I have talked to my son since he was 1 about going hunting with me. Since he was born, I haven't done much hunting because of kids sports, work, and just not enough time. I hunted all the time before my kiddos came along, but that was fine with me. I'm patient, and plus, kids are worth it.
My father in law is a big hunter and we have talked about going for a couple years and taking my son for his first hunt. Finally, this year was the year!! My son took his hunter safety classes and got his card and I took him out shooting as much as I could. Not enough by my standards though, but its just tough finding time, and a good spot to practice.
I wasn't sure if my son could pull the trigger when it came time. If he couldn't, that would be ok with me. I would never force him into doing anything he wasn't comfortable with and I made sure to let him know that I wouldn't be disappointed with him if he couldn't do it. Well, opening day came and went. I was a little discouraged to see so much orange and not enough deer. The second day came and as we were hiking to our spot, we herd some rattling in the trees, in the canyon across from us. We started our stalk and pretty soon a 2 point came out of the trees.....then HE came out.
My jaw dropped and 14 years of buck fever kicked in. My father in law ranged him at 200 yards and we both dropped and got him in our sights. My son was a little hesitant, because of the range, and couldn't get set in time....so I popped him before he disappeared into the trees. He walked about 20 yards and was still standing, so I hit him again. Game over. As soon as I realized we had him, I felt horrible. This was my son's first trip, and I shoot the first deer.
My son and father in law were very happy and kept telling me that it was the right thing to do. So, I just hoped and prayed that my son would get one by the time we had to leave. We had 7 more days. Day 3, nothing. Day 4, a really nice 4 point (probably bigger than mine) hopped over a ridge before my son could pull the trigger. Day 5, a really nice 3 point with huge mass was 75 yards from us. My son had him in the crosshairs but was shaking so bad from buck fever, he just couldn't get the shot off in time.
So we go back to the cabin to take a break. My father in law calls me and tells me that there's a really nice 3 point on the property and to hurry back! We get there and he shows us the buck. He's a good 3 point with eye guards and he's injured. His back leg was in bad shape (from a bad shot or a car, we just don't know) and he wasn't going anywhere. We got into position and my son put him out of his misery. It was perfect for his first deer!!
I'm so proud of my boy and he, and I, cant wait till next year!! My buck has almost 7 inches of mass at the base, 7 points on one side and 5 on the other. He was about 250lbs! A big thanks to my father in law, who really worked hard to make this trip perfect! And thanks to our family friends for letting us hunt their property!!
