades over an open pasture across the tree line are the experiences that to me, really sum up what it is all about.
At some point I see myself carrying no gun but walking along with my boy just as my dad with me.
