My sister and I hit the woods this AM. After a long night of rain and wind, and no sleep for me due to work, I was excited to get in the woods for her first hunt this year. We try to hunt together every year, but with work and kids, if we get one or two days in our schedules to coincide its a big deal.
So this morning with my bro in law pulling "daddy daycare", and me drinking several cups of coffee. We got into position well before first light. I was full of anticipation as we waited as the area hadnt been hunted hard, and with the night we had I was hoping the bucks would be on their feet. Sure enough, they were right on schedule. A spike and doe were up about 70 yards from us broadside. Altough she has very limited time to hunt she passed the buck without hesitation. " fork or better" she said. Well as luck would have it better was just up the drainage.
A nice buck was right on the edge of the crick bottom, I spotted him about 20 to 30 yards from the others hanging out in the brush " sis get ready theres a good buck" I say. " where" she says as she cant see him. The buck is motionless just his rack, black cap and white face showing. The buck was obviously either feeling rutty or felt secure in the fact he was hidden cuz he wasnt moving at all, even while im whispering and trying to point out landmarks.
I am starting to get antsy as my best descriptions are failing. I try setting the gun up for her the scope is covered in rain :bash:Finnally she is like " if you can see him shoot him".
Now I am soreley tempted this is a good buck with a nice frame and any other season I prolly would have killed this deer. But with the season just heating up and the multi tag in my pocket. Not quite the caliber of deer I am looking for. Also If I kill this deer we are done for the day. So I continue trying to get her locked onto it. Finally the deer moves and she sees him but has no good shot opportunity. While im beating myself up for not getting her on it,being a crap "guide" 100 scenarios of things I shoulda done different playing out in my head. She was like "cool we saw some".
Put me back in perspective.
After a quick relocate to another hidey hole, We covered some ground unable to locate anything. Just getting ready to pull the plug, I look down the logging road and here comes a buck walking up the clearcut. We set up quickly but with only his head and neck showing she wasnt comfortable taking the shot offhand. So with some minor repostioning she got a kneeling shot and one shot to the neck and her season was over!
She was PUMPED! It has been several years since she has taken a buck and she has killed bigger. But todays hunt to me was about as good as it gets and being part of it was awesome! Congrats Sis!
