Right on the heels of a not so successful Colorado elk hunt came a MN whitetail youth hunt for chickenbuck Joe. (Our youngest boy)
Joey (AKA "Plays With Matches") Had practiced with my ruger standard M77 in 220 swift. The standard M77 is a bit long for the boy, but he proved his skills with the rifle from the bench so we went with it. I wanted low recoil for the 60 lb hunter, .22 centerfire is legal in MN and the swift was crying for attention, topped with Burris FFII 3-9 40mm Bplex.
Joe's first hunting license.
View to the south from the stand.
First day was a bust.
But on the second day he hunted with a better guide....
10 yr old Joey was in a 2 person, enclosed, elevated stand with his mom (mom's stand actually) while dad walked a big loop trying to stir something their way. I should note that my wife Pam is the only person in our group that has NOT shot or even seen a deer from this stand. (her stand) lmao!
I'm so glad Pam got this experience, to sit with her son when he got his first deer. I've done it with the older boy, and I was first on the scene when the daughter got her first as well. So, it was Pam's turn to experience the excitement.
Well, since he is only 10 yrs old I agreed to do the field work for the young man, but he had to help and he had to pay attention. He also had to shake my hand when I was done, and give a slimy high five.
Dave; That is just too cool sir! Thanks so much for sharing the wonderful photos and story with us.
I can just imagine how stoked your wife was being able to be there with him.
Please pass along congratulations to your son on the tasty looking doe. She looks like she's going to provide many wonderful meals for your crew.
I'll send you my customary tip of the hat too Dave, as we all are aware these family moments/hunts don't happen without a lot of work and time spent at either end. Well done sir.
Thanks again Dave, all the best to you and your fine family and good luck on all your remaining hunts too.
Thanks everybody. Deer is skun, quartered, meat is up by the house.
Here's an entrance shot, not too surprised at the surface carnage, little rapid expansion bullet. But hey, she's dead and she died fast, no tracking job on this one.
Not much got inside, couple broke ribs and small holes where some bullet frag got inside and souped the lungs. (thanks god)
Time for dad to have one of these and get out the butchering knives and freezer paper.
Right on the heels of a not so successful Colorado elk hunt came a MN whitetail youth hunt for chickenbuck Joe. (Our youngest boy)
Joey (AKA "Plays With Matches") Had practiced with my ruger standard M77 in 220 swift. The standard M77 is a bit long for the boy, but he proved his skills with the rifle from the bench so we went with it. I wanted low recoil for the 60 lb hunter, .22 centerfire is legal in MN and the swift was crying for attention, topped with Burris FFII 3-9 40mm Bplex.
Joe's first hunting license.
View to the south from the stand.
First day was a bust.
But on the second day he hunted with a better guide....
10 yr old Joey was in a 2 person, enclosed, elevated stand with his mom (mom's stand actually) while dad walked a big loop trying to stir something their way. I should note that my wife Pam is the only person in our group that has NOT shot or even seen a deer from this stand. (her stand) lmao!
I'm so glad Pam got this experience, to sit with her son when he got his first deer. I've done it with the older boy, and I was first on the scene when the daughter got her first as well. So, it was Pam's turn to experience the excitement.
Well, since he is only 10 yrs old I agreed to do the field work for the young man, but he had to help and he had to pay attention. He also had to shake my hand when I was done, and give a slimy high five.
Congrats ! That memory will still be one of your son's favorites when he's an old man. I still remember my first deer like it was yesterday! Bet he's on cloud nine! And he's a very lucky young man to have such great parents, too. A LOT of little ole TX Whitetails have been dropped in their tracks with a .220 Swift. Not too mention quite a few Speed Goats! And countless coyotes, too. Still one of my Favorite Calibers.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Every hunter knows, you have to sit very still while hunting.
Joey is like the Lincoln memorial, man of stone, completely motionless.
My 8 year old son has the same ability to freeze and remain stock-still for multiple seconds at a time. He actually scared off the buck he ended up shooting by hanging out of the front window of the stand we were in and flopping around.
Stupendous!! Pure gold memory made there, congrats to all of you! I got the experience my first Dad moment like that this year and am anxiously waiting for the second to grow up to do it all again.
My boy Jack is the same way at times. Though, last deer season he was great! When he starts to get antsy, I give him the grunt and the rattlin' horns.
That's a good idea, Tom.
When Caleb started getting really antsy, I gave him the sharpie I keep in the blind and let him do some drawing on the walls. He thought drawing all over the walls was pretty cool-for about 3.5 minutes.
My Mom was with me when I shot my first buck also, Dad was working graveyards at the time. It is a day neither her, or I will ever forget. Great shot by the young man!
Dave, did your son get the deer way up north by your cabin? If so , how is the deer herd looking. Pretty dismal in Northern Wis.
But the fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, Gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. Galations 5: 22&23
Yes, he got her from an enclosed stand a couple hundred yards behind the cabin.
I'm seeing what I think is an increase in overall deer traffic on our trails, in the woofs and crossing the tamarack swamp. No buck activity but its somewhat promising to see an increase in beds and tracks.
What a great story and a great kid. His smile is infectious. He'll cherish that memory for life. It's sad that more parents don't realize these are the kinds of things that develop character, make strong bonds and make good adults, out of kids. Congratulations to you Dave, and to Chickenbuck Joe. You got a keeper, for life.