Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

Precarious Health and decisions...

Go if you can physically be comfortable hunting. If can not be comfortable then can you be comfortable if stay in camp of a nearby motel?

I try to get my now 82 year old uncle to hang out in camp on some of my adventures and he feels would be a burden as does not hunt. The ewe sheep hunt invite was in a mountain range where he had gathered minerals as an undergraduate and the pronghorn hunt invite was where he worked on a multi-year geological project. The elk hunt invite was a motel stay and could walk to the bars in Jackson. He still goes rockhounding and stays in his truck bed and cooks on a gas tailgate stove so he would fit in perfectly.

If you will be physically comfortable, go.
 
If you are willing and able to go, then you should go. Don't let your fear of being a "burden" stop you. You won't ruin the by being there, rather your presence will be what makes the hunt for them.

My dad passed away from cancer in 2015, and I would give anything to have had an opportunity to deer hunt with him 1 last time. Even if he had only been able to ride around in the truck while we set up our deer drives would've been fine by me. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for either of us. Your sons will never regret your having gone with them. Go along, do what you can, and enjoy your time together.
 
My dad has MS. We made the journey to deer camp 7 straight seasons. The first 2-3 years he could shoulder a gun, but his arms were so unsteady there was no way he was ever going to kill an animal. No one said a word about it. He was out there in orange and he was hunting.

The next couple years he couldn't get back to his blind any more, so we built a wheelchair accessible blind. We mounted his gun on a turret so all he needed was a deer to walk in front of his gun and he just had to pull the trigger. There was a 0% chance of this happening, but again no one said a word, and he was hunting.

The last 2 years he lacked the dexterity to pull the trigger. We still wheeled him out there opening morning, deer tag in his pocket, and loaded gun resting on his legs. The only sad part about it was that this would be his last year hunting, as he would be hospitalized for a life-threatening infection the following fall, never to return to the woods.

We never cared that we had to stay in a hotel an hour away from the hunt area, wake up at 3:30 AM each morning and get him ready, and set him up in his blind before heading to our own stands. No one thought for a second that he was a burden, or an inconvenience, or decreased our chance at punching a tag.

I'm thankful that he chose to come hunting all those years ; they are memories I would not trade for anything.

Do your family a favor and don't sit this one out.
 
If you were my dad, I'd build a cart and haul you up there if that's what it took. You being there will mean more to me than any amount of success that could be achieved on the hunt. If you don't go, it will always be remembered as the hunt you didn't make, if you do go, it will be the awesome hunt that you all shared.
 
Go. As a son with a father who has different physical limitations; it’s always much better and more enjoyable to have him in camp and have him do what he’s capable than to have him at home and send him a picture of a buck/bull. Go.
 
I will echo the sentiment to go hunting.

My Dad had a stroke in 2016. We have done whatever necessary to go hunting with him. Staying in hotels, setting up a mini camp (fire, chairs, tables, food etc) at the kill site so he can be comfortable and hang out with his kids and participate.

There is always one more hunt, so make as many of those as possible.
 
If you read the “Favorite Hunting Memories” thread, many of the posts, including my own, have something to do with hunting with our dads. The specialness of this can’t be overemphasized. My dad has a hard time walking anymore. He’s had four hip replacements (three on one side), spinal fusion, survived esophageal cancer and Gillian Barre Syndrome, and a bunch of other shit. I like to hunt hard, but I like to hunt with my dad more. Even though we may not be side by side every moment of a hunt, it’s always better when he’s there. So like everyone else has said, just go.
 
There is much more to hunting and to life itself than hunting hard or filling tags. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of what is really important. Your sons want you there, that’s why they bought your tag, go make some memories.
 
Put yourself in there shoes, I bet you would be willing to do anything and everything to take them hunting so let them do the same for you.
That's my way of thinking as well, they clearly want you to join them, I can't imagine the pain and suffering you have gone through, you are clearly a tough guy, go, you won't know until you get there what you can and cannot do, if nothing else it will provide some nice memories for you all to look back on.
Cheers
Richard
 
My Father in law has heart trouble and a few years ago, prior to getting a valve replacement, my wife and I tried to get him to go out with us to hunt antelope. He wouldn't go for the same reason, he didn't want to be a burden and now the time has passed where he can go.
Just go.
 
Go. My literal first memory was shooting at spruce hens off the side mirror of my Dad's truck, at 3 1/2 years old. Fast forward to 32 years of age and my dad went on his last hunt with me, 2 days before he died. He wasn't even in good enough shape to walk, but he did it. I think about him every day.
 
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Spending time with family is the ultimate gift and never a burden.

Enjoy the comradery and the hunt. I hope you have good meals, conversations, bonding and see an animal.
 
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