By Doug Nabors

I have many fond memories of being in the outdoors when I was young, whether hunting, fishing, camping or just walking through the woods at our family’s farm. When I never realized was how my father shared those same memories I had but from a different perspective. The past couple of years have so greatly changed my perspective on those events and leaves me with simply a smile.

I was fortunate to grow up with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. I feel even more fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work in the “outdoor” industry. But I am truly privileged to get to share my love of the outdoors with my son and see the same excitement, passion and anticipation that I had at his age.

This regenerated feeling has been no stronger than most recently when my son got to shoot his first ducks in Arkansas and then take his first deer just right outside Selma. While the duck hunt was fun, it could not compare to the excitement Douglas had on the evening of December 29, 2005.

Like most fathers, I had tried to think of everything and wanted to make the hunt fun. We (Douglas and I) talked about what might happen, how to always be safe with a gun, what to do if a deer came out and how to stay calm (though in the end Douglas did a better job of this than I did). This wasn’t the first deer hunt Douglas had been on but the first where he actually was going to get to shoot if a deer came out.

We didn’t see a lot of movement the day before until late in the evening, so we decided to head out to the stand around 3:00. We were in a shooting house overlooking a large green field. The first deer came out around 4:30. Another one came out a few minutes later. Both were at the far end of the field (175 yards away). We both looked through binoculars to get a better look at the deer (both were does). We decided to take the one on the left, which was the larger of the two plus closer. By now the deer was about 160 yards away from us. I asked Douglas if he was ready to short and he was.

We had been out to the shooting range the day before, so I was comfortable that he could hit the target. I told him to relax and when he was ready, take the safety off and pull the trigger. A few minutes passed while he was waiting for the deer to give him a good shot, and he pulled the trigger. The deer darted into the woods to our left. We wanted to give the deer time to lay down, so instead of going right after her, we climbed down from the stand and went to the camp house to get the other kids who were with us. We all went back to where we thought she went in, and within five minutes, we found her. At that moment, I bet I was more excited than Douglas was. We pulled the deer out and got the camera going before taking her to the processor.

As someone who both enjoys the outdoors as well as relies on it for my livelihood, I am constantly telling others to make sure to expose a child to the outdoor sports. This constant discussion means more to me now than ever before.
In the midst of academic achievements, all the athletic practices, losses and victories, and all of the hectic lives our children and we have, three hours in the woods just outside Selma remain in the forefront of my thoughts. As I write this story, I am getting to relive this hunt again and, like when it was happening, I have a smile on my face and now I know why my father was smiling when I was young.

Doug Nabors, originally from Alexander City, is Director of Sales for Mossy Oak Apparel, a division of Russell Corporation. Doug, his wife, Bradley, and children Douglas and Mary Chapman reside in Birmingham.