Your Kid's First Deer

[jbgood]

The thread from Fred S -- "1st Whitetail" -- got me to thinking about my daughter's experiences as she has grown from a young, first-time hunter to the (almost) accomplished deer slayer that she is now. That thread also reminded me that no matter how excited she was with her first buck and then her first really "good" buck -- her excitement and pride couldn't match what I felt for her! I never thought that the thrill that I personally experience from a successful hunt could be topped. Boy, was I wrong. It is such a thrill to see her enjoying the rewards of hunting.

How about the rest of you folks? What was it like for you to teach a young hunter about our sport and to then see that youngster's reaction to his/her first successful hunt? Was it worth it, or what?

As a side note -- Now, how do I convince her to field dress her own deer??!?

 

[Dave R]

Actually, my favorite hunting experience with my boy resulted in no kills. We were hunting Chukar (partiridge) with a friend. We saw 1 Chukar FEATHER during our 3-hour hunt.

But when we were done, my boy said something like "This is the most fun I've had all year. I love being out here." And I felt a great sense of kinship.

Now, if we'd actually had any luck...

 

[BadMedicine]

Now, how do I convince her to field dress her own deer??!?

You hand her the knife, and tell her you'll meet her at the truck, as a side note while you're walking away say "I've found they're lighter with the guts out."