Defining Proud - Florida
RJ with his proud parents.
Hunter: RJ Cianciarulo
Cameraman: Vicki Cianciarulo
Life is sure funny isn’t it? As we go through life we are sure that we have witnessed or experienced some of our proudest moments of personal accomplishments, for example our first deer with our bow, first bear, biggest buck, moose, etc......I WAS SO PROUD! I thought nothing could top that moment in life.......Was I wrong!
Anyone who has not yet shared hunting with their children, may not truly not understand how to Define Proud but I can only hope that you may have the privilege to do so some day. Here is another very proud moment in our lives for Vicki & I.
We spotted some hogs working their way out of the cypress head at prime time. We quickly checked the wind and got ready to make our move. I reached for the TenPoint crossbow and cocked it back while RJ quickly got his Nikon bino’s ready and Vicki was already on the camera filming our hunt. We ALL were filled with excitement and anticipation of what was to come. As we closed the distance and light was fading for good camera light, we were running out of time. The hogs kept feeding away and we continued to pursue. At one time we thought it was going to happen and low and behold Vicki whispered the dreaded words we HATE to hear...."It is to dark for good footage!" Bummer!
We all packed up and headed back to the truck knowing RJ was very disappointed and we tried to explain, but as any 8 year old would react to being let down, it was hard on him, and us! We got back to the truck and drove down the road only to spot more hogs feeding out in another pasture. When we said there are more hogs, RJ quickly said; “It doesn’t matter if it’s too dark to film” and then he asked “Why do I always have to be filmed, why can’t I just hunt?”... From the mouths of babes we adults need to take heed and stop and smell the roses! Vicki & I looked at each other and turned and looked at RJ and said “Hey buddy, let’s get ready, NO CAMERAS let’s just go out and hunt!” His smile touched our souls and we were off in a hurry trying to get RJ his 3rd hog. As luck would have it, he didn’t get a shot, but that is why we call it hunting and both Vicki & I learned a very valuable lesson that evening down at Hoppy’s hunting hogs with RJ.
The following day we were sitting in one of our favorite little fields where Hoppy feeds the hogs all the time. We were nestled in our Ameristep ground blind, the wind was perfect, our ThermaCELL was working great, and we didn’t have a single bug bothering us. We had everything ready to go and here they came, one right after the other, hogs just started piling out of the timber and heading our way. RJ saw the hog he wanted and his mind was made up, he steadied his crossbow, and looked through his scope and waited for his shot. As many know, they never stand still and with all the hogs feeding all around it makes for a very difficult shot opportunity and RJ stayed focused, he knew not to take the shot with anything in back of his hog. For nearly an hour or so it seemed, he would patiently wait and he proved to have more patience than me. I was so pumped here we were as a family, hunting together again, knowing that RJ just might get a shot. Finally, RJ’s hog made his move away and presented him with a clean shot and RJ took it! His Beman bolt tipped with a Spitfire 100 hit perfect, his hog spun ran 10-15 yards and piled up. The emotions ran higher than high and right at that moment in our lives, we DEFINED PROUD!
We want to thank the Kempfer’s for allowing us to bring RJ down and share some of the best, most proudest moments in our lives to date, and we can’t wait to do more with RJ, for he truly is the future and we hope to share with all of you his hunting adventures as he continues to MAKE US PROUD.....
Ralph & Vicki