sjemac
11-08-2012, 05:29 PM
This was Aidan's second season hunting. He's shot ducks, geese, pheasants and grouse for two seasons and even shot a bull elk last year (he refused to claim it though since a friend finished it off -- even though Aidan had hit it through the lungs 4 times -- his tag went on it but for him, it was not his kill). But he was skunked on whitetails last season. He braved the cold and sat for many hours shivering on stands and walked many miles and learned a lot from Dad's bitching about being quiet and still. His best chance was with a small 3 pt that stepped out on the last day of the season. I told him to take it and he refused saying, "It's skylined Dad." It was and I was proud that my son had more presence of mind than I did. I was so excited about him getting his first deer that I forgot the basics of safety and he was the one to remind me of them -- the deer walked away.
This year luck seemed to be tough to come by. First day of the season was interrupted by Dad seeing a bull moose he had a tag for on the first evening. I wounded it and sent Aidan back to the truck while I tracked it and headed it off about 1.5 miles from where I shot it first.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/37B67777-F336-4FAD-AA99-D2EF68FD1246-3834-0000051B5375B6A3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/D41BA92C-3F87-492B-913A-C54A24A0C245-3834-0000051B57066DFA.jpg
Another day saw us stalk in on two bucks only to have the dog bust out of the front door and trail us all the way into the woods and bust the deer just as he was setting up for the shot (fifth time the dog did that this year -- if he wasn't a good waterfowl dog ........). The worst was when we set up on a field and a little 3 pt walked out. I had set Aidan up on a hump of dirt with his bipod and made sure the scope could view the field --- however that extra inch of elevation for the scope did not translate into a clear field of fire for the barrel. When the deer walked out Aidan waited until it turned broadside and fired. Nothing. The deer stood there stupidly. Aidan fired again. Nothing. The deer trots away. Two big holes in the snowbank five yards from the end of the barrel -- my fault --- I set him up for the shot without looking to see if the barrel could clear the bank.
A few days later he is set up on a group of does. While we are talking about which one to take they sense something and run off. Next day we go to our favorite field to set up and find oilfield workers in place -- the deer just behind them -- we leave.
This morning we get in place early. We know we have about an hour of hunting time before the oilfield guys show up again. We are in there an hour before legal. 10 mins before legal we can just barely make out smudges in the field that are deer. We wait patiently until legal and due to a snow storm can still make out the deer as vague shapes. I notice two that are closer than the others and can tell by body size that they are bucks and can also see that they are whitetails -- can't make out horns though. The range is about 300 yds.
I don't care what he shoots - antlerless is open and the deer is definitely a WT. I tell Aidan to put his crosshairs at the top of its back and shoot when he feels comfortable. Aidan uses his bipod and faster than I thought he would shoots -- it seemed rushed to me. The deer runs off without any obvious effect and runs over the hill.
I tell him that I think he missed. He says that he was perfectly steady and expected to see a dead deer. I am sure he did not hit it but tell him we'll wait a half hour and then go look. While we are waiting, a small buck walks out and as it comes down the field it keeps looking to one side and puffing itself up -- it is looking in the direction we had last seen the buck. I begin to hope. When the little buck hits 200 yds, I double lung him and we get up to follow the trail. As we top the rise I see antlers coming from the grass but not from where my buck ran. Aidan had been right. He'd hit his deer perfectly.
Very proud of my son. His confidence and presence of mind makes his Dad look foolish. Very nice deer for a kids first IMO.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/8BBCB0AA-D272-4C40-AA43-9EC6209758F5-1094-000000996892E91D.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/6F184FC1-5F8C-49A5-9CDD-06E5BF5790A5-1094-000000993B54E311.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/A40DC43C-BD81-49CF-AC27-BCD94858D866-1094-000000994A9D91F3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/B331A280-0079-4470-AD5D-21F2C8ADC857-1094-000000995F11B26F.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/150C8E26-51AE-46FB-8900-D9202040C9AE-1094-000000997CFBFD40.jpg
This year luck seemed to be tough to come by. First day of the season was interrupted by Dad seeing a bull moose he had a tag for on the first evening. I wounded it and sent Aidan back to the truck while I tracked it and headed it off about 1.5 miles from where I shot it first.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/37B67777-F336-4FAD-AA99-D2EF68FD1246-3834-0000051B5375B6A3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/D41BA92C-3F87-492B-913A-C54A24A0C245-3834-0000051B57066DFA.jpg
Another day saw us stalk in on two bucks only to have the dog bust out of the front door and trail us all the way into the woods and bust the deer just as he was setting up for the shot (fifth time the dog did that this year -- if he wasn't a good waterfowl dog ........). The worst was when we set up on a field and a little 3 pt walked out. I had set Aidan up on a hump of dirt with his bipod and made sure the scope could view the field --- however that extra inch of elevation for the scope did not translate into a clear field of fire for the barrel. When the deer walked out Aidan waited until it turned broadside and fired. Nothing. The deer stood there stupidly. Aidan fired again. Nothing. The deer trots away. Two big holes in the snowbank five yards from the end of the barrel -- my fault --- I set him up for the shot without looking to see if the barrel could clear the bank.
A few days later he is set up on a group of does. While we are talking about which one to take they sense something and run off. Next day we go to our favorite field to set up and find oilfield workers in place -- the deer just behind them -- we leave.
This morning we get in place early. We know we have about an hour of hunting time before the oilfield guys show up again. We are in there an hour before legal. 10 mins before legal we can just barely make out smudges in the field that are deer. We wait patiently until legal and due to a snow storm can still make out the deer as vague shapes. I notice two that are closer than the others and can tell by body size that they are bucks and can also see that they are whitetails -- can't make out horns though. The range is about 300 yds.
I don't care what he shoots - antlerless is open and the deer is definitely a WT. I tell Aidan to put his crosshairs at the top of its back and shoot when he feels comfortable. Aidan uses his bipod and faster than I thought he would shoots -- it seemed rushed to me. The deer runs off without any obvious effect and runs over the hill.
I tell him that I think he missed. He says that he was perfectly steady and expected to see a dead deer. I am sure he did not hit it but tell him we'll wait a half hour and then go look. While we are waiting, a small buck walks out and as it comes down the field it keeps looking to one side and puffing itself up -- it is looking in the direction we had last seen the buck. I begin to hope. When the little buck hits 200 yds, I double lung him and we get up to follow the trail. As we top the rise I see antlers coming from the grass but not from where my buck ran. Aidan had been right. He'd hit his deer perfectly.
Very proud of my son. His confidence and presence of mind makes his Dad look foolish. Very nice deer for a kids first IMO.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/8BBCB0AA-D272-4C40-AA43-9EC6209758F5-1094-000000996892E91D.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/6F184FC1-5F8C-49A5-9CDD-06E5BF5790A5-1094-000000993B54E311.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/A40DC43C-BD81-49CF-AC27-BCD94858D866-1094-000000994A9D91F3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/B331A280-0079-4470-AD5D-21F2C8ADC857-1094-000000995F11B26F.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/sjemac/150C8E26-51AE-46FB-8900-D9202040C9AE-1094-000000997CFBFD40.jpg