8yrs old + a 223 + 120 yds = first deer!
My son Ryan has been wanting to kill his first deer this year. We've been several times and never had much luck. I called a friend over the Christmas break that has some management property and shoots quota doe every year off the ranch. I figured he could get his deer here pretty easy if allowed. Well he called me back and said for us to come on! He put us on the family side, not the High fence side, so he had free range on any deer that showed!
We sat in our blind, and around 4:00 deer started to show up. We saw several small forked horns and several doe. The feeder goes off about 4:30, and the deer come outa the woods, and start working to the feeder in the oat patch. We saw a nice little 6 point that needed shooting, but I also saw a bigger 8 back in the trees. I told Ryan to wait and he'll come out. Well we waited about another 30 mins and sure enough the 8 hops the fence and walks on out. All my son was saying is "Dad, look at those antlers. Dad, Look at those antlers". The feeder was 100 yds away, (kinda long shot I thought for him), and the buck was about 20yds past the feeder! I wanted to wait and let them get closer, but they started getting skittish. I told him to find the spot on the buck, and take a deep breath, when he gets broadside, and still take the shot! The 223 rang out and the deer ran off. I was watching Ryan (to make sure he didn't need any help), and not the deer! I thought he missed and told him to just wait and they might come back. Well about thirty mins later all the deer start coming back to the oat patch, all but the 8 point. We decide to go look for blood, and find a few small drops but nothing major. I thought he hit the leg, or low in the belly. We hop the fence and start looking. After about thirty mins of looking we find nothing, no blood, no sign of nothing. I get a call on the cell to meet the guy back at his truck so I stop looking! (Not what I wanted to do). I tell him the story and he says we'll wait and go back in the morning and look again. Well about 10am the next day we get a call, they found the deer. Not sure who was more excited, me or my son! Anyrate, he got a nice 8pt, and the shot was perfect behind the shoulder. I was about 20-30yds from the deer when I got the phone call to come back to the truck. Five more minutes of looking, and I would of found him that night!
Sorry for the long read, but it's been several days since he shot it, and I am just now getting to post it on here!
We sat in our blind, and around 4:00 deer started to show up. We saw several small forked horns and several doe. The feeder goes off about 4:30, and the deer come outa the woods, and start working to the feeder in the oat patch. We saw a nice little 6 point that needed shooting, but I also saw a bigger 8 back in the trees. I told Ryan to wait and he'll come out. Well we waited about another 30 mins and sure enough the 8 hops the fence and walks on out. All my son was saying is "Dad, look at those antlers. Dad, Look at those antlers". The feeder was 100 yds away, (kinda long shot I thought for him), and the buck was about 20yds past the feeder! I wanted to wait and let them get closer, but they started getting skittish. I told him to find the spot on the buck, and take a deep breath, when he gets broadside, and still take the shot! The 223 rang out and the deer ran off. I was watching Ryan (to make sure he didn't need any help), and not the deer! I thought he missed and told him to just wait and they might come back. Well about thirty mins later all the deer start coming back to the oat patch, all but the 8 point. We decide to go look for blood, and find a few small drops but nothing major. I thought he hit the leg, or low in the belly. We hop the fence and start looking. After about thirty mins of looking we find nothing, no blood, no sign of nothing. I get a call on the cell to meet the guy back at his truck so I stop looking! (Not what I wanted to do). I tell him the story and he says we'll wait and go back in the morning and look again. Well about 10am the next day we get a call, they found the deer. Not sure who was more excited, me or my son! Anyrate, he got a nice 8pt, and the shot was perfect behind the shoulder. I was about 20-30yds from the deer when I got the phone call to come back to the truck. Five more minutes of looking, and I would of found him that night! Sorry for the long read, but it's been several days since he shot it, and I am just now getting to post it on here!
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