3 years of frustration comes to an end

[0rion]

My son and I have had a pretty rough go trying to deer hunt the last 3 years. I'll be the first to admit it's 90% my fault because my patience level just isn't where it needs to be with him. I lose my cool when he's sleeping or making more noise than I feel is necessary. Things like that.
His first year he had a 6 point come in from his side of the tree. By the time I noticed it back there it was in at 40 yards and my son was sound asleep. By the time I woke him and tried to get him ready the 6 had got out to 50-60 and since he only had a .410 I wouldn't let him take the shot. Didn't want his first deer to be a gut shot or something like that.
Year 2 was more of the same really.....missed opportunity due to him being asleep or moving too much. He basically gave up during the youth gun so I wouldn't take him opening day of gun last year.
This year I've seen a pretty large change in his behavior and his drive in the woods. He hasn't slept at all this year and has been more "on point" when we're in the woods. His movement and noise still needs some improvement but it's leaps and bounds above what he was doing. I also understand he's 12 so he's gonna move and make noise. I don't expect him to sit totally silent because I can't do that.....I do expect him to get everything out of his bag he's going to need when we first get to the tree so he's not rifling through his bag every 30 minutes. Like I say...he's shown great improvement in all areas and we generally have a much better time hunting these days than in the previous 2 seasons.
During youth gun we had a doe come in Sunday morning. I had him on a tree about 5 yards from mine because I had my climber seat and wanted the little larger tree to put it around. That was a mistake. The doe came in from his right and he was facing the wrong way. She ended up busting him trying to get his gun around on her and took off. He looked over at me after she ran off in tears......it was tough to watch. Ripped my heart out because I know the work he's put in and what he's gone through trying to get this first deer. He's sat through single digit weather, heavy rains, and many days of not seeing a single deer. We've put in the time and work with no payout.
Yesterday that all came to an end. We went out in the morning to my favorite gun spot. This has been a great opening day tree for me. I've killed deer almost every opening day from this tree. The years I haven't it's been because I missed or didn't take the shot. I gave him the "dad guarantee stamp" that he was going to at least get a shot at a deer opening morning. We get to the tree extra early yesterday so we had about an hour before legal shooting time started. We kicked one out of our spot going in and about 30 minutes later someone from the other side kicked it right back past us but it was before legal time by quite a bit....still pitch black. I counted down the time before legal shooting time then told him to keep alert that it was a matter of time before we'd get some action.
7:30 rolls around.....no deer and no shooting even near us. 8:30 rolls around....no deer and only 1 or 2 shots even close. 9:30 rolls around.....few more shots but nothing close. I was starting to get concerned because that's getting pretty late for when I've previously had luck there. I figure we were in for another day like we've had the last 2 years where we sit and see nothing. 9:45 and about a ridge and a half from us opens up like a war is going on. My buddy counted and in 15 minutes there were 36 shots from about a 2 ridge area. At 9:55 a couple small deer cross over the ridge across from us then slow down in the ravine and start walking towards us.
My son takes his time and draws down on one and shoots. Miss. I kinda figure that was a chance going in because he would be shaking. The deer doesn't run but the 2nd deer bounds a couple of times TOWARDS us. It's now at 20 yards and he takes a shot and it drops. 3 years of frustrating days and days of sitting in terrible weather seeing nothing comes to an end. He has his first deer. He keeps saying "Dad....it's down.....it's down dad. I got my first deer." Then he leans over and puts his head on my shoulder and starts crying. I said "Son....why are you crying?" I thought maybe he was having some guilt or something because I felt guilty after killing my first one. He says "These are tears of joy dad......I'm just really happy." What a great experience for the both of us. I think at the end of the day the hard work he's put in and the lessons learned the hard way made that deer worth more to both of us. I was so excited I had to walk around a few minutes because I was shaking so bad I couldn't take pictures. It ended up being a button buck but to him it's the trophy of a lifetime. He wanted to do everything so I let him do it....although I helped quite a bit to keep it a clean and proper gut job.

[Zinergy]

Awesome story man. I am so happy for your son. I remember and know the feeling of dropping your first.

I started hunting when I was 11... the legal age in WI, my dad and I had successful turkey hunts, small game of course, pheasant but I didn't shoot a deer for the first 4 seasons.

[SMWS6TA]

Congrats...at first I was beginning to think he's that kid that shot once and dropped 2 deer that was on the news.

[0rion]

It was an awesome experience and glad I was there for it. My buddy's have all offered to take him and let him sit with them so I could do some proper hunting but I wouldn't do it because I didn't want to miss his first deer. To say it's been a rough road for both of us is an understatement. Many pissed off truck rides home for both of us Hunting public land doesn't help a lot. Those deer just aren't very forgiving when it comes to making mistakes. You generally don't get a 2nd chance at a deer if you mess up. The noise and movement results in you not seeing anything....they just avoid you. They're also hyper-sensitive to movement. You move and they almost always see it and they almost always haul ass out of there or circle way out and you never see them....they don't get curious like low pressure deer. I told Zach our goal for next year is to get him hunting from a stand. His odds go through the roof when he's 20 feet up. I would also like to see him shooting his bow next season but just don't think he's going to be strong enough to draw legal minimum (40 lbs) so that goal is probably unrealistic. My buddy has a xbow he can borrow for next year although I'm not a fan of xbows. It would open a bunch of opportunity for him. That's one of the frustrating things about this whole ordeal. I hunted the entire 2nd week of November and had doe under my stands every sit seeing a total of 20 deer that were in range. We go back a week later with him on the ground and only saw 1 in 2 days of hunting. The main difference there is the 20 feet.

[kingls1]

That's awesome, I had a great day hunting with my daughter yesterday, we hunted hard and didn't see one dam deer other than the two bucks we got in our group. She got her first buck two years ago and it was awsome....My luck has gone away as I've been skunked for at least 6-7 yrs now I think she is the only reason I'm still out there.

[0rion]

I got skunked last year for the first time in 14 years. Last year was just one of those years.....I had opportunity but just screwed it up. Missed 2 with a bow and I think 5 total with the guns. I missed 4 on opening day alone. I did some gun swapping so Zach could use my nephews 20 gauge. I let him use my 870 and I used my old shotgun. My old shotgun kept misfiring. I would shoot and just hear a "click" then had to pump that shell out which meant by the time I got the next shell in the chamber the deer was doing 147 mph. I went back out that weekend and took my nephews gun that I'd never shot before and missed a doe at about 60 yards with it.

[0rion]

He wanted to do it all.....which I wasn't arguing about. We had to walk back to the truck to grab the deer cart. It's bad luck to hunt with the cart with you. Then walk back and haul the deer out. It was a 45 minute walk each way. We were both pretty beat by the end of the day. The difference between youth and age though is today he's good to go......I feel like someone beat me with hammers all night. My deer wasn't the point of the story so i left it out but as soon as he shot at the 2nd one and it dropped I shot the first one he had missed.

[wileyCoyote]

great story! ...all the hard work paid off, ..must've felt great for both of you, congrats!

[35th-ANV-SS]

Awesome

[0rion]

2nd portion of this happened this evening.....the butchering. We about have that down to a science. My daughter loves to do that part and she's been doing it for a couple years now with me so I never have to tell her what needs done. To say it's cut time off my butchering is an understatement. Tonight we skinned, quartered, and cut out all the steaks. Took us about 2 hours and that's for 2 deer. Tomorrow we'll do the burger but I have a bad ass 1 HP cabelas grinder so it'll be like a 15 minute job. It'll take longer to set up and take down the grinder than it will be to actually do the meat. We'll have about 3 hours total in for 2 deer. Back in the old days when it was just me by myself and I only had a hand grinder and used freezer paper with masking tape instead of the vacuum sealer I would have 7-8 hours in doing a deer.

[taman76]

Congratulations. looks like it was a good day for both of you.

So far this year I am without. First in a very long time.

[35th-ANV-SS]

My dad was without one until about 1.5 weeks ago which was a first for him in 30+ years. He ended up getting a nice doe in an evening hunt. He went back out the very next morning and got another nice doe. He's waiting for Muzzleloader season to start now. He was getting worried.

[pajeff02]

Congrats! I so wanted to hit the "like" button after reading your account of the hunt but I restrained myself.

[0rion]

I started collecting them....I'm at 127 now up there


Our deer situation should only get better over the next few years. Zach will be hunting out of a stand at some point soon and since I'll be picking his stand spots he'll have the benefit of my experience down there so he'll be in spots he can kill deer. Chloe is up next to get her first....gonna work with her this year and get her deer hunting next year. It'll go much easier for her I think because she "gets it" a little better than Zach did.

[silverWS6]

I'm not a hunter by any means but I got the chills at the end of the first post and about teared up too... What an awesome story. Can't wait to have similar moments with my daughter! She's two but I heard they grow up quick Congrats to the little guy!

[0rion]

I'm not a hunter by any means but I got the chills at the end of the first post and about teared up too... What an awesome story. Can't wait to have similar moments with my daughter! She's two but I heard they grow up quick Congrats to the little guy!

it really was one of the best experiences I've ever had. You would have to know me to know how serious I take hunting.....it's more religion to me than sport. I've never told my kids they had to hunt.....it's their choice always because it's not for everyone. Both of my older kids really are in to it and I'm sure Pickle will be too but it'll be his choice. Next year is my daughter's turn if she's ready. She'll be 10 so old enough but she has some practicing to do....she's not near the shot at 9 that Zach was and still is. I'm going to work with her this spring and summer and get her shooting proper then we'll get after them next year. Looking forward to going through all this again....although the frustrating part not so much but she'll be a lot different than Zach when it comes to that stuff. She's tougher than he is and listens to instructions better so that side of it should be a lot smoother.

[SuperSSguy]

That's cool Orion.....There are just some of those "special" moments between father & son that most of us get to embrace and remember forever.........

[Zinergy]

I might have missed this but what did he shoot it with?