My dad and I were taking the 8 year old and 6 year old out for whitetail and mule deer. We had the truck loaded and the boys dressed at 0'dark-thirty and were about to put them in the truck to go to the farm we usually hunt on. We thought there was a better chance of success there because the shots are usually closer and it has both whitetail and mulies.
However, both boys decided they didn't want to go. They wanted to stay at the house. We decided to unload the truck and just use the farm house as a blind. There aren't any whitetails but mule deer have been tearing up the trees in the front yard by rubbing so why not?
I opened the door to go out and start unloading and there was a nice mule deer buck in the driveway not 50 feet from the door and I could see him in the light from the security light as well as the moon. He jumped and ran to the shadows in the field. I unloaded the truck and then went and opened the front door so we could look out through the storm door. You guessed it - a nice buck about 50 feet from the front door. He was eating some weeds in the front yard and rubbing on a small pine tree. After about 20 minutes of this he jumped out into the field and we lost sight of him in the dark.
When it first started to get light I took the 6 year old to a blind we have set up near the front yard while my dad kept the 8 year old in the house looking out the windows.
A front had come through and it was fairly cold and windy. A little while after it was light enough to hunt I saw the buck in the field about 100 yards behind the house. I watched him for maybe 20 minutes through binos. He would wander around eating a few weeds here and a few cotton bowls there until he finally jumped up into the pasture and wandered around a little and finally bedded down maybe 200 yards from the blind with a mesquite tree in between us and another just behind him.
Mr. 6 year old was about frozen and wanted to go back to the house so I got him started that way and watched the buck. He never just watched my son but never got up, so I followed my son to the house.
At the house I told about the buck and my 8 year old was ready to go. We walked out the back down the turn row until we were about even with where I thought the buck was bedded down. We started walking through the high grass and weeds with the big boy never complaining or making a sound. I kept looking for the buck through binos but couldn't find him. Due to the difference in points of view I wasn't sure exactly which tree he was bedded down next to so I made for the general area.
We came around a big mesquite and there was the buck. He was standing up looking at us about 10 yards from the fence that marks the property line. Not alarmed at all. I don't think he could see us until we came out from behind the mesquite because of the terraces. At any rate I knelt down and put my elbow on my knee and my palm up so my son could rest his rifle over my palm. Picture the classic kneeling rifle position except one person is making the rest and the other controlling the rifle.
My son was cold and a little out of breath (so was I) but he was a trooper. He told me he couldn't get the crosshairs centered in the scope. I told him he had to get it right but he better not wait too long. Unlike many people that might hurry and mess things up he he took his time as fast as he could and got it right.
The buck was at about a 45 degree angle with his front shoulder towards us. At the shot the deer flinched and went down. Then he staggered up and started hobbling towards that fence. I took the rifle and put another round into his chest. I didn't think he could go far but I didn't want him 50 yards on the wrong side of the fence. At that shot he went down hard and didn't move.
We walked up to the buck to check him out. I handed the rifle to my son and made a very big mistake. I could see the deer was on his side with his eyes open and I couldn't see or hear him breathing so I thought he had expired and I grabbed his antlers and lifted his head.
At this point he became somewhat upset, tossing his head around and trying to get up. Needless to say I let go of the antlers and gave him a little room. Fortunately for all of the people involved he hooked his antlers in the fence and couldn't get his head up which gave me time to get the rifle back from my son and put one last round through his spine from behind.
After my heart rate returned to normal I gave the rifle back to my boy and saw about getting the antlers loose from the fence.
My son made a comment about him only wounding the deer and me killing it. I made it clear to him that his shot and killed the deer but the deer, never having been dead before, just hadn't realized he was supposed to fall over and I didn't want the deer to get off our property. I told him that if the buck had turned away from the fence instead of towards it I never would have fired a shot. He was satisfied with that explanation.
Quite an adventure for an eight year old, getting to stalk up on a mule deer and take him.
Now, what you've all been waiting for.
Here he is with the buck.
Now the boy, the buck, and the rifle. The fence posts visible above both of the boys shoulders are where the deer was hung up. We pulled him back from the fence to make better pictures.
Here they are in the front yard after I gutted the deer. The pine tree behind the big boy is the one the deer was rubbing earlier in the morning.
Here he is again in the front yard with his rifle.
Here are the two boys with the deer.
This is a shot off the front doorstep. My dad is standing where the deer was rubbing on the tree.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
However, both boys decided they didn't want to go. They wanted to stay at the house. We decided to unload the truck and just use the farm house as a blind. There aren't any whitetails but mule deer have been tearing up the trees in the front yard by rubbing so why not?
I opened the door to go out and start unloading and there was a nice mule deer buck in the driveway not 50 feet from the door and I could see him in the light from the security light as well as the moon. He jumped and ran to the shadows in the field. I unloaded the truck and then went and opened the front door so we could look out through the storm door. You guessed it - a nice buck about 50 feet from the front door. He was eating some weeds in the front yard and rubbing on a small pine tree. After about 20 minutes of this he jumped out into the field and we lost sight of him in the dark.
When it first started to get light I took the 6 year old to a blind we have set up near the front yard while my dad kept the 8 year old in the house looking out the windows.
A front had come through and it was fairly cold and windy. A little while after it was light enough to hunt I saw the buck in the field about 100 yards behind the house. I watched him for maybe 20 minutes through binos. He would wander around eating a few weeds here and a few cotton bowls there until he finally jumped up into the pasture and wandered around a little and finally bedded down maybe 200 yards from the blind with a mesquite tree in between us and another just behind him.
Mr. 6 year old was about frozen and wanted to go back to the house so I got him started that way and watched the buck. He never just watched my son but never got up, so I followed my son to the house.
At the house I told about the buck and my 8 year old was ready to go. We walked out the back down the turn row until we were about even with where I thought the buck was bedded down. We started walking through the high grass and weeds with the big boy never complaining or making a sound. I kept looking for the buck through binos but couldn't find him. Due to the difference in points of view I wasn't sure exactly which tree he was bedded down next to so I made for the general area.
We came around a big mesquite and there was the buck. He was standing up looking at us about 10 yards from the fence that marks the property line. Not alarmed at all. I don't think he could see us until we came out from behind the mesquite because of the terraces. At any rate I knelt down and put my elbow on my knee and my palm up so my son could rest his rifle over my palm. Picture the classic kneeling rifle position except one person is making the rest and the other controlling the rifle.
My son was cold and a little out of breath (so was I) but he was a trooper. He told me he couldn't get the crosshairs centered in the scope. I told him he had to get it right but he better not wait too long. Unlike many people that might hurry and mess things up he he took his time as fast as he could and got it right.
The buck was at about a 45 degree angle with his front shoulder towards us. At the shot the deer flinched and went down. Then he staggered up and started hobbling towards that fence. I took the rifle and put another round into his chest. I didn't think he could go far but I didn't want him 50 yards on the wrong side of the fence. At that shot he went down hard and didn't move.
We walked up to the buck to check him out. I handed the rifle to my son and made a very big mistake. I could see the deer was on his side with his eyes open and I couldn't see or hear him breathing so I thought he had expired and I grabbed his antlers and lifted his head.
At this point he became somewhat upset, tossing his head around and trying to get up. Needless to say I let go of the antlers and gave him a little room. Fortunately for all of the people involved he hooked his antlers in the fence and couldn't get his head up which gave me time to get the rifle back from my son and put one last round through his spine from behind.
After my heart rate returned to normal I gave the rifle back to my boy and saw about getting the antlers loose from the fence.
My son made a comment about him only wounding the deer and me killing it. I made it clear to him that his shot and killed the deer but the deer, never having been dead before, just hadn't realized he was supposed to fall over and I didn't want the deer to get off our property. I told him that if the buck had turned away from the fence instead of towards it I never would have fired a shot. He was satisfied with that explanation.
Quite an adventure for an eight year old, getting to stalk up on a mule deer and take him.
Now, what you've all been waiting for.
Here he is with the buck.
Now the boy, the buck, and the rifle. The fence posts visible above both of the boys shoulders are where the deer was hung up. We pulled him back from the fence to make better pictures.
Here they are in the front yard after I gutted the deer. The pine tree behind the big boy is the one the deer was rubbing earlier in the morning.
Here he is again in the front yard with his rifle.
Here are the two boys with the deer.
This is a shot off the front doorstep. My dad is standing where the deer was rubbing on the tree.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
