Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Birth of a deer camp

Brought my daughter (11) out yesterday. Her second year of deer hunting. We had a 6 point buck sneaking through the willows that was soon coming to a nice 10 foot wide opening. Oh, this just might work, she is all lined up....there was only one potential snag. In the middle of this opening was about a 9-inch tree. Sure enough, he stopped with his bread basket behind that tree. Good opportunity but it just didnt work out.

A little while later a doe pops out about 40 yards from us and walks right to us at 20 yards. Lauren says, I want to shoot a buck and am going to let this doe go. Okay, it is your decision. But then I look and there is a buck in the willows behind her. A nice 8 pointer. He stays in the willows and closes the gap to 12 yards! I tell Lauren, go ahead and shoot him through those willows as they are so close to him it shouldnt matter. I wait for the boom.......She says I cant find him in the scope! He is directly in front of the sun and the willows are all gray. I even have problems picking him up if I move my eyes to the doe for a second. the lighting was just really weird. Pretty soon, the does senses something and blows. he blows and they run 20 yards and stop. Pretty soon they lay down 40 yards from us. For the next 5 hours we were on guard. He almost died about 2 hours into it, but was behind some brush. then about 2 pm she trots off with him in tow. It happened so fast, there was no chance for her.

Now here is the funny part. I have shot a lot of whitetail bucks and this year even a 6X6 bull elk with my bow. I do not get buck fever. But when she had that buck at 12 yards, she was shaking like a leaf. Then I noticed it. I was shaking!!! Pretty cool to experience that with your daughter. I cant really explain why I was shaking. I would have passed that buck without a second thought if I was by myself. But her excitement sure was contagious! I love it!

No deer yet for her or I (my dad got a buck). Plenty of hunting left though.