CTM1 12-22-2015 09:44 PM
The highlight of the season for me was taking my sister's boy on his first hunting trip. I drove 3-1/2 hours down to Long Island to pick him up and then turned around for another 3-1/2 hour trip home. Hopefully he will remember his favorite Uncle and take me hunting when I am old.
5am kid time to wake
Although he was excited he was camera shy.
He got a kick out of this one and called himself "Ghost Boy"
I elected for a little ground blind in the am as I did not want him climbing up into a two man ladder stand in the dark.
He got to see a small doe during the am sit. It started to rain a little heavier as the morning progressed and he was getting cold so we called it a morning. I realized later that I had forgotten to put a coat on the kid. I'm a bad Uncle!
We set up in ladder stand for the afternoon hunt and I strapped him in. I went over all of the safety rules, and told him while on stand not to figet, to be very quiet, and most of all not to make any sudden movements. Well after a couple of hours we had two does come out. I was not going to harvest any does off this property, but given I had been seeing as many as thirteen at a time I figured one would be ok. Besides I figured it would really make a good first time hunting experience for him if we took one.
So I quietly asked him if he wanted me to take one, and he said yes. As I was scoping the deer I told him to cover his ears. Well he started moving around, and then said very loudly "wait". Well the deer took off and as I turned to look at him his little white hands were over his ears. Apparently he thought he needed to take his gloves off to cover his ears. Nothing like waving two white hands around to let the deer know exactly where you are. He was very dissapointed in himself, but I told him it was probably the best lesson he could have learned.
He can't wait to tag along again. NYS requires a young hunter to be twelve for bow. When I asked him what he wanted for Christmas he said to be twelve. When I asked why, he responded by saying so I can go hunting silly.
If can keep his Mom from brain washing him into thinking hunting is bad he might become one. When she asked him why does he want to hunt, he responded to keep the population in check, that he likes venison, knows where it comes from and how it is prepared, and to have fun with Uncle Craig and the guys. He then turned to her and said "Mom do you know where the steak you like comes from". That shut her down quick.
A little hunter in the making!
