Young luck

[jagermiester]

Opening Day
My two boys (15 and 13) and I were hunting together. My younger son drew a youth doe tag this year. So we decided to go into an area and sit where we knew deer like to move through.  When we got close to our spot my older son asked me if he could go off on his own and sit one ridge over. I let him go because he is competent and he is ready to hunt on his own but it still felt a little weird. I knew why he wanted to do it though. A doe was going to come by and his brother was going to be the shooter not him.
We got to our spot and we were trying to glass up a deer in the sage brush below us. About an hour in we heard 2 shots; I told my son “that could have been your brother”.  A couple of minute’s later two deer were moving across the ledge below us. My son put a shell in and got himself set up on a nice rock rest. The deer stopped to look back and he shot. 130 yards downhill shot. He clipped the back of the lungs and broke her back. All in all good shot we only lost one half of 1 back strap.
We decided to make our way over to the older boy and when we got to him I could tell by his body language it was him that shot.  “Dad… I just killed a huge buck”. Earlier that morning on our way in we spotted a nice tall 4X4 but another hunter was working that buck so we decided to leave it alone.  I thought it may have been that buck. Turned out to be a nice 3 point.
“What happened?” I asked. “Well I was sitting here and then I decided to move. When I got to here I looked back and 3 deer were running down the draw below me here. So I sprinted over there to cut them off (about 60 yards). When I got there I got on the buck and counted three points on his left. Put it out in front of him and shot. He stopped turned around and I put it behind his front shoulder and shot again. He tumbled into that bush right there.” I pulled out my range finder and it was 130 yards. “Freehand??” I asked.  “Yeah but I was dead on him dad.”
It took us about a half an hour to get to the doe first (cliffs). I could barely keep up with the two of them and they told each other the same story over and over.  When we got to the doe we took lots of pictures and then drug her into the shade. We made our way to the buck 5 min tops. My son drug his buck out of the bushes and we took a more pics. I told him that this draw is going to stay much cooler so let’s go take care of the doe first. He replied, “I got this dad just come back and help me when you guys are done.”
“Ohh OK??” I replied. We use the gutless method on this hunt because we are probably 2 miles from the truck and there is a ton of uphill. The middle boy and I got the doe all ready to pack and I went back over to my older son. When I got there he had all 4 quarters off and the neck roast off and he was working on the backstraps. He asked me for a little help with the tenderloins so I obliged.  While were packing meet out I kept thinking, “Man I’m kinda old news here…  in a couple of years they won’t need me at all.” That’s the goal I guess, but there is a touch of me that doesn’t like it

[Widgeondeke]

great read.  Thanks for sharing.

Hope some pics are posted soon

Congrats to both hunters   

[jagermiester]

Jacob

[jagermiester]

Rocky

[DOUBLELUNG]

Everything about this post is awesome!

[cbond3318]

   this is awesome!

[Hockey21]

Great story and the kids did an awesome job!!

[Mark Brenckle]

Great job to the young men, you're doing it right, pops!

[NOCK NOCK]

  What a fun day. Congrats to ya all

[hunt6226]

That is awesome!!  Congrats to you and your boys.

[huntnfmly]

Great day congrats to both.
You're doing a great job dad

[boneaddict]

  very cool

[fishnfur]

Love it.  Thanks for posting.  Congrats to the kids too.

[outdooraddict]

awesome post, I cant wait until my son gets to join me, and then his first kill.  ( I love the ole boat paddle ruger too)

[fishngamereaper]

  Nice write up...they grow up so fast..my focus is more about my kid getting a deer than me so Im sure having both your sons be successful tops your list of coolest things ever.

[jagermiester]

Nice write up...they grow up so fast..my focus is more about my kid getting a deer than me so Im sure having both your sons be successful tops your list of coolest things ever.

Honestly this is Rocky's 5th big game animal and my younger sons 2nd. I don't even know why I buy myself a tag anymore. I did end up killing a buck this year on the last day of the season I was with the younger boy and he talked me into it. He was my mule. He packed both hind quarters, both backstraps and both tenderloins (2 miles). The memories we are making right now are for sure the best hunting memories of my life.

[Eric M]

This is great. Way to raise those boys!

[DeerThug]

Excellent! 

[Birdguy]

They do grow up so fast!!!! But man is it bittersweet to watch them become young men and women!!! I am in the camp of why buy a tag....POINTS! I will draw my late buck and quality buck with my son in the coming years! Hope to shoot one whitetail and one mule deer for the wall (even if just the barn) on a hunt with my son and then I will likely be done with big game in this state.


Great post, congrats to ALL of you on some great deer and FANTASTIC memories!!!!

[hunting4sanity]

Congratulations to you and your sons! I hate to tell you, but time is just going to keep going by faster and faster. My kids are all married and on their own now, but getting to hunt with them is still the highlight of the year for me.

[Blacklab]

That’s the good stuff. Congrats to all 👍

[elkrack]

Congrats to you and sons! Doesn’t get much better

[Wunderlich33]

Great story and memories

[pianoman9701]

Very well told, Jaeger. Nice story.