Incredibly frustrated

[Trumpkin]

If it makes your kid feel better, It's been ~65 hunts since my last bow kill on anything bigger than a squirrel.

[unclefish]

Tell him to hang in there.

You can up your chances by taking him when its not 88 degrees with south winds. Take him the day after a cold front...closer to the rut....kids burn out quickly when its not deal hunting conditions.

What did your trail cams show you about that spot....have they been coming in before then? If I was trying to get a kid his first deer I would make sure something was coming in regularly.

[rtp]

3 whole sits, huh? Man that was just a few grains of sand in the hour glass of my start to whitetail hunting. Our society is so used to instant gratification these days. Both of my sons are grown now and they were able to hunt great places when they started out because I was on great leases. They saw deer every time, they could have shot a buck every time. I think it ruined them. Neither one of them care for deer hunting. I think neither of them have any enthusiam for it because I didnt teach them to hunt but instead what I actually taught them was how to kill. I should have started them on small game like I started out hunting. They both love fishing and bird hunting so at least I have that to do with them.

[hpdrifter]

The last time I sprung for a lease(San Saba) was so my son could see deer and have a good chance of shooting one. He got a nice 7 point, a doe, and I got a doe.

We see a few deer here and there when we go to the NF, but it's not quite like Central Texas.

Good luck and I hope he hangs in there and the patience grows and becomes fruitful.

[hully1029]

My boy and I really appreciate all the positive feedback. Made me take a step back and realize even though he hadn't shot anything, we still are way better off than alot of people. At least we have the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other, even though a trigger isnt pulled..

And just to clarify some things I've seen through the thread. He didnt start sitting with me just this year. I bet hes had 30+ sits over the last 3 years with me. I only get my kiddos every other weekend, so my opportunity to take them is already cut by half from the start. Only reason we left early today is due to needing to get back home so the wife could work tonight. Our usual sits are from hour before day until around 1030-11 and then from around 4p- dark, so hours are there. I had a lease last year and I connected, but was unable to reup on the lease due to financial reasons. I'm hunting public land this year and invites when there.

I've got some PM's and looking like an opportunity may present itself. Thank you all again for the positive feedback, as it was needed today.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[sambo73]

My boy and I really appreciate all the positive feedback. Made me take a step back and realize even though he hadn't shot anything, we still are way better off than alot of people. At least we have the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other, even though a trigger isnt pulled..

And just to clarify some things I've seen through the thread. He didnt start sitting with me just this year. I bet hes had 30+ sits over the last 3 years with me. I only get my kiddos every other weekend, so my opportunity to take them is already cut by half from the start. Only reason we left early today is due to needing to get back home so the wife could work tonight. Our usual sits are from hour before day until around 1030-11 and then from around 4p- dark, so hours are there. I had a lease last year and I connected, but was unable to reup on the lease due to financial reasons. I'm hunting public land this year and invites when there.

I've got some PM's and looking like an opportunity may present itself. Thank you all again for the positive feedback, as it was needed today.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

And he thinks yall are just hunting! Good job dad taking him. It means more to him than you will ever know.!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[DRT]

I know parents who's sons only want to go "shoot" a deer. Not be there to work on the other stuff, hang out around a camp fire and enjoy the rest of what hunting and the outdoors is.
Moat of that comes when kids go out, see the doe, shoot the doe and there was nothing to earn it. Too quick and easy is t always the best.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[mikemorvan]

Maybe this will help, i hope so~

I'm 63, i've been hunting with a bow since i was a kid. I killed many a possum and coon, tons of bullfrogs, bunches of cans, on and on. I got into archery deer hunting when i was about 30. I've drawn a bow on a deer 4 times. I've had opportunities. Sometimes i didn't shoot because the shot wasn't right, sometimes it was too late, sometimes this, sometimes that. But, i've let arrows fly at four, count 'em four, deer in my life. I hit one doe that i never found. I shot at one buck and nothing but fur on a fletching. Last season i drew on a cull buck but was shaking so bad i couldn't shoot. I told myself it was because i was freezing, which i was.

But, i wasn't sure. Had i lost my nerve? Did i get "the fever"?

Well, yesterday morning it finally happened. I connected on an old, HEAVY, 8 pt. My FIRST archery deer kill. Yes, i am thrilled beyond belief. The antlers are nothing to write home about. The accomplishment is. Tell your son that perseverance pays, and to stay after it.

BTW - I really hope he doesn't have as long a wait as i did. That part does blow. But we all have different journeys.

[Rubi513]

Maybe this will help, i hope so~

I'm 63, i've been hunting with a bow since i was a kid. I killed many a possum and coon, tons of bullfrogs, bunches of cans, on and on. I got into archery deer hunting when i was about 30. I've drawn a bow on a deer 4 times. I've had opportunities. Sometimes i didn't shoot because the shot wasn't right, sometimes it was too late, sometimes this, sometimes that. But, i've let arrows fly at four, count 'em four, deer in my life. I hit one doe that i never found. I shot at one buck and nothing but fur on a fletching. Last season i drew on a cull buck but was shaking so bad i couldn't shoot. I told myself it was because i was freezing, which i was.

But, i wasn't sure. Had i lost my nerve? Did i get "the fever"?

Well, yesterday morning it finally happened. I connected on an old, HEAVY, 8 pt. My FIRST archery deer kill. Yes, i am thrilled beyond belief. The antlers are nothing to write home about. The accomplishment is. Tell your son that perseverance pays, and to stay after it.

BTW - I really hope he doesn't have as long a wait as i did. That part does blow. But we all have different journeys.

Nice!
Congrats!

[Burnadell]

My boy and I really appreciate all the positive feedback. Made me take a step back and realize even though he hadn't shot anything, we still are way better off than alot of people. At least we have the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other, even though a trigger isnt pulled..

And just to clarify some things I've seen through the thread. He didnt start sitting with me just this year. I bet hes had 30+ sits over the last 3 years with me. I only get my kiddos every other weekend, so my opportunity to take them is already cut by half from the start. Only reason we left early today is due to needing to get back home so the wife could work tonight. Our usual sits are from hour before day until around 1030-11 and then from around 4p- dark, so hours are there. I had a lease last year and I connected, but was unable to reup on the lease due to financial reasons. I'm hunting public land this year and invites when there.

I've got some PM's and looking like an opportunity may present itself. Thank you all again for the positive feedback, as it was needed today.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Keep at it. It will happen.

[Burnadell]

Maybe this will help, i hope so~

I'm 63, i've been hunting with a bow since i was a kid. I killed many a possum and coon, tons of bullfrogs, bunches of cans, on and on. I got into archery deer hunting when i was about 30. I've drawn a bow on a deer 4 times. I've had opportunities. Sometimes i didn't shoot because the shot wasn't right, sometimes it was too late, sometimes this, sometimes that. But, i've let arrows fly at four, count 'em four, deer in my life. I hit one doe that i never found. I shot at one buck and nothing but fur on a fletching. Last season i drew on a cull buck but was shaking so bad i couldn't shoot. I told myself it was because i was freezing, which i was.

But, i wasn't sure. Had i lost my nerve? Did i get "the fever"?

Well, yesterday morning it finally happened. I connected on an old, HEAVY, 8 pt. My FIRST archery deer kill. Yes, i am thrilled beyond belief. The antlers are nothing to write home about. The accomplishment is. Tell your son that perseverance pays, and to stay after it.

BTW - I really hope he doesn't have as long a wait as i did. That part does blow. But we all have different journeys.

You broke the seal! Congratulations! It's a great feeling when it all comes together!

[1riot1ranger]

I had the same things happen with my kids. I always told them it was a fun weekend outdoors and shooting something meant it was over and time to go to work. They (we) spent lots of time outdoors without shooting anything. They are grown today and still love to hunt. Interesting, they are very picky about pulling the trigger

[justletmein]

If it's easy it won't have hardly any value. Better to have to work for it.

[SmTx]

I thought this thread was going to be about the Texans going for 2 when the extra point would've won it.

[Prairieboy]

As with a lot of others I've hunted east Tx all my life. From before I can remember until I was 18 we were on a lease in the river bottom of Liberty County, a lot of that time was a one buck county. I killed my first deer(doe) on a friends grandparents place in Kerrville when I was 12(I think- been a minute) , I didn't kill my first buck(small 7 point) until I was 16 on that river bottom lease. My dad hauled me to that lease every available weekend and a lot of evening hunts and we went seasons without seeing a deer we could shoot at but we hunted hogs, squirrels, rabbits and coons regularly. I know now that was to keep me interested and help me feel accomplished by putting some food on the table for us and probably more importantly for others. Some of my best times as a kid were at that lease and I could never thank him enough for all the time spent in the woods whether we saw anything or not. That first little buck still holds a special place in my memory because I hunted my tail off to get that deer and thats when all those hours,days,seasons of seeing nothing were all worth it. Everyone one at the lease that day came around patting me on the back a high fiving like I had killed a 180" b&c buck and that was an important and had more of an impact than I would have imagined. I've kill many deer since then and every time I knock one down I am thankful for all those seasons spent hunting that river bottom with the ole man. Fast forward about 20 years and I now hunt a small lease in Houston county thats only about 80 acres and have went the last 2 seasons without seeing a deer that I could even shoot at, the season before that I got a chance at my first bow buck and messed that up hitting a small limb I didn't see and smashed the broadhead into a feeder leg. Back at it this year and 3 sits in and have seen 2 deer and both were well outta bow range, even the pigs are getting smarter for that matter.The memories made during the time spent at the lease or in the woods is what really stays with you over the long haul. Keep taking your son, he'll remember all the time you spent with him and will greatly appreciate it later in life and when he finally get his chance it will be that much more gratifying for both of you. I regret not being able to hunt more with mine when they were young for a lot of reasons but take them every time I can now and they are learning that same east Tx hunting ritual of patience and persistence that many other have learned. Keep doing what your doing Dad and break out something to plink with and keep him interested and make him feel like he has accomplished by getting small game for yourselves and others that might not be able to get out and hunt squirrels or rabbits for themselves any longer. I can still se the smile on my grandmothers face everytime I brought her a mess of fresh squirrels and can almost smell the squirrel dumplins in that old cast-iron as I'm typing this. Sorry it got a little long but the good memories your making hunting with him now will be with both of you the rest of your lives!