The Best Money Can Buy

Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
1,421
A cabin in Alaska and a bush plane.

That’s the dream!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ikmclean

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 2, 2021
Messages
267
Location
Ten Sleep, WY
My dad and I did an Alaskan fishing trip 2016, couple of the older guys on the charter commented that they wish could have done something like that with their fathers. It sunk in and I make sure to go hunting/fishing with my dad as often as I can because someday it won't be an option.
 

Curhunter

FNG
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
49
Where are you located? That will help find a builder to use. I'm in Iowa and had a rifle rebarreled and blueprinted that turned out great.

When I recommended a hunt my meaning was the time spent together. It can be almost anything anywhere.

After dealing with some stuff all the money in the world couldn't buy what matters most. I hunted a lot with my dad. What I cherish now are the memories of simple hunts we shared and didn't think were anything special until he was gone.

Maybe get a nice new rifle intended for a trip that might be doable. The spent together planning a trip to use it could be a good distraction during these times.
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,746
If money were no option, what specific hunting/outdoors equipment would be at the top of your list?

My dad has cancer, my mom is already gone, and he’s healthy enough to hunt, he’s got his own ground, and he’s also got quite a bit saved away that I feel like he’s earned the right to enjoy in a little bit more of a “spendy” manner. He hunts whitetail, turkey, and travels on big game hunting trips (though that might not be an option much longer for all we know). If you were sitting there at a computer in that same situation, please name off some of the items you’d order first.
Crappy situation. Sorry to hear that. I’d say book a father son hunt. Somewhere memorable, and different than what you guys currently hunt. Doesn’t need to be exotic, but can be a bucket list. Alaska for moose and salmon, Rocky Mountain elk hunt in the heart of the Rockies, etc. My dad and I still hunt together and my best memories are prior hunts.
 

ODB

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
4,028
Location
N.F.D.
a good question.

I just spent the day with a world class rifle maker - he’s been a friend for 20 years. There was a rifle leaning against the bench and I picked it up. It was a stunning 338 win mag. I asked what the story was. He said he built it for his dad many years ago to go on an African safari. But just as he finished the rifle his dad got leukemia and died within nine months and never took the trip.

Dunno, might be a lesson in there somewhere.
 

thinhorn_AK

"DADDY"
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
11,276
Location
Alaska
I took my dad on an aoudad hunt. I got mine but he didn’t get one. We’ve booked another aoudad trip for March of 2025, and a mouflon hunt in Hawaii.

The gear dosent matter all that much, I’ve had the best gear available and had miserable hunts because of the people I was hunting with.
 
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
885
To answer the OPs' question, if I had no money issues I would absolutely have some quality Swarovski Optics.
Sitting side by side with another hunter, he with unlimited funds, we were using spotting scopes to locate Mule deer in some rolling sage hills and with deep drainages. I was pleased picking out deer in the brush and telling him where they were located . Trying to help him try to pick out a nice Buck. He was pretty excited about one and it looked good to me as well. He asked me to look through his spotting scope at the deer he was looking at to be sure we were were looking at the same buck, I was really struck in amazement at the difference in spotting scopes. The clarity was unbelievable. Literally next level. So I am recommending some Premium Optics as great items to put on your equipment purchase list. His was a Swarovski, mine a Leupold.

The deer were primarily 8/10th's to a 1 1/4 mile away. That's was really significant at those distances.
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
601
Very hard to beat elk in the rut if physically possible. Especially if money is no object.

I would almost gaurentee if you accompanied your father on an extremely high quality elk rut hunt, it would be a memory you would cherish forever.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,597
Location
Orlando
Its not about the gear, it would be about some quality time w family. Fly everyone you can think of to see him before he starts to slide downhill.
 
OP
T
Joined
Feb 9, 2024
Messages
13
It’s not about the gear, it would be about some quality time w family. Fly everyone you can think of to see him before he starts to slide downhill.
Everyone saying this is irrefutably correct. It’s about the experiences not the toys…BUT I guess I’m not making myself clear enough- I need to get him excited about buying/ordering/setting up some really nice, premium gear because that shopping/ waiting / setup PROCESS will keep his spirits high while he’s trying to beat this thing.

If he has a rifle being built, a suppressor in jail, and some badass new glass on the way, all that excitement will keep him in a much more positive frame of mind SO THAT he can get healthy and THEN hopefully we can go experience more together later.
 

Machingeaneer

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 2, 2023
Messages
203
That makes some sense, there's some really good custom rifle eye candy on the Unknown Munitions website. I'd take a look over there.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,597
Location
Orlando
Everyone saying this is irrefutably correct. It’s about the experiences not the toys…BUT I guess I’m not making myself clear enough- I need to get him excited about buying/ordering/setting up some really nice, premium gear because that shopping/ waiting / setup PROCESS will keep his spirits high while he’s trying to beat this thing.

If he has a rifle being built, a suppressor in jail, and some badass new glass on the way, all that excitement will keep him in a much more positive frame of mind SO THAT he can get healthy and THEN hopefully we can go experience more together later.
Gotcha.

I bought a 357 mag single shot and loading dies to give me a stress relief for grad school.

Have you asked him if there is anything he’d like to do? If he likes the new gun routine, run with it, if not maybe there is something else.

Prayers for your dad.
 

30338

WKR
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,988
At my age if I had a cancer diagnosis, my primary want would be to maybe pay for my kids to do a crazy hunt somewhere. Desert ram or brown bear, something they wanted to do. Daughter may elect to just do Hawaii for all I'd care. But seriously, older, cancer diagnosis, having killed what I wanted to already and having more material stuff than I need, I'd not need to have anyone worry about my bucket list. He is probably in the same position.
 

Tourguide

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 10, 2021
Messages
132
I am 45 and was in great health so I thought. Got diagnosed with kidney cancer 10 months ago, im about as recovered as I'm gonna get physically. When I came home after the surgery I dialed up 2 deer hunts and mountain lion hunt. I don't need any more "stuff" so I opted for more hunting time and new experiences.

More stuff doesn't mean anything when you're laying in a hospital bed for a couple weeks. Do what you can when you can. Because the day WILL come when you cant do anymore
I think the hunt is a great idea. The things in my life that mean the most to me are experiences, not stuff
 
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