Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Daughter's first deer (my best hunt ever)

I slipped off work a little early on Friday to take my oldest daughter hunting. She's been with me dozens of times since she was 4 and has seen me kill at least 15 deer (mainly does). She's 8 now and about 2 weeks ago, she decided that she was ready to pull the trigger herself. She has been shooting a 22 for 3 years and has shot this Model 7 243 a few times with reduced loads.
So Friday, we went to a food plot where my dad had seen a few does and yearlings earlier in the week. I was just hoping to get a shot at one of the does. We set up on the ground about 35 yds back from the plot and made a makeshift blind where she could prop the gun on a set of shooting sticks that I carry. We had been there only 20 mins when I heard a couple of deer moving around to the east. I thought I heard a grunt but couldn't be sure. As the deer got closer, we also heard a deer to the west that sounded like it was rubbing a tree. Shortly a doe popped into the plot, but before she could get the gun on her, a big mature 6 point ran in and chased her off. I quickly grunted a couple times and waited. 5 mins later, this 10 point trotted into the plot from the west and I bleated with my mouth to stop him at about 80 yards. My daughter quickly found him in the crosshairs and I reached up to click the safety off. I asked if she had it on the shoulder and she said yea daddy. She asked if she should shoot and I said if you have it on the shoulder, go ahead. At the crack of the gun, the deer flopped and the celebration began. 19 3/4" wide and 185 lbs. The 80 gr GMX hit right at the base of the neck, just in front of the shoulder blade.

OUTSTANDING! CONGRATULATIONS!

PRODIGIOUS! Triple backup those pics. That there is a real smile. A mount showing up next Christmas would be real nice.

Wow-nice. Congratulations to your daughter, and a proud father!

That's good stuff!

That one pegs the awesome meter!
I love it!!!

Congrats to the lass and to proud papa.

How wonderful! Congratulations to both of you.

Also, FYI, that gun and the shortened stock were both purchased here on the Fire. And thanks to the knowledge base and experience of members here, I had the confidence to let her use a .243 and start at an early age. I learned how to load reduced recoil loads with Trail Boss for practice here as well. (when I was growing up a .243 was deemed unacceptable and too small). My family would have freaked at the idea of 80 grain bullets for deer 20 years ago......

Awesome !!!

Awesome! Congrats!

Wow !

Is the rack that big or is she that little ?


Cool pics !

Ruined her..

Special day in both of your lives. She always remember the day she, "Shot the big one with Daddy".

Yeah, that's it.

Those pictures just made my day! Always love seeing the "first deer" smiles and that set of pictures right there captured memories that will last a lifetime. Please tell the young lady congratulations and best wishes to both of you for many more memorable hunts together!

Holeeeeeeee Cow! Fantastic story.

First off congratulations to you and your daughter! What a deer! Secondly, the older school mindset is that the 243 is too small. I have a good buddy (much older than me) and he always tells me the 243 is too small. Great bullets will kill any white-tail in short order.

Anyhow awesome share!

Congrats to you both.

Combination of the 2 I guess. Deer was 19 3/4" wide and she's about 3'10".....

Fantastic!!