A Strong Suggestion from Barry Wensel

[Barry Wensel]

Girls keep diaries, guys keep logs or journals. When I first moved to Montana in 1973 I kept daily notes on my annual findings. I did so for close to twenty years. I lost the first ten years or so when a water pipe broke in my basement. I lost the next ten years or so, along with a dozen custom bows and most of my trophies, in our storage unit fire in 1999. Yesterday, I was going through an old briefcase looking for something and came across four cassette tapes that have been lost in the shuffle. Two of them were hour long conversations I had with Roger Rothhaar. One from 1974 and another from 1976. Besides them I found two 90 minute cassettes I recorded about my entire 1982 and 1983 hunting seasons. I started out with "I'm recording this for posterity while it's fresh in my memory." Then I went through the highlights of my entire September, October and November. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed listening to it. Priceless! There were literally DOZENS of great memories I had totally forgotten about. I found it extremely interesting how I've changed over the years. Equally interesting, there were occurances I couldn't recall at all and others I remembered in vivid detail by just closing my eyes and listening to my own words. One thing I wish I had done moreso was to mention what equipment I was using at the time. I failed to do that. My suggestion to you younger bowhunters would be for you to start doing this for yourselves. Don't just write it down but actively record yourself either via tape or on camera making it more personal. The excitement in my voice when recounting the hunts was something you'd lose in writing it. It basically took an hour and a half out of my life each year to record something that now, almost thirty years later, is priceless to me. Do yourselves and your families a favor and make duplicates. Story them away in a little box in two different locations for safe keeping. Then just forget about them for 25 or 30 years. I guarantee you'll thank yourself and you'll thank me for suggesting it. Now, go make some memories. BW

[Weekend Warrior]

Barry
Great Idea.
And I thought Gene was the smart one   :D

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Great advice.

A few years ago I bought a small, digital audio recorder. It's great for taking field notes that I can downlaod to my PC, burn to CD and transcribe when I get the time.

[PowDuck]

I used to keep a journal of my hunts several years ago then just got lazy. I do need to start doing that again. Thanks for the reminder, Barry.

[Tom Mussatto]

Excellent advice Barry. I hope folks take it. It's so much easier and cheaper to do these days than 40 years ago.

I was extremely fortunate in that my Dad and two of my uncles were filming before I was born. My Granddad passed away when I was 9 but I have great footage of small game hunts I had with him and Dad.

You're right. This stuff is priceless, not just to me but to my kids and grandkids and who knows after that.

[Dan in Poulsbo]

Barry,

Thanks for the wisdom. I think the enthusiasm that blessed you will also touch our children and grandchildren. It may be the mystery that draws them to the special experience of the real world. Now some type of recorder is on my list for 2008.

Thanks

Dan Olson

[thp]

Barry, good stuff.  Will do that.

[Kingwouldbe]

I like the video Idea if you could see your self 30 years ago with the sparkle in your eye recounting how existed you whir when recounting that season.

I will do it.

Cool B-man

[Bonebuster]

In the end, all we really ever have is memories.

Since my kids have become hunters instead of spectators, I have been writing a journal. A new entry only takes a few minutes, but I spend alot of time reading the entries that are already there. Details can fade in a very short time.

The video idea is better yet.

Best advice I`ve gotten in a long time.

[tippit]

Barry, Along that same line, my father-in-law was a surgeon in Patton's mash unit in WWII.  That unit went every where Patton went!

He never talked about it until his club had a Army-Navy night were a few veterans talked about thier war experiences.  He had a hard time trying to get a 15 minute talk so he re-encountered his war experiences to the family for the first time.  We never new that he was in Hitler's Eagle Nest (he ripped off a soap dish from the wall   , opened up two concentration camps, learned about fixing broken legs with metal rods in the middle of the bone from an Xray of a German prisoner (German doctors had already perfected that procedure), on & on. He later became of of the first five orthropedic surgeons prefect the first total hip procedure.  

He has passed away now...BUT I filmed that entire evening while everyone watched.  I can't tell you how priceless that tape is!

Thanks Barry, you never know what will be one of your priceless mementos in the future...Doc

[Killdeer]

AMEN!!    
Killdeer  

[dino]

My granpa and uncles would many times set a tape recorder on the table at night during hunt.  They would talk about all kinds of stuff.  Stands, equipment, experiences, lessons.  Just normal dinner table hunting camp conversations.  I know it is great to listen to them 30+ years later. Great idea to do. dino

[bayoulongbowman]

Uncle Barry , thanks so much , you inspire me so much , I love this idea and plan to make it part of my hunts from now on. thanks Barry...Mark#78 ...That must have meant so much to you after these all these years, thats a blessing ...peace  

[Terry Green]

Yeah...Barry's right.......and I kick myself a lot for not taking pics all those years!!!

I started taking pics about 5 years ago when we started Trad Gang...and I realised how much they can mean down the road.  I now take more pics that I probably should...but I always seem to get enough to tell the story.

[Arwin]

I started keeping a journal in 02' with all the wind, weather, moon phase, temps, and barometer. It has been a huge help in determining a pattern according to the weather and  when to  hunt a certain location. I think the entries when things didn't go right are way more entertaining.  

[Grant Young]

I agree with Barry and Terry- it'll become more precious with each passing season and I could kick myself for not having been more faithful in documenting the time that can't be lived over. Forty years of "once in a lifetime" experiences hanging out there and I wait 'til I can't remember what I came to the store for to realize have valuable they are to me and how much a record would mean to my sons. Thanks for the reminder Barry.                     Grant

[Jason Jelinek]

I've been doing it for about 8 years now.  The last 5 years have been electronically.  Good stuff for sure.

Jason

[Rufus]

So true. My wife tells me the best pictures are the ones kept in your head but I have a very difficult time showing those to anyone. I take pix and have them on my computer and periodically copy them to cd's and backups.
 I should keep a journal also but I don't. Somethings I'd just soon forget but there be no since in writing them down cause I ain't gonna forget 'em anyway. Like the buck that didn't know I was there. Problem was I didn't know he was either. He be much, much quicker than me at 10 yds. Lesson learned without written documentation. I do know what you guys are talking about, tides wind rain, temp and all that stuff. Good turkey huntin' ya'll.    

[Boneyard Bowhunter]

Barry I started keeping a journal of every time I go to the woods to stump shoot, hunt, or just hike. I note the date, time, weather conditions and any animal sightings or sign. After a while you start to see patterns of where and when critters move and what they are looking for. I also take my digital camera to take pictures. Take Barry's advise guys and make some great memories.

[PA stickbow boy]

great idea Barry!!!!  i need to do that, especially when i spen time in the stand w/ my grandfather and he's telling me all his old hunting stories.  i still like them eventhough i've heard them many times over