My twins Cory and Blake (turned 9 in August) officially crossed that threshold this fall.
Blake took his on 11/25/08 on our Shiner farm. Hunting with his twin
brother Cory and his Paw Paw (my dad). I left the office as quickly as I
could that afternoon to try and share in the moment.
Cory took his deer 11/26/08 from the same stand. Hunting with me in a box
blind as Blake and Paw Paw were hunting about 200 yards away over same oat
patch (different feeder).
They had this buck on their feeder at daylight. After he ate all the corn,
he hopped the fence and dad thought he was gone for the day. About twenty
minutes later he pops back over the fence (400 yards from us) and starts
eating oats. At some point dad calls me on my cell to tell me that they
have a shooter in front of them. I snake around and get a peek with my
binoculars and see him.
For about an hour he fed in the oats, slowly making his way to us. At
about 150 yards I thought it was all over as a doe on our feeder busted
Cory and I positioning in the blind in preparation of the buck actually
coming. They finally settle down, though were now exiting behind the
feeder. This actually seemed to speed the buck up as he not sped up in his
move to the feeder. Cory had the cross hairs on him for quite some time
(probably near five minutes), but he would never settle down to stay in a
spot long enough. Twice when he did, he shoulder was directly behind a
fence post. Finally he did and Cory made the shot.
Both boys were ice cool in their whole approach (I know Dad and Paw Paw
were more excited pre-shot). However, they both showed the emotion post
shot. Blake had spined his and he went down in sight. Dad made his way
across the 90 yards to make sure he was down. Dad said when he waved the
boys over, Blake sprinted and slid under the fence and promptly set behind
the neck admiring the horns. At that point dad said he looked up with a
huge smile...say "Oh My God"!
Cory was also very cool. First words out of his mouth after I squeezed him
silly in a bear hug was...."Dad, how much Boone & Crockett do you think he
will score"?!
As only brothers will do on "smack talk".......I left the boys in the truck
and made a search for him (not wanted too much noise in the field). I
found him then called dad. Put the boys on the search and let them find
him (Blake did). As Cory straddled his deer for the first pic with his
brother...with a smug on his face he told Blake....where is my five
bucks!?! Blake laughed and said I didn't bet you! I asked them what was
going on...Cory told me as they were waiting in the truck Blake popped off
that he bet Cory wounded the deer and we wouldn't find him. Cory told him
to put his money where he mouth was and they bet $5.00. Funny, yet a tad
embarrassing for 9 year olds.
The guns are matching 222 Remington Mohawks. Blake is shooting my first rifle. This is the one my dad bought me, that I took countless deer with (my first at 8 years old). Cory is shooting his mothers gun. This rifle was given to her by her father when she was a young girl (tomboy she was). He passed away at 46 when she was 11. I think it was meant to be for us to have twin boys, given the matching rifles. During Hurricane Ike, when we spent four days at the farm, Dad an I cut down the stocks so the boys could manage the guns.
The greatest weekend of my life, other than the birth of my kids (oh yeah,
marrying my wife as well)! I was especially glad that I got to share it
with my dad (their paw paw), given all the exposures he had given me to the
outdoors (be it hunting or fishing).
Especially special having it happen on our small Shiner farm (hardly a deer
mecca). My grandfather, actually signed a lease with me for lifetime
hunting rights for a nickel in the 1970's. I still have this piece of
paper...It was more tongue in cheek as the place or area just didn't have
deer on it then. Over the years, more deer started showing up. The new
regulations surely helped as did dads commitment to putting up an oat patch
and running feeders. My Paw Paw sure would be thrilled to know his great
grandsons shot their first deer on his farm!!
Not to rest on their laurels, we moved to the coast this weekend, putting away bait to chunk lures. They both did an excellent job fishing hard on a brutally slow day.
I'm proud of these guys and sure look forward to growing old watching them turn into young men. I'm especially grateful to my Paw Paws and father for providing me the opportunities to learn from them, be it about the outdoors or life in general. I'm a very fortunate man.
Blake took his on 11/25/08 on our Shiner farm. Hunting with his twin
brother Cory and his Paw Paw (my dad). I left the office as quickly as I
could that afternoon to try and share in the moment.
Cory took his deer 11/26/08 from the same stand. Hunting with me in a box
blind as Blake and Paw Paw were hunting about 200 yards away over same oat
patch (different feeder).
They had this buck on their feeder at daylight. After he ate all the corn,
he hopped the fence and dad thought he was gone for the day. About twenty
minutes later he pops back over the fence (400 yards from us) and starts
eating oats. At some point dad calls me on my cell to tell me that they
have a shooter in front of them. I snake around and get a peek with my
binoculars and see him.
For about an hour he fed in the oats, slowly making his way to us. At
about 150 yards I thought it was all over as a doe on our feeder busted
Cory and I positioning in the blind in preparation of the buck actually
coming. They finally settle down, though were now exiting behind the
feeder. This actually seemed to speed the buck up as he not sped up in his
move to the feeder. Cory had the cross hairs on him for quite some time
(probably near five minutes), but he would never settle down to stay in a
spot long enough. Twice when he did, he shoulder was directly behind a
fence post. Finally he did and Cory made the shot.
Both boys were ice cool in their whole approach (I know Dad and Paw Paw
were more excited pre-shot). However, they both showed the emotion post
shot. Blake had spined his and he went down in sight. Dad made his way
across the 90 yards to make sure he was down. Dad said when he waved the
boys over, Blake sprinted and slid under the fence and promptly set behind
the neck admiring the horns. At that point dad said he looked up with a
huge smile...say "Oh My God"!
Cory was also very cool. First words out of his mouth after I squeezed him
silly in a bear hug was...."Dad, how much Boone & Crockett do you think he
will score"?!
As only brothers will do on "smack talk".......I left the boys in the truck
and made a search for him (not wanted too much noise in the field). I
found him then called dad. Put the boys on the search and let them find
him (Blake did). As Cory straddled his deer for the first pic with his
brother...with a smug on his face he told Blake....where is my five
bucks!?! Blake laughed and said I didn't bet you! I asked them what was
going on...Cory told me as they were waiting in the truck Blake popped off
that he bet Cory wounded the deer and we wouldn't find him. Cory told him
to put his money where he mouth was and they bet $5.00. Funny, yet a tad
embarrassing for 9 year olds.
The guns are matching 222 Remington Mohawks. Blake is shooting my first rifle. This is the one my dad bought me, that I took countless deer with (my first at 8 years old). Cory is shooting his mothers gun. This rifle was given to her by her father when she was a young girl (tomboy she was). He passed away at 46 when she was 11. I think it was meant to be for us to have twin boys, given the matching rifles. During Hurricane Ike, when we spent four days at the farm, Dad an I cut down the stocks so the boys could manage the guns.
The greatest weekend of my life, other than the birth of my kids (oh yeah,
marrying my wife as well)! I was especially glad that I got to share it
with my dad (their paw paw), given all the exposures he had given me to the
outdoors (be it hunting or fishing).
Especially special having it happen on our small Shiner farm (hardly a deer
mecca). My grandfather, actually signed a lease with me for lifetime
hunting rights for a nickel in the 1970's. I still have this piece of
paper...It was more tongue in cheek as the place or area just didn't have
deer on it then. Over the years, more deer started showing up. The new
regulations surely helped as did dads commitment to putting up an oat patch
and running feeders. My Paw Paw sure would be thrilled to know his great
grandsons shot their first deer on his farm!!
Not to rest on their laurels, we moved to the coast this weekend, putting away bait to chunk lures. They both did an excellent job fishing hard on a brutally slow day.
I'm proud of these guys and sure look forward to growing old watching them turn into young men. I'm especially grateful to my Paw Paws and father for providing me the opportunities to learn from them, be it about the outdoors or life in general. I'm a very fortunate man.
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