Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Hunting with my daughters

As I sat in the blind yesterday evening, watching the sun set literally on this deer season, was overcome by a somber realization. My two daughters are 15 and 19 now, and this marked the first year since they started hunting in their pre-teens that hasn't seen both of them get at least one deer.

Though they both hunted some with me this year, neither got their deer. Started blaming myself, thinking I didn't try hard enough, wasn't a good enough guide. To tell the truth, I wasn't as driven, because we had a good season last, and are still trying to use up all the deer in the freezer.
But, I realize that with school, an increasingly active social calendar (and boys ) not to mention an after college job for the the oldest - combined with our deer numbers being down this year - it was bound to happen. I just didn't think about it being THIS year, and both girls at once.

I sat thinking about each of their first deer, and rubbing blood on their little cheeks and noses... Telling them I was going to do this in advance, both said "no way!"
but when the time came, both wore it proudly, all the way home,
even posing for pictures. Even though we've had moments when things didn't go right, I'm so proud of them both for the way they've handled rifles safely, learned to shoot and follow up on blood trails, and at least in the oldest one's case, skin
and quarter up a deer. The teenage boys in camp used to stand back and watch in awe as she sliced and diced - she'd killed more than most of them put together, and even in the beginning when she was painfully slow, she wanted to do it all by herself. Would get mad and pout if I tried to help too much.

One positive thing at least, the oldest one's boyfriend has started hunting with us, and he's a good kid. Not much hunting experience, but eager to learn. I put him in a blind
and he knocked down a big old doe this season. I didn't realize until I was helping him load her up, that it was his first deer. My daughter helped him skin and quarter it, making him do most of it. I sat quietly in the corner of the skinning shed smiling.

Looking back and reading over this, I know I have a lot more to be thankful for than to regret. There's always next year!

Good on ya!

Great memories, and more to come.

Good post!

I've got two daughters that hunt with me also. We're about 10 years behind you guys.

Great story! It's not so much he kill,but the moments that time cannot erase. Good job on raising two daughters to be "very" proud of! memtb

My daughter will be behind a rifle this year or next. Until then we are still working on squirrels and having a blast! I ain't gonna waste any of this precious time! Got her little brother coming up behind her too!!!

A lot of Sons hunt with their father but to me it is something special for Daughters to hunt with dear old Dad. Now being older, my Granddaughters are also hunting with me. Of course, keeping Daughters and Granddaughters in guns and ammo is a bit expensive on the old pocket book but monies well spent. It is great the the amount of women that has started hunting and shooting has nearly doubled in the last ten years.

Great read!! Enjoyed it a lot....

Three seasons ago my daughter didn't wrap a tag on a deer for the first time since she started hunting. But she made up for it last year as well as this season shooting two each year....

Good read. My daughter is going to start with me this fall, neither one of us can wait!

The twins will be heading to college next fall in Alabama and stand a good chance of finding a young man who hunts.
They never really cared to do any with the old man...always having studies, work and friends pulling.
My youngest girl however, she's side by side any chances to hunt, shoot or fish.

Thanks to everybody for sharing your stories and pictures too.

You know, always trying to find the positive in what I'm dealt,
it's probably a good thing that one of my two didn't tag and the other not - they are so stinkin competitive with each other.

If one had got a deer and the other shot and missed, I'd of had to keep 'em separated for the whole year.