Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Awesome hunt with my little boy....

Had an outstanding hunt with my little boy Saturday eve! It all started back in the summer when he told me he wanted to shoot a deer instead of just watching dad. I told him I felt he was still too young(5yo 60lb), but if he could prove he could shoot accurately, I’d let him shoot a deer. I wanted some wiggle room, so decided to let him try the little 870 20ga youth turkey rig with a Burris FF that I’d bought him years ago. Still a little long, but he could shoot it. The wife had given me a Caldwell Dead Shot Field Pod a couple years ago and I figured it was just the ticket. With reduced recoil bird loads he was smoking water bottles in the yard, so I decided to give it a go. I patterned buckshot from it with a couple turkey chokes and it would flat eat up a target surprisingly with 3” Federal Premium #2 Buckshot. I knew it would kill one at 40, but didn’t want to try past 30. I put a blind up and started feeding before the season, but despite several sits we didn’t have any luck during youth. We have prob been a dozen times since, but didn’t see many and they usually came out too late. Fast fwd to last week, I decided to change things up and moved his blind to a new location where the deer had been hammering acorns. We corned it as well trying to get them close and started getting pics of several deer within a few days. I went in the rain Friday night and checked the cam and low and behold a nice buck had started coming in a few times over the last week, but even better was that several deer were coming in during daylight. The buck on cam was great, but I was still turning him loose on the first deer that offered a shot! I mean really, a good one in the daylight over corn late season.... Anyway, the rain had set in Thursday night and boy did it rain! It really poured for 24hrs and temps were in the mid 40s. I knew if it slacked it was game on. We took the kids to see Santa Saturday morning and afterwards went for pizza. When we walked outside about 1pm the rain had quit. I told Thatcher we’ve gotta go buddy, it’s game time! We got in the blind about 2 and it wasn’t 15min and 3 does were headed straight for us, but at 50yds they got spooky and blew out. The temp started falling and lil man was getting cold, so I bundled him up some more and let him play on my phone. Nearly 3 hrs later, about 5, I saw a doe shoot across the lane about 150yds and a lil buck came chasing her. About 15 min later a doe popped out about 40yds and darted back in the woods. I told him to get ready, she might come back. Sure enough about 30sec later here she came. I told him to let her have it and he about lost it, it sounded like he was hyperventilating lol, I told him to calm down, she wasn’t going anywhere, then he aimed a while and said dad, she’s not broadside. We played cat and mouse for a bit then she got just about right and I caught movement, holy crap! big boy comes out quickly to the doe! I said shoot the buck! Shoot the buck! But the dang thing got right behind the doe. Then he was facing us, then behind the doe again, and finally he stepped out at a quarter to at 32yds and I told him to squeeze off....BANG! I just about tore that blind open to see what happened cause I just had a tiny hole unzipped for him and a tiny one for me to see. I’ll be dang that big rascal was down right there!!!! I grabbed my rifle, chambered a round, and got on him because he was flopping around, but he was done so I just stayed ready just in case. He’d shot a freaking 11pt!!! Holy crap, his first deer ever!! He is ruined now lol. That lil dude was so freaking pumped!!! While shaking like a leaf: “DADDY! I just shot my first deer!!!” I about tore the zipper off the blind getting out to run down and make sure he was done. What an awesome feeling!! Man, I’ve killed hundreds of big game animals and this right here ranks right at the top hands down! Thatcher is still pumped about the whole deal, he keeps telling everyone and every time I turn around he’s asking me if we can go hunting lol.

Very cool!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Outstanding!

I can't wait to take my kids hunting with me.

WOW !!!

Absolutely great story and pics!! I think taking my boys hunting might be more fun than doing so myself. I know what you were feeling even and neither of mine have shot anything near that size. Well done by the both of you!

Now there is a chip off the ole block! Congratulations to both of you guys!

Great story and buck!

Great memories, congrats.

Well done! It’s going to be difficult to top that one....

Wow, couldn’t have been better!

Very nice buck for a hunter any age, but for a first buck at that age...wow! That is a hunt that both of you will always remember. Congratulations to the young hunter on his success and to you for helping to make it happen. Thanks for sharing the pictures/story and best wishes for many more memorable hunts together.

That will be a cool memory for both of you, forever!!!

Very cool,Yep he's ruined ,lol

What a start, congrats to both of you. He will always remember that.

Cherish these days, they pass quickly!

Hot damn, a great start! teaching the next generation of hunters are the best hunts.

Goodness gracious what a stud!

Way to Go Thatcher-Nice Shootin'-Great Buck!

WTG

That is indeed awesome!
Knuckle bumps all around.

What a story! What a first deer! What a memory! Congrats

FANTASTIC! That's a story that will last two life-times!

Thanks guys!! I still can't believe it happened lol.

Have a great day,

loder

Wow! What an awesome young man and a great buck. Kudos to son and father both. Great job all the way around!

Congratulations, those are good times right there.


Bob.

Congratulations Thatcher.. what a great first buck for you to harvest ! May you have many more great hunts with your Dad. Way to go Dad... raising them right ! HH

Great story! What a buck...for anyone! He’s spoiled for life😊
When my son shot his first we were sitting at the base of a tree and a couple of little spikes came by. His breathing sounded like a freight train.

Thanks guys!



Awesome! I've taken several youth hunters and put many on turkeys as well. It is a hoot for sure, I think I get more nervous most times.

Congrats. He is hooked now.

That is awesome Ronnie. Congrats to you and the little man. This is your old buddy REBELYELL from Old Gobbler. We used to buy, sell and trade turkey chokes all the time.

Take care and congrats to both of you again,
Jody

That's the way to get it done with the boy along for the hunt, congrats.

He is totally ruined now! Lol. Glad to hear about it and am sure it was a day neither of you will every forget.