I can understand to a degree where you’re coming from, I will never understand the total dis-inclusion of NewGuy from opening weekend which sounds like a lot of fun, even though hectic. We can’t wrap our heads around you being so tight with your people but being so conditional and not even giving a chance for NewGuy to prove his metal (or grit). All the scheduling conflicts, other reasons, one including you and your people would be very unforgiving and spiteful if he happens to kill a bigger buck than the rest of you, is sorry at best and seems like an attempt to smooth the world over in us thinking you aren’t this over bearing jerk “Patriarch” we kind of think you are...
In my head, and I know I’m not alone, the conversation should have went like this. Forthright and clear with no room for personal interpretation on your expectations. “Look NewGuy, You’ve proven yourself up until now, that’s why we/I are welcoming you to camp. Opening weekend is hectic. Bad hectic. We and I aren’t going to have time to baby sit you. If we have to, it will really hamper our hunt which only comes around once a year. It is a big deal to us and we aren’t getting any younger. You are also low man on the totem pole for seniority so you are going to be hunting spots nobody else wants and sleeping on the couch or in your truck until a bunk opens up later in the week. We have expectations of you to hunt an area/stand and stay put there. If you kill a deer, here are the rules and what you need to do. If you happen to kill the biggest buck in the woods, we are going to give you crap about it, but that’s just because we are jealous and envious so appreciate the hell out of it if it happens. You have an opportunity here to really show us what you’re made of, and you have an opportunity to really screw it up. If you aren’t okay with any of that or don’t think you can handle it, it might be best you sit the first couple days out but we’d love to have you around to help where needed in the skinning shed or dragging deer. The more you are around us, the more you’ll learn “our” ways which will really be great for all of us.” and more with the understanding from everyone in camp that the new guy has a lot to learn. You all should be willing to help teach with patience.
Let me be clear: if NewGuy got the camp record or the state record, we'd be cheering.
You can think of me as an overbearing jerk all you want. Truth is that I want NewGuy to have as good an experience as possible, and there is nothing in what I have said or done that would indicate that we're anything like what you're claiming. He is not a plebe that has to prove himself. We're not going to haze him. We're not going to give him the worst accomodations and make him live with it. He will be an honored guest and I intend to give him as much of my attention as he needs. In the little time I had with him over Labor Day, he was asking a lot of questions. They were good questions, but I can tell he's not quite sure of himself in this endevor. My guess is that NewGuy is going to come down and get his cherry popped within a few days of hunting, and walk away feeling like he's found heaven. Maybe. Maybe not. I do know that we're to do everything we can to make it happen.
Now, if you think that's overbearing, that's fine. I did pretty much the same thing with SuperCore when he first came out. SuperCore was ex-Airborne, but he'd never hunted. He was an avid shooter, but he'd never levelled anything at a living being. He was my boss at Cincinnati State when I taught there. The biggest mistake I made with SuperCore-- by his own estimate-- was leaving him too much on his own during The Opener. He really didn't get a feel for things until we spent some time in the 2-man blind that I built for me and my sons when they were younger. It opens front and back and the hunters sit back to back. You are hunting on your own, but you can carry on a conversation. If NewGuy wants to do that, I'll be happy to oblige, but we'll start off with whatever he wants. We actually have several venues like that now. I built them so Moose or I can take the Mooselette out. We also have a few setups where 2 hunters safely can hunt fairly close to one another and still be hunting completely different structures and animals. My only ground rules will be to pick a blind or stand and stay there. Let folks know if you're up and moving and don't stray too close to the property lines.
I also think you and a few others are really overestimating NewGuy's abilities. I've had a fairly recent hunt with one of the guys on here-- a frequent poster. Were he to come down to hunt, I could pretty much point him towards the head and the coffee maker and that would be it. He's done bigger hunts than me in many more places. Right now, I'd go anywhere in the world with him if the situation was right, and I think he'd say the same about me. It was my first hunt away from the farm in 20 years. I'm sure he'd be able to rattle off examples of my shagginess, but we both had a good time, and I appreciate his putting up with me on my first trip out in ages.
