Rifleman86
WKR
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2018
- Messages
- 1,318
By all normal standards, my season was a bust. My elk/mule deer trip got cut way short with empty tags, and I only success was a doe and a forky buck behind the house.
But so far in life, it’s beaten any season on record by a long shot.
This is the first season my son, who is 5, has really had a chance to tag along… And for a 5 year old, he sure did.
First night out together we had a doe come in and I took a shot at that awful 40 yard range. Short enough for them to get spooked by the bow, long enough for them to move significantly by the time the arrow gets there.
We had blood, but I could tell it was a glancing non fatal blow. He was pretty upset. I explained it was my fault for being impatient with the shot, but that if you hunt long enough, even though you do your best to be careful, occasionally you lose game. You just have to learn from it for next time.
But it didn’t matter, he wanted to get back after it. Every night after school he would ask to go deer hunting, and most nights I obliged.
Finally after 4-5 nights of no opportunities, he asked to go squirrel hunting instead. Despite it being early Nov and knowing better, I obliged and grabbed the 22 rather than the bow. I reminded myself it’s about him, and the worst case is we see some cool rut action.
Well of course we did, and we had a hot doe along with two bucks and a nice shooter 10 point come within 30 yards of us sitting up against a tree. He did a great job staying still and quiet. It was a perfect lesson for the kid… “They are out there, you just have to put in the time.”
Finally the next night, it came together with a doe.
He was pumped. At that point he fully got the bug.
He was absolutely pumped for opening day of gun season. The night before he had all his clothes laid out which cracked me up.
He got up well before daybreak and popped right out of bed ready to go. He put on his headlamp in the dark and told me “Dad I’ll get us to the blind…” It’s about 100 yards behind the house, but for a 5 yo, that takes some balls.
It was 19 F that morning, and I didn’t hear a peep about the cold, just frustration in not seeing deer. Not bad for a 2+ hr sit at his age. We hunted that night in similar conditions with similar frustrations.
Tuesday brought a healthy dose of snow and I got up early to hunt solo and let him sleep. That afternoon I asked him if he wanted to go out again and got an enthusiastic yes.
Finally at sunset that night this guy started walking across the timber…
Let me tell you one thing, when your 5 yo has toughed it out for 3 sits in below freezing temps and he sees deer and is pumped about it, all that QDMA shit goes right out the window.
Yup, it’s probably my smallest buck. It’s also probably my biggest trophy. I’ve got a 197 3/8” B&C whitetail on the wall…
This is better.
Like all Dads when I found out I was having a kid I wanted to raise my kid to like hunting. Partially out of selfish reasons admittedly, but partially out of the fact I wanted to share the amount of joy and fulfillment that it has brought me.
Thankfully through a little bit of luck, a healthy dose of patience and a little bit of divine intervention, I think I have a hunter on my hands.
He can’t wait to put that little forky on his wall, that he “helped” get. To be followed by many more I am certain.
But so far in life, it’s beaten any season on record by a long shot.
This is the first season my son, who is 5, has really had a chance to tag along… And for a 5 year old, he sure did.
First night out together we had a doe come in and I took a shot at that awful 40 yard range. Short enough for them to get spooked by the bow, long enough for them to move significantly by the time the arrow gets there.
We had blood, but I could tell it was a glancing non fatal blow. He was pretty upset. I explained it was my fault for being impatient with the shot, but that if you hunt long enough, even though you do your best to be careful, occasionally you lose game. You just have to learn from it for next time.
But it didn’t matter, he wanted to get back after it. Every night after school he would ask to go deer hunting, and most nights I obliged.
Finally after 4-5 nights of no opportunities, he asked to go squirrel hunting instead. Despite it being early Nov and knowing better, I obliged and grabbed the 22 rather than the bow. I reminded myself it’s about him, and the worst case is we see some cool rut action.
Well of course we did, and we had a hot doe along with two bucks and a nice shooter 10 point come within 30 yards of us sitting up against a tree. He did a great job staying still and quiet. It was a perfect lesson for the kid… “They are out there, you just have to put in the time.”
Finally the next night, it came together with a doe.
He was pumped. At that point he fully got the bug.
He was absolutely pumped for opening day of gun season. The night before he had all his clothes laid out which cracked me up.
He got up well before daybreak and popped right out of bed ready to go. He put on his headlamp in the dark and told me “Dad I’ll get us to the blind…” It’s about 100 yards behind the house, but for a 5 yo, that takes some balls.
It was 19 F that morning, and I didn’t hear a peep about the cold, just frustration in not seeing deer. Not bad for a 2+ hr sit at his age. We hunted that night in similar conditions with similar frustrations.
Tuesday brought a healthy dose of snow and I got up early to hunt solo and let him sleep. That afternoon I asked him if he wanted to go out again and got an enthusiastic yes.
Finally at sunset that night this guy started walking across the timber…
Let me tell you one thing, when your 5 yo has toughed it out for 3 sits in below freezing temps and he sees deer and is pumped about it, all that QDMA shit goes right out the window.
Yup, it’s probably my smallest buck. It’s also probably my biggest trophy. I’ve got a 197 3/8” B&C whitetail on the wall…
This is better.
Like all Dads when I found out I was having a kid I wanted to raise my kid to like hunting. Partially out of selfish reasons admittedly, but partially out of the fact I wanted to share the amount of joy and fulfillment that it has brought me.
Thankfully through a little bit of luck, a healthy dose of patience and a little bit of divine intervention, I think I have a hunter on my hands.
He can’t wait to put that little forky on his wall, that he “helped” get. To be followed by many more I am certain.
