My dad is a hunter. Growing up, this was sometimes difficult for me. I would walk into the garage during hunting season and come face-to-
face with a dead deer or some ducks. I have a vivid memory of opening up a tarp in the box of his pick-up truck, revealing a dead doe with her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth. I was traumatized. For much of my life, I have been a vegetarian and the early years of this dietary preference was largely a result of these run-ins with dead wildlife. At the time, I could not separate the empathy I felt for animals and the need for a protein rich diet. My dad helped me to understand the value in obtaining meat through hunting and fostered an appreciation of the outdoors. Overtime I began to realize that he was not a cruel animal-killing monster, but an honorable role model.
My dad is the most generous, kind-hearted human that I know. He continuously goes out of his way to help out whoever he can. It is no surprise that he jumped at the opportunity to join me to set-up wildlife cameras in Alberta. It was so much fun having my dad come along and begin to understand the work that I do. I am forever grateful for his help during camera set-up as well as the positive influence he has had on my life. Known to many as Captain Kirk to many, my dad is a born leader, somewhat of a comedian, and an amazing father. I am very lucky.
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