Hunting and fishing are outdoor traditions often passed down through generations. Decades ago, if your father hunted or fished, you pretty much did the same. However, in today's world that's not necessarily the case. There are more demands on kids' time than ever before. Organized sports start when a boy is 5 years old. Video games and increased urbanization have all lead to fewer kids learning the ways of the wild.

Archers Jay, 22 (left), and Grant, 24, Lindal shot these two big bucks near their home in Clearwater, Kansas. Jay has four P&Y bucks to his credit, while Grant has three. Photo courtesy of the Lindals.

There are fewer examples of kids following in their fathers' footsteps these days. It makes it all the more special when it happens, especially when two boys in one family can boast of seven Pope and Young bucks between them!

"My dad is the one that got me into the outdoors, and I wanted to do the same for my kids," said David Lindal of Clearwater, Kansas. "It's always been something I've enjoyed, and I thought they would like it, too."

Growing up, Lindal fished Fall River with his brother, father and grandparents all the time.

"That was our honeyhole," Lindal said. "And, of course, living out on the farm in northeastern Sedgwick County, we hunted rabbits, quail and pheasants, but there weren't a lot of deer back then."

Lindal, 47, was divorced when his three sons were small, and the boys lived with their father. And although Lindal had plenty of experiences outdoors hunting and fishing, he didn't start hunting deer until 1990.

"I had a friend who knew a guy with a left-handed bow, and from that point I just started to get into it and progressed from there," Lindal said. "I started shooting without sights and figured if the Indians could do it, I could, too. I just looked down the arrow."

As Lindal managed to bring home game, his boys were interested in the animals and stories, like most youngsters might be. He made it a point to take them to the outdoors and would build blinds for them to sit in to watch deer. They would search for shed antlers and look at deer sign. Two of his sons developed a keen interest in hunting early on and the mold was set.

"I think Grant was about 12 years old when he started going and Jay was about 10 years old," Lindal said of his boys, now 24 and 22 respectively. "At first, they just watched, but as they got older and could pull 45 or 50 pounds a year or two later, they got hooked on bowhunting and went all the time with me. As they got older, they started learning and progressed to the point of setting their own stands and figuring out where they wanted to hunt on their own."

The learning process was also a two-way street, according to Lindal.

"Once I started buying the boys' bows, they got started with sights and peep sights, and I decided to switch because they were more successful than I was," Lindal said with a laugh.

Initially, Lindal would hunt near the boys in a tree stand to keep tabs on them. But it wasn't long when both Grant and Jay set their own course as teenagers often do.

"Once they decided they could do it by themselves at 14 or 15 years old, they were on their own and wanted to do everything by themselves," Lindal said.

The boys' independence was aided by the fact that they lived within a stone's throw of the Ninnescah River and some prime deer hunting.

"I never knew how long I would have to work, so when they got home from school they were in their tree stands," said the machinist-electrician of many of their evenings during the fall. "They could pretty much walk to their stands, and we've got some pretty good land to hunt."