My Little Boy And His First Big Game Animal

[highside74]

My 11 year old was able to put it all together tonight and harvest this dandy 5 point on a friends property. We were there this morning and weren't able to get on him before we were already late for school. So we backed out and came back just before 4pm. We worked through the area that we left him after his last bugle in the morning. Tonight we got the wind in our favor after hearing a faint bugle from the same area. As we worked through the open reprod choked with pockets of scotch broom and sticker bushes we heard cows mewing to our right and out about 60 to 80 yards. Thinking the whole herd was over there, we picked our way left and forward keeping the wind in our favor. Unfortunately the herd was actually moving from left to right slightly spread out and there were 2  cows that saw us at about 40 yards. I reached back and grabbed my Sons hand to hold him still as the stare down started. It lasted about a minute or so until they got nervous and ran to the right with a branched bull and spike right behind them. The herd ran out aways where we could not see them and we sat still for about five minutes until the bull started barking at us. I knew he never saw us when the cows ran so he was just trying to figure out what was going on. I gave him a few cow calls and we backed out the way we came and moved to the right and up the gravel road to see if we might be able to cut them off. The sun went down enough the the wind switched directions and allowed us to completely work around the backside of the 80 acre chunk of the approximately 200 acre piece of property. At this point we had a slight idea where they might be so we worked in on a nice game trail and we shortly heard some sticks and a few chirps to our right. Not where I thought they would be but very close. Less than 60 on the other side of the brush and 20 foot tall reprod. We discussed what we should do and my son said we should move up the trail to our left to the edge of the fir tree clump and stop there to see if we could get eyes on them. I thought that was a great idea and I told him he should lead. As we moved to the edge of the clump of trees and looked to the right he saw 2 cows. We slowly scanned the area to find the other elk but they were hidden from view. The cows saw us and started to spook taking the herd with them from right to left moving away. We got a good look at the bull and I told my boy to hurry up the trail to try and get a shot at the next opening. With cat like reflexes he moved through and up the trail quickly flanking the herd as they came to a stop in a good opening less than 100 yards away. I pointed out the bull and he said he had him in his scope. The cows were stirring and I told him he wasn't going to have much time as the cows cleared from behind him I told him to shoot if he had a shot. The 7mm08 with 140 grain Barnes TTSX barked and the cows scattered I didn't see the bull go down and my son says he folded him. I said are you sure? He said yes he went down so we moved closer and sure enough we could see his rack moving as he was expiring I asked my son if he wanted to back out and let him expire or get closer and shoot him again. He chose to shoot him again to make it a quick death. We were ecstatic. My little boy said dad can I scream? I said of course and he let out a big woohoo. After poking him to make sure he was expired he put his hands on his first big game animal. A beautiful 5x5 with a devil time on his right side. We sent pictures to mom and uncle and other friends and family. He was over come with so much happy emotion and excitement at what he had just accomplished that he knelt behind the bull and started to cry. I could not have been more proud of him in that moment. I didn't say a word I just let him feel all his feelings but I did snap a couple pics that I think will be my favorite for the rest of my life. Tears of joy streaming down his face kneeling behind the bull just soaking in his amazing hunt. He called his uncle and could barely talk through his tears it was almost uncontrollable. He called his mom and she thought he was sad and mom was very confused. I had to tell her it was all from happy emotions not sad ones. After some friends showed we snapped some father son picks and got to work with the processing. We were home around 10pm and we are still on cloud 9.

[Dan-o]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!

[b23]

Best write up I've read in some time, congrats!!! 

[HntnFsh]

That is beyond awesome! I can see why those pics will keep the memories fresh forever! Congratulations to your son!

[Watimberghost]

This is just too cool! Congrats to your son and to you pops! That's a great experience and a moment that will last a lifetime!

[opdinkslayer]

  congrats to the young man & dad for having that experience that established you a lifelong hunting partner!

[257wbymagkiller]

Congratulations to him on taking an awesome bull!!!!!

[Okanagan]

Powerful story, best read in ages.  Congratulations!

[SniperDanWA]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!

 :yeah:Awesome to the nth degree!  Congratulations!

[grundy53]

That is great! Congratulations!

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[TheStovePipeKid]

It's great to see we have a fresh crop of new hunters carrying on the tradition of hunting. Thanks for letting us tag along.

[TVHunts]

Awesome!  Congrats to the both of you!

[Harbor_hunter]

That is super cool, nice bull!

[Blacktail Sniper]

Congratulations to the hunter!  Great job as back-up as well, DAD!!

[Turner89]

That was very cool.