I bought a 223 a couple of years ago hoping to get my daughter, Faith, now 10, into hunting. She has been going on and off to the stand with me for the past six years. Last year I felt she was ready to take her first deer. We were patient waiting for the right doe or buck, and a couple of times I had her on one or the other, but we just could not pull the trigger. Before Thanksgiving, she told me after a lot of thinking about it in church, she decided killing a deer wasn't for her. I told her I have absolutely no problem with this as I still enjoy her company in the deer stand.
Now, my son Christian, 8, has been going to the stand with me since he was three years old. I don't mean just some of the time, he is with me all the time...I love every minute of it.
Well I decided this year, Christian is ready to take his first deer. We had some target practice and he did great. But my concern with him was will he be patient enough to make sure the crosshairs are right behind the shoulder. Or would he just lose patience and think that it is close enough. I constantly talked to him about this all the time...anytime we were watching hunting on tv or when hunting would come up in conversation. But when it is all said and done, I feel he is ready.
Last week, we hunted Wednesday morning and evening, and Thursday morning, but nothing that I wanted him shooting came out. Then came Friday morning. At a little after 8:00, I had a group of doe come out and start eating corn. There was a mature doe in the group that I could tell was the alpha doe. So I decided this was the one.
She was moving around a lot, and I just kept talking to Christian and keeping him calm talking about waiting for her to turn broadside and putting the crosshairs behind her shoulder. When she finally stopped and turned broadside, I asked you have the crosshairs behind her should? He replied "Yes". So I said go ahead and take her. BOOM!!! I see her jump up, and I could tell he made a good hit. I could barely contain myself.
I told he we have to be patient before we go look for her because it is such a small gun. He was fine with this. I text my BIL(coogfan) and tell him that Christian has done it. He told me to wait for him so he can be apart of the tracking. We waited about 30 minutes before we got out of the stand.
I could not get the shot on video tape, but I taped everything after that. Christian's reactions and the tracking of the deer. Although we could see the doe just 40 yards into the brush, we let Christian lead the way and did not let him know we already saw her.
When he came across her laying on the ground is something that I will never forget. His expression and excitement is what it is all about. I have it on video, and I am sure every year I will play it just to watch it over and over.
Congratulations Christian!!! Daddy is proud of you!!!
Now, my son Christian, 8, has been going to the stand with me since he was three years old. I don't mean just some of the time, he is with me all the time...I love every minute of it.
Well I decided this year, Christian is ready to take his first deer. We had some target practice and he did great. But my concern with him was will he be patient enough to make sure the crosshairs are right behind the shoulder. Or would he just lose patience and think that it is close enough. I constantly talked to him about this all the time...anytime we were watching hunting on tv or when hunting would come up in conversation. But when it is all said and done, I feel he is ready.
Last week, we hunted Wednesday morning and evening, and Thursday morning, but nothing that I wanted him shooting came out. Then came Friday morning. At a little after 8:00, I had a group of doe come out and start eating corn. There was a mature doe in the group that I could tell was the alpha doe. So I decided this was the one.
She was moving around a lot, and I just kept talking to Christian and keeping him calm talking about waiting for her to turn broadside and putting the crosshairs behind her shoulder. When she finally stopped and turned broadside, I asked you have the crosshairs behind her should? He replied "Yes". So I said go ahead and take her. BOOM!!! I see her jump up, and I could tell he made a good hit. I could barely contain myself.
I told he we have to be patient before we go look for her because it is such a small gun. He was fine with this. I text my BIL(coogfan) and tell him that Christian has done it. He told me to wait for him so he can be apart of the tracking. We waited about 30 minutes before we got out of the stand.
I could not get the shot on video tape, but I taped everything after that. Christian's reactions and the tracking of the deer. Although we could see the doe just 40 yards into the brush, we let Christian lead the way and did not let him know we already saw her.
When he came across her laying on the ground is something that I will never forget. His expression and excitement is what it is all about. I have it on video, and I am sure every year I will play it just to watch it over and over.
Congratulations Christian!!! Daddy is proud of you!!!
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