TDAVIS
New member
Well after several cold morning and evening hunts my son finally got his first deer.
Last Christmas we gave my son his first "real gun" a ruger 10/22 sitting in a tacstar colapsable stock in kryptek highlander camo. Which made for one very excited 5yr old as you can imagine. Then this summer once the weather started warming up we started practicing. Working on safety and the fundamentals of shooting, A good many cardboard boxes payed heavily in this endeavor, as well as paper targets, coyote silhouettes, soda cans and even some life sizes deer targets. Later in the summer I picked up one of the self healing foam spinner targets that look like three small prairie dogs for him as a gift. After practicing on that he got to the point where I could call out a number (1-3) corresponding with which target to shoot and he could comfortably and accurately move from target to target.
So now he's ready for his first squirrel hunt. While talking about it the night before he informed me he wanted to go early and try to call in a coyote first. Well if you've ever tried to get a 6yr old out of bed at 530 in the morning, let me tell you it's no easy task! So after a quick breakfast and a whole lot of double checking I have everything, including enough snacks for an army, and we are out the door. We get there just before daylight and take a short walk through the field and set up along the stack of haybales. It is just starting to get light enough to see and I let out a few lone howls with the foxpro and immediately get a response. The look on his face was priceless, eyes as big a dinner plates he looks over at me and says "daddy- there gonna come eat us" he was positive of that. After a little chuckle I explain there not gonna eat us and we continue. Nothing showed for awhile and I switch over to screaming jay and at the 20 min mark here comes a red running in from the right. Well he busts us and high tales it outta there, no sooner than he disappears another red comes running in straight in front of us. I let the 22-250 eat and he gets his first calling experience.
Here he is taking the hero shot for me
Now it's time for a little snack and then off to do some squirrel hunting. We move back to the woods and sneak through looking for a good spot to sit while looking at all the deer sign and explaining rubs and scrapes and why they are there. We get all set up and see squirrels everywhere but none wanted to cooperate for awhile. Finally one decided to sit still long enough for him to get a shot off. Bang flop and his first one was down. I'm pretty sure I was more excited than he was.
Here he is with his first successful hunt
From here on out we swapped back and forth taking a squirrel until we had a few, with a few more snack breaks and maybe a "hunting selfie" or two
As we are packing up and getting ready to leave he tells me he's ready to go get a deer now that he's got something of his own. That's all I needed to hear from then on out I was in full on deer mode trying to figure how to get him on his first deer.
So after a few more squirrel hunts It's now the first morning of rifle season and I've got everything ready for him. Trucks loaded, backpack is loaded down with snacks and we're off at 530 in the morning yet again. I had so much clothes on him I thought I may need to roll him to our spot. We get in and all set up. Not much was moving early and about 45 mins after we sit down he looks up and says "daddy my feet are freezing". I forgot the toe warmers... So I remove his boots and put the hand warmers from my gloves in his boots. That lasted about 5 mins but his feet were still freezing. So we packed up and headed for the truck. Along the walk back we see a few deer in the field. A 5 point had seen us walking along the thicket but must not have been able to tell what we were since the sun was coming up just over us. He starts coming right at us from across the field about 350yds. We plop down against a tree get all set up on the sticks and wait. That deer came straight to us all the way to 30yds unfortunately he faced us the whole time, never turning for a shot, then turning and bolting for the next county. So I ask how his feet feel and he had completely forgot they were cold. We decide to sit awhile just incase but nothing else showed so we called it for the morning.
A few more evening hunts without seeing anything brings us up to yesterday. Again leaving the house at 530 this time it's a balmy 14 degrees, but he's well equipped with toe warmers, two pairs of socks and his snow boots. More hand warmers in his glove and even a body warmer in his fanny pack/ hand warmer thingy. We were completely prepared this time. As we pull into the farm we have a small 8pt standing in the road that goes through the fields, literally 10 feet in front of the truck and would not move. After convincing him he can not get out and shoot it as it is cheating and highly illegal we continue on. This time we stay in the truck until it is starting to break daylight to maximize the time before someone gets cold, which gives us a good chance to talk about why that would have been cheating and how it will be so much more exciting by working for it.
So now we are off down through the field again, this time were set up against a rock pile 30yds off a large thicket. We see a few does moving through the fields but nothing close. Now it's good and light and we see a deer coming down the fence row straight for us. It jumps the fence and starts towards the thicket walking diagonal to us about 80yds out. He's all ready for the shot but as soon as he would get the dot on him the deer would start to move again until he disappears into the thicket. He gets a little disappointed but I told him it's still very early. Not 15 mins later here comes the same deer straight at us through the thicket. After what seemed like a 20 min stand off with it trying to see what we are it finally calms down and starts feeding at 60 yds eventually turning broadside. I tell him to make sure the dots behind the shoulder and "start to sque-BANG-zee". A big whoop and the deer mule kicks. Now I'm starting to come unglued. "You got him buddy". "No I didn't Daddy he's runnin away". The deer makes it about 80yds and does the wobble in the field "I got him, I did get him daddy". Now I completely come unglued and start spinning him around I'm so excited, I may have even scared him a bit. So now it was time to go get his trophy. So after taking some (ok a lot) of pics we get it loaded up and we're off to show it off.
Truly the most exciting hunt I've ever been on and I guarantee the most memorable I will ever have.
Here he is with his trophy
And of course one PROUD daddy had to get in there
TJ
Last Christmas we gave my son his first "real gun" a ruger 10/22 sitting in a tacstar colapsable stock in kryptek highlander camo. Which made for one very excited 5yr old as you can imagine. Then this summer once the weather started warming up we started practicing. Working on safety and the fundamentals of shooting, A good many cardboard boxes payed heavily in this endeavor, as well as paper targets, coyote silhouettes, soda cans and even some life sizes deer targets. Later in the summer I picked up one of the self healing foam spinner targets that look like three small prairie dogs for him as a gift. After practicing on that he got to the point where I could call out a number (1-3) corresponding with which target to shoot and he could comfortably and accurately move from target to target.
So now he's ready for his first squirrel hunt. While talking about it the night before he informed me he wanted to go early and try to call in a coyote first. Well if you've ever tried to get a 6yr old out of bed at 530 in the morning, let me tell you it's no easy task! So after a quick breakfast and a whole lot of double checking I have everything, including enough snacks for an army, and we are out the door. We get there just before daylight and take a short walk through the field and set up along the stack of haybales. It is just starting to get light enough to see and I let out a few lone howls with the foxpro and immediately get a response. The look on his face was priceless, eyes as big a dinner plates he looks over at me and says "daddy- there gonna come eat us" he was positive of that. After a little chuckle I explain there not gonna eat us and we continue. Nothing showed for awhile and I switch over to screaming jay and at the 20 min mark here comes a red running in from the right. Well he busts us and high tales it outta there, no sooner than he disappears another red comes running in straight in front of us. I let the 22-250 eat and he gets his first calling experience.
Here he is taking the hero shot for me
Now it's time for a little snack and then off to do some squirrel hunting. We move back to the woods and sneak through looking for a good spot to sit while looking at all the deer sign and explaining rubs and scrapes and why they are there. We get all set up and see squirrels everywhere but none wanted to cooperate for awhile. Finally one decided to sit still long enough for him to get a shot off. Bang flop and his first one was down. I'm pretty sure I was more excited than he was.
Here he is with his first successful hunt
From here on out we swapped back and forth taking a squirrel until we had a few, with a few more snack breaks and maybe a "hunting selfie" or two
As we are packing up and getting ready to leave he tells me he's ready to go get a deer now that he's got something of his own. That's all I needed to hear from then on out I was in full on deer mode trying to figure how to get him on his first deer.
So after a few more squirrel hunts It's now the first morning of rifle season and I've got everything ready for him. Trucks loaded, backpack is loaded down with snacks and we're off at 530 in the morning yet again. I had so much clothes on him I thought I may need to roll him to our spot. We get in and all set up. Not much was moving early and about 45 mins after we sit down he looks up and says "daddy my feet are freezing". I forgot the toe warmers... So I remove his boots and put the hand warmers from my gloves in his boots. That lasted about 5 mins but his feet were still freezing. So we packed up and headed for the truck. Along the walk back we see a few deer in the field. A 5 point had seen us walking along the thicket but must not have been able to tell what we were since the sun was coming up just over us. He starts coming right at us from across the field about 350yds. We plop down against a tree get all set up on the sticks and wait. That deer came straight to us all the way to 30yds unfortunately he faced us the whole time, never turning for a shot, then turning and bolting for the next county. So I ask how his feet feel and he had completely forgot they were cold. We decide to sit awhile just incase but nothing else showed so we called it for the morning.
A few more evening hunts without seeing anything brings us up to yesterday. Again leaving the house at 530 this time it's a balmy 14 degrees, but he's well equipped with toe warmers, two pairs of socks and his snow boots. More hand warmers in his glove and even a body warmer in his fanny pack/ hand warmer thingy. We were completely prepared this time. As we pull into the farm we have a small 8pt standing in the road that goes through the fields, literally 10 feet in front of the truck and would not move. After convincing him he can not get out and shoot it as it is cheating and highly illegal we continue on. This time we stay in the truck until it is starting to break daylight to maximize the time before someone gets cold, which gives us a good chance to talk about why that would have been cheating and how it will be so much more exciting by working for it.
So now we are off down through the field again, this time were set up against a rock pile 30yds off a large thicket. We see a few does moving through the fields but nothing close. Now it's good and light and we see a deer coming down the fence row straight for us. It jumps the fence and starts towards the thicket walking diagonal to us about 80yds out. He's all ready for the shot but as soon as he would get the dot on him the deer would start to move again until he disappears into the thicket. He gets a little disappointed but I told him it's still very early. Not 15 mins later here comes the same deer straight at us through the thicket. After what seemed like a 20 min stand off with it trying to see what we are it finally calms down and starts feeding at 60 yds eventually turning broadside. I tell him to make sure the dots behind the shoulder and "start to sque-BANG-zee". A big whoop and the deer mule kicks. Now I'm starting to come unglued. "You got him buddy". "No I didn't Daddy he's runnin away". The deer makes it about 80yds and does the wobble in the field "I got him, I did get him daddy". Now I completely come unglued and start spinning him around I'm so excited, I may have even scared him a bit. So now it was time to go get his trophy. So after taking some (ok a lot) of pics we get it loaded up and we're off to show it off.
Truly the most exciting hunt I've ever been on and I guarantee the most memorable I will ever have.
Here he is with his trophy
And of course one PROUD daddy had to get in there
TJ
Last edited by a moderator:
