The Exciting Challenges of Breaking Into The World Of Manhood

The challenge comes in every boy’s life to break into the world of manhood. Many times, this happens through traditions that are deeply ingrained in his culture. Today I write about my story and one of those traditions that led me into the world of men. Looking back, I now see it as a key moment and the start of my journey into the world of manhood. It also brings to light the importance of building these experiences into the lives of our sons.

Anticipating the Exciting Challenge Ahead

The first Monday after Thanksgiving probably did not have significant meaning to the rest of the country. But if you lived in Pennsylvania, this was a state holiday. You see, this was the opening day of buck season. Workplaces and schools were closed, unions worked it into their contracts to have this day off, and almost the entire state shut down to allow people to go deer hunting. To those from other states, this is surprising, but to those of us from Pennsylvania, this was normal. This is the way it was. Deer hunting in Pennsylvania had been a significant part of the culture for generations. Most people I knew hunted, and most people hunted deer on this day.

Growing up, I could not wait to go to hunting camp with my dad. To be a part of this long-standing tradition was a dream of mine. I heard all the stories of tracking down bucks and the hard work of dragging them through the Appalachian mountains. (we were not allowed to use four-wheelers or drive vehicles on state-owned land to retrieve deer) I read every copy of Pennsylvania Game News. I hung on every word and studied all the details of every story and article. I listened to the stories my dad told me, asking questions and learning everything I could learn about pursuing the legendary whitetail deer. To me, going deer hunting was a rite of passage for a young man. Getting a buck was a trophy that meant more to me than all the trophies I earned by playing sports.

Those first few years of going to camp were my time to prove myself as a hunter and as a man. I was the first of the sons to go to camp, the oldest of the group. I was the only youngster among a group of 10-12 men. At 12 years old, I was wide-eyed and full of excitement. This was my first time entering into the “world of men,” and I was ready.

The first step of entering into this new world was to learn the behavior and fun men have together. It was good to see men busting on each other and getting a little crazy. I was amazed at how bodily noises occurred as if they were a planned part of the conversation. I sat in the corner laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. It was fun to sit and watch and listen. I heard the stories of hunts from years past and conversations and the banter that goes on between men. I learned of the names of different hunting areas like “the Gifford Road,” “the tar paper shanty,” etc. The stories grew in their color and became more grandiose the later in the night, and the more beer that was consumed. I just tried to stay out of the limelight, help with the menial tasks of camp life like washing dishes after meals, setting the table, and just “paying my dues.” I was there to earn respect, and my dad prepared me well to just help out, watch, and learn.

After a couple of days, it was Sunday night, and things started to take on a more serious tone. The grit and drive of men started to show as they prepared for the day ahead. I could see it was a big deal to these guys. They were deer hunters and for the first time, I was one of them. But in my mind, I knew I still needed to prove myself and show I belonged.

That night men were packing lunches, laying out equipment, talking through safety, and of course, ribbing the new kid. I was asked if I had my hose. Not knowing what they meant, they went on to tell me that with all the layers of clothes I would have on, if I didn’t want to urinate on my hunting clothes, I should carry a small hose to use as an “extension.” I was also taught how to wrap toilet paper in case of an emergency in the woods. I was asked if I know my leaves. If there is no toilet paper available and you go to plan B, make sure you do not use poison ivy or poison oak. So needless to say, we pretty much covered all the essentials!

The Time to Prove You are Up to the Challenge

The next morning came early. The alarm clock went off at about 3:30 am. I did not sleep much. Partly because I was excited and partly because of the snoring. Never in my life had I heard snoring like I heard that night! Since then, earplugs have been an essential item when going to camp.

Men started rolling out and getting dressed while a few made eggs, bacon, and toast for the camp. We ate, got dressed, and everyone wished “good lucks” and “shoot straights” and off we went to our separate hunting spots deep in the mountains. We were usually deep in the woods before daylight. Walking in the mountains at night is an experience in itself for a young man. In this culture, it is all part of the challenge of breaking into the world of becoming a man.

The Challenge from the Wild Side of the Wilderness

That first year of hunting was unusually cold and presented an even greater challenge to the normal deer hunting in Pennsylvania. There was snow on the ground, and we were going to the “big mountain.” We would be hunting further back in the mountains than anyone else in our camp. We drove deep into the mountains on dirt roads. We parked and started hiking back into the woods to the area we had scouted out.

The Challenge of the Equipment of the Day

I had a full snowsuit on that was fluorescent orange. I carried a small single-shot 30-30 rifle. At that time, we did not have scopes on our guns. We both shot open iron sights. Because we did not have a lot of money in those days, my dad hunted in blue jeans and carried a lever-action Winchester 32 Special Model 94 like the ones you would see in a western movie. We did not have hot seats; instead, we took plastic bags to sit on, so we didn’t get wet. We also did not have synthetic materials for warmth. We wore cotton long-underwear and cotton socks and boots with felt liners in them. When dad and I sat down at the base of a tree, we had a system. He would sit facing one way, and I would sit facing the other way so we could cover more area. We had a short piece of rope that each of us would hold onto. If we saw deer, we would tug the rope, so the other guy knew to keep still. We saw lots of deer in those days. In the first couple of days, we saw well over one hundred and twenty deer.

The Challenge of Motivation and Grit

Because it was so cold, we did a lot of walking to keep warm. We climbed several mountains on those two days of hunting. It was so cold at one point we talked about returning to camp to warm up. This was a difficult decision for me. It felt like I was wimping out, and I did not like it, but I was colder than I had ever been in my life. We started to make our way back, and we ran into another hunter along a small mountain stream dragging a buck he had just shot. Seeing that buck changed everything for me. It was the motivation I needed to push through the challenge of the cold. Deep inside I found the grit to overcome. So we pushed on and roughed it out.

The Challenge of Missed Opportunity

Later that day, while sitting on a flat bench on the side of the mountain, we saw a group of deer over the edge. Dad snuck up to the edge and looked over and saw a spike buck with a few does. He stepped back and asked me if I wanted to take the shot. I tried to pull the hammer back on my single shot rifle but it had frozen and I could not get it to move. Dad pounded on it to try to get it to break free and then he pounded on his. I told him to go ahead and take the shot if he could get the hammer to break free. Finally, it did break free and he stepped up to the edge. Unfortunately, the buck was now in the midst of the does and the shot was a challenge. He had to try to take a shot at the neck with open sights at 75 yards in the woods. He took the shot and missed it. The deer broke down the bottom of the mountain and up the other side and stood there looking at us. At the distance, we could not see which deer were the does and which was the buck. If only we had a scope! That was our only opportunity that year. But all was not a loss.

Overcoming Challenges Results in Respect

That year I earned some respect in camp. I stayed out in the mountains all day that day and the next day in some bad weather. At the same time, many long time hunters returned to camp because of the cold. We hunted all day both days and covered more ground than probably any other man in camp that year. That experience gave me the opportunity to show grit in the face of some pretty tough conditions. I was starting to feel like I was on my way toward becoming a man.

It was another two years until I got my first buck. It was a small buck with one short antler, barely legal. My dad made a sign that we hung on the back of our jeep that read “Don’t laugh, where’s yours?” We got many honks on the way home and the thumbs up as people passed us on the highway.

Eventually, I became a fairly good deer hunter. I had some long streaks of hunting success year after year. The bucks got bigger and I mastered much of the sport with a rifle and a bow. I now have my own stories of long drags, overcoming obstacles, and battling the elements of the outdoors.

As a younger man, I was driven to prove myself and step up to the challenge of hunting deer in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I often missed the incredible things around me. But later I settled in and really began to enjoy my time in the woods whether successfully bagging a buck or not. I still love hunting success but today I enjoy everything about the hunt, the camaraderie of the men, the challenges the wild presents, and the incredible aspects of God’s creation. My enjoyment is at a much deeper level today.

Creating Challenges for the next Generation of Boys Entering Manhood

I often think about how experiences like hunting and being exposed to hunting camp were instrumental in my transition to manhood. My dad was intentional in making this happen in both my life and my brother’s. I will always be grateful to him for this. These experiences helped mold us, and were used to establish us as strong men with the grit to succeed in life. At the same time, it makes me realize how important it is for me to build adventures and tough experiences into my son’s life.

When my son was old enough, he went to hunting camp. (We now have our own camp) He too washed dishes, did the camp work that had to be done, and “paid his dues.” He experienced men, the banter, the bodily noises, the camaraderie, that comes when men gather together around the challenge of hunting.

But the challenge that has meant the most to him has been hiking. Hiking has been his thing. He loves the mountains and has become an avid outdoorsman. I would match him up against any young man his age. He is tough and has been hiking since he was 5 years old. He has stood on top of mountains as the only young boy among many adults. He has faced the challenges that nature presents and has overcome many. We have sweated together, been through severe storms, and pushed through difficulties that would have caused the average kid to give up. He has found the grit deep within that will serve him well in life. These are the experiences that mold boys into men.

These days, we are working out to get ready for a backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains. This will be our second trip to the Rockies. The workouts building up to this trip have been great times. They have afforded the opportunity to work hard, talk, be present and stay engaged. The excitement is building as we are anticipating the challenge ahead. We can’t wait to test ourselves against the challenges the mountains bring.

What Challenge Awaits Your Son?

So what are you doing to help your son transition into manhood? What is your son’s rite of passage? How are you putting him in positions to learn manhood from other men? What challenges are you working through with him? How engaged and present are you in his life?

Build the relationship of a lifetime with your son! Pour into that young man. He is our future. He is your legacy. It is never wasted time. It is the best investment you will ever make.

In your corner,

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

If you have comments, questions, or feedback put them in the comments section below or send me an email. I am always interested in hearing from you.

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