10 year old bags big 7point - 12/24/10
Last Friday morning I was out feeding cows when my son called to tell me that he had just seen the biggest 7 point buck ever. The buck had come out of the brush chasing a doe out in front of the house. But just as suddenly as he appeared, he slipped back into the brush.
That afternoon he and I went about a half mile below the house to see if we could rattle this particular buck out for a shot. The wind was out of the north fairly brisk, and the only open spot we had would put him coming in down-wind. Being our only option, we decided to go ahead and give it a try. After about two minutes of rattling and breaking brush, the big 7 came charging our way. Unfortunately, as expected he winded us and hit the brush without ever slowing down.
Well, my son decided to go on and head to the blind he has been hunting and try his luck for something else.
Later in the evening I was in the office doing some paper work (or browsing on the fire), and my 10 year old daughter had come out to chat. She happened to look out in front of the house and excitedly whispered "Dad, he's back! Can I shoot him?" I told her we would try. We got a gun out and set up on the office porch.
The buck was chasing a doe again and ran her back into the brush before we could get on him. I told her that we would go over to the front porch of the house and set up there and wait on him to come back out. After 5 minutes the doe came back out in the clearing and the buck reemerged soon after. Before my daughter could get the sights of the little Alpha I .243 on him, he charged the doe and ran her back into the brush again. Discouraged, but still hopeful, we waited for another shot opportunity. Sure enough, about 5 more minutes the doe came back, followed by the big bruiser about 200 yards from our front porch blind. This time he looked directly at us, and before she could steady the cross-hairs on his chest, he charged the doe once more, circled through the mesquites and disappeared.
We waited until dark to no avail. My daughter asked if while I was gone the next morning and the buck came back, could she shoot him. I told her that I guess that would be alright (thinking we would probably never see him again). We talked about gun safety, shot placement and so on and put the gun in the cabinet.
The next morning after chores my son and I went up the road to a farm auction at the neighbors. About the time the sale started (10:00 am), my wife called to say that I needed to get home. I thought there must have been a fire as we have been so dry, but she excitedly informed me that our 10 year old had shot the big 7 point buck.
After arriving home, I was amazed to see the biggest 7 point I have ever seen in 15 years on the ranch. He was one of the few that didn't shrink when he hit the ground.
After hugs, congratulations, and pictures, my daughter told me her hunting story. It seems that she and her mother were cleaning the house that morning and she was telling my wife of the previous evenings hunt. She happened to look out the window and lo and behold the buck was back again! She ran and got "her" Alpha I out and quietly slipped out to the porch blind and set up. As she was settling the cross-hairs on him, would you believe that he repeated his performance of the night before and chased the doe off again. Well, my wife told our youngest daughter to run over to the office and get Daddy's rattling horns. After she came back with the horns, my wife clashed the horns together and tickled them a bit. Big Boy had to come out and see his competition, this time he stayed 1 second too long. One shot from the .243 and he dropped in his tracks. As he was quartering away she placed the 85 grain barnes ttsx behind the shoulder, through lungs, caught the spine, and into the off shoulder from 182 yards.
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The deer scored 133 2/8", 21 6/8" wide, and had a 13" G-2 and a 12" G-2.
That afternoon he and I went about a half mile below the house to see if we could rattle this particular buck out for a shot. The wind was out of the north fairly brisk, and the only open spot we had would put him coming in down-wind. Being our only option, we decided to go ahead and give it a try. After about two minutes of rattling and breaking brush, the big 7 came charging our way. Unfortunately, as expected he winded us and hit the brush without ever slowing down.
Well, my son decided to go on and head to the blind he has been hunting and try his luck for something else.
Later in the evening I was in the office doing some paper work (or browsing on the fire), and my 10 year old daughter had come out to chat. She happened to look out in front of the house and excitedly whispered "Dad, he's back! Can I shoot him?" I told her we would try. We got a gun out and set up on the office porch.
The buck was chasing a doe again and ran her back into the brush before we could get on him. I told her that we would go over to the front porch of the house and set up there and wait on him to come back out. After 5 minutes the doe came back out in the clearing and the buck reemerged soon after. Before my daughter could get the sights of the little Alpha I .243 on him, he charged the doe and ran her back into the brush again. Discouraged, but still hopeful, we waited for another shot opportunity. Sure enough, about 5 more minutes the doe came back, followed by the big bruiser about 200 yards from our front porch blind. This time he looked directly at us, and before she could steady the cross-hairs on his chest, he charged the doe once more, circled through the mesquites and disappeared.
We waited until dark to no avail. My daughter asked if while I was gone the next morning and the buck came back, could she shoot him. I told her that I guess that would be alright (thinking we would probably never see him again). We talked about gun safety, shot placement and so on and put the gun in the cabinet.
The next morning after chores my son and I went up the road to a farm auction at the neighbors. About the time the sale started (10:00 am), my wife called to say that I needed to get home. I thought there must have been a fire as we have been so dry, but she excitedly informed me that our 10 year old had shot the big 7 point buck.
After arriving home, I was amazed to see the biggest 7 point I have ever seen in 15 years on the ranch. He was one of the few that didn't shrink when he hit the ground.
After hugs, congratulations, and pictures, my daughter told me her hunting story. It seems that she and her mother were cleaning the house that morning and she was telling my wife of the previous evenings hunt. She happened to look out the window and lo and behold the buck was back again! She ran and got "her" Alpha I out and quietly slipped out to the porch blind and set up. As she was settling the cross-hairs on him, would you believe that he repeated his performance of the night before and chased the doe off again. Well, my wife told our youngest daughter to run over to the office and get Daddy's rattling horns. After she came back with the horns, my wife clashed the horns together and tickled them a bit. Big Boy had to come out and see his competition, this time he stayed 1 second too long. One shot from the .243 and he dropped in his tracks. As he was quartering away she placed the 85 grain barnes ttsx behind the shoulder, through lungs, caught the spine, and into the off shoulder from 182 yards.
The deer scored 133 2/8", 21 6/8" wide, and had a 13" G-2 and a 12" G-2.
