Took a nine year old child deer hunting years ago. He had brain cancer. His father asked me if we could possibly get him a deer on my spot…they had not had any success at all where they hunted. Of course I told him yes indeed and I brought him to the best stand I had the next evening.
I picked up Taylor and we headed to the woods. He was extremely excited at his chances and was just beside himself. I thought to myself, it will be a major accomplishment to just let the young man forget about his troubles for a day….id glance occasionally at him and take it all in. His eyes couldn’t hide his excitement! Chemotherapy had taken all his hair and made him extremely cold natured. He was shivering even though it was about 60 degrees. Excitement perhaps?
I had to drive him up to the stand and then hike back after driving back to a spot where I could hide the truck. Dang chemo made him weak as a kitten. I had to push him up the ladder into the stand….he couldn’t climb it. Soon we saw a nice fat doe at 90 yards and he took aim with his gun….and missed. Tears welled up in his eyes and he started getting upset. I brushed it all aside and told him “we all miss…don’t worry. I have something that’ll help”. I then told him I was going to let him use my rifle, and that it was a very special rifle. “This rifle is my very best rifle Taylor. It has killed countless deer, and never, not even once, has it missed a deer (100% true statement). This rifle is the closest thing I’ve ever had that would be magic…..it just doesn’t miss and I know she’ll do her best to get you a deer!”
His eyes lit up and we continued hunting. At last light another deer showed up in the exact same spot. It was a buck, but Taylor couldn’t tell that. I pointed it out, put the rifle in a sandbag rest and told him to gently squeeze when the crosshairs were on his chest. I then started praying as hard as I could. Bang! The deer did that high jump, mule kick that probably indicates a heart shot and an easy trailing job. Taylor’s eyes welled up again. “It didn’t drop…..I missed again”. “Let’s get down and go check. Come on!”
We got there and his eyes were still wet. He was discouraged. I told him to look down at my boot…tell me what you see. Three drops of blood. His face lit up! “Did I hit it?” “”You sure did…..I want you to track it…but I’ll help”
The blood was blowing out both sides in ten feet. Ray Charles would have no problem following it. I held the flashlight and Taylor was in front of me doing his thing. Fifty yards ahead in four foot tall weeds was a deer’s butt sticking out. Taylor was hopping around. He still had no idea it was a nice buck at this point. The deer was obviously very much dead and I told him to drag “her” out. He screamed “Hey! It has antlers!” He was concentrating on the rack and couldn’t see the tears streaming down my face. Solid nine pointer. He almost couldn’t breathe. He agreed that my Jarrett 280 AI was indeed magic.
I took him home to his grandfather and got a big ol hug. Later on, I received a handwritten thank you note from him.
And I got it all, from start to finish, on video.
You need to post that video! What happened to little Taylor?
