Shortly after the Pennsylvania bowhunting season I approached my wife, Liz, about the possibility of booking an out-of-state trip for the following season. I pride myself in the strength of my negotiation skills. They have been keenly honed through many years of field sales experience and focused training. After a brief discussion, which included some give and take, Liz readily agreed to my request.

Kyle had success during PA’s 2008 archery season.

Wanting to do a combination whitetail/javelina bowhunt in Texas, I made countless phone calls, reference checks, and e-mails, which all led me to Bucky and Leesa Bonner's B&B Outfitters in Southwest Texas, an operation that leases more than 40,000 acres of low-fence ranchland.

After booking the hunt, I learned that B&B has a booth every year at the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. So Liz, Kyle, and I traveled to the show and introduced ourselves to Leesa. When Leesa learned that Kyle had started bowhunting the year before, she pulled me aside. "Why don't you bring Kyle on the hunt, too?" she asked quietly.

"How much additional will it cost?" I asked.

"The price of a youth hunter license," Leesa said. "You can split your package with Kyle at no additional cost."

I had booked a two-buck hunt, which also included the choice of two of the following three animals: javelina, whitetail doe, or Rio Grande turkey, plus unlimited predators. I would happily share this bag with my son. Only one challenge remained -- getting my wife to agree to let Kyle come with me.

With Kyle at my side, I took this Texas nine-pointer from a ground blind.

After I'd again employed my negotiation skills, Liz agreed that Kyle could go and that he would receive a card for his March birthday, with the details of his December trip to Texas.

That summer, Kyle and I used every opportunity we could to practice with our bows. We bought a javelina target and added it to our backyard archery range, which also included 3-D deer and turkey targets, placed at various yardages from our patio. "Patio practice" became something we did every free moment.

October brought the Pennsylvania archery season, and with much persistence, both Kyle and I tagged bucks. We had one more month for additional practice ahead of us, and then we would be off on our Texas adventure.

When we arrived at the Philadelphia airport on Saturday, December 6, our first stop was Terminal A, where I dropped off my lovely wife and our daughter, Halie. They would be traveling to someplace warm, with a beach. This was our first separate vacation after 23 years of marriage. Liz, too, displayed strong negotiation skills.