Quest: Emma's first deer

[j-bird]

Well this weekend began the next chapter in the quest for Emma's first deer. Emma is my 13 (my youngest) and she wants a deer...bad! This started back when she was 10. I make all my kids wait until that age in order to take their Hunter's Education course. This course is required by the state in order to get a license if you are born after a certain date. I make them wait this long because I feel it is important that they can read and understand what they are reading and take the test and pass it ON THEIR OWN! I get real frustrated when I see parents in there with kids who can;t read yet essentially taking the test for them.....that serves no purpose in my opinion. So she has taken and passed that and started target shooting and tagging along with me on hunts. We started last year with shooting the "deer gun" and even hunting. And although we had some close calls it just never quite happened. So this year we begin anew!

Saturday & Sunday was the free youth deer hunting weekend here in Indiana. A youth of younger than 18 can hunt for free with a legal adult. The state does this typically the last full weekend of September. They can take either sex and use any weapon that is legal during any deer hunting season here in Indiana.

With that said she has been practicing with my scoped 30/30. She is still a little fearful of it even with ear muffs on. So I bought a recoil pad for it. Not so sure it will reduce the recoil as much as it is a confidence boost sort of thing. She likes it and does OK out to a distance of roughly 50 yards. She has been looking over my shoulder at trail cam pics as well....naming every buck. She has quite the imagination....as apparently some of our deer come from the other side of the tracks.....I don't ask, I'm afraid to know!!!

So we got all the gear out and got her ready and the like. We have 3 locations where we can hunt together from an elevated position and 2 of those are shooting houses. She loves on of them in particular and that was where she wanted to go.... I really didn't care. We went Saturday morning, Sunday morning and Sunday evening and we only saw 2 deer (which we bumped from the plot) Saturday morning. It was hot and it typically is, but we went all the same. I'll update as we hunt more, as she wants to try to x-bow now. Archery season here opens up statewide 10/1. I would suspect she won't actually hunt again until our firearms season in November, but we will see.

 

[OkieKubota]

It's a great feeling taking kids hunting. I have a feeling she is going to be bringing home some back strap soon! Do you ever take her squirrel hunting? It's a great confidence booster.

My grandson Eli will be in Florida at Disney during youth season this year so he will have to wait for general firearms season to hunt this year.

I noticed you mentioned parents helping kids with the test. When Eli took his he was 7 years old and they would not let any adults stay in the room with them. Only adults in there were the instructor and helper.

Having said that since then they are allowing youths to go online to test and an acquaintance of mine took the test for his 11 yr old son because he said he is too hyper to take it on his own...some people justify stuff...

 

[KDdid]

Having said that since then they are allowing youths to go online to test and an acquaintance of mine took the test for his 11 yr old son because he said he is too hyper to take it on his own...some people justify stuff...[/QUOTE]

That is a remarkable bit of self-delusion right there! How does he think that hyperactivity is going to work out in the woods?
I'm way onboard with starting them with small game, unfortunately kids take their cues from adults, and too few of us respect small game the way we should. It's a different world from when I came up, for sure.



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[j-bird]

It's a great feeling taking kids hunting. I have a feeling she is going to be bringing home some back strap soon! Do you ever take her squirrel hunting? It's a great confidence booster.

My grandson Eli will be in Florida at Disney during youth season this year so he will have to wait for general firearms season to hunt this year.

I noticed you mentioned parents helping kids with the test. When Eli took his he was 7 years old and they would not let any adults stay in the room with them. Only adults in there were the instructor and helper.

Having said that since then they are allowing youths to go online to test and an acquaintance of mine took the test for his 11 yr old son because he said he is too hyper to take it on his own...some people justify stuff...

We are planning some squirrel hunting in Oct - to do just that in booster her confidence in taking a shot.....I think we will use the 22 instead of the 30/30 however!

All of my kids have taken the test and every time I go with them and watch and EVERY time there is someone there with a kid that couldn't write their own name or recite their own address and dad is essentially taking the test for them. I will help my kids understand during the class time, but when it comes to the test - they are on their own. They can ask a "helper" if they need to. I feel I may be too biased and lead them to the right answer....and that isn't right or fair. This is the ONLY time I see where the state should define a minimum age requirement for hunting. If the kid can not read and understand what they are reading they can't read and understand the rules. Parents find all sorts of ways to justify this sort of activity and it really upsets me. Only thing the kid learns is how to cheat the system. I don't like the on-line systems either because of the cheating and the like. Nothing like starting a new hunter out like saying the rules don't matter!

 

[j-bird]

Having said that since then they are allowing youths to go online to test and an acquaintance of mine took the test for his 11 yr old son because he said he is too hyper to take it on his own...some people justify stuff...

That is a remarkable bit of self-delusion right there! Haw does he think that hyperactivity is going to work out in the woods?
I'm way onboard with starting them with small game, unfortunately kids take their cues from adults, and too few of us respect small game the way we should. It's a different world from when I came up, for sure.



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I fully agree - I just got typing my 2 cents worth in my response to Okie. Parents think they are "helping" their kids and really they are doing just the opposite in my opinion. Life is hard.....kids need to grow up understanding that and parents need to be parents even if it isn't fun/or easy. Sometimes teaching your kids how to work and deal with struggle and the like is the most difficult, but best things you can teach your kids. Handing them everything is the easy way out and they learn nothing in the process and then expect life to be that way....

 

[buckdeer1]

In Kansas when I teach a combo online and field day course the student has to study online then take a online test.This test if passed allows them to come to the class where first thing they take another test,if passed they stay for rest of class which includes several hours of lecture.Then we go to the field.I set up a turkey hunting station where they shoot out of a pop up or leaning against a tree after identifying legal target.They climb ladder stand with all safety items,shoot .22,BB guns and bows at targets all the while getting asked different questions about what they might do in a situation.Then they take another written test at the end.

 

[Fish]

Glad you got out jbird. We raised the white flag. 90 degrees is just too much. And we havent seen a deer on the home 10 property in over a month. But thats a different post.

 

[Cap'n]

Good luck j-bird hope she gets to enjoy that thrill soon. I know I'll never forget the first deer my daughter shot. Sounds like you are teaching her right too. This forum is proof that there are still plenty of Normal Americans out there doing things the right way.

 

[j-bird]

Well, I don't know about "normal" but it's what I believe in. I have taken 2 other kids (one of my own and another relative of the family) for their first deer and I remember those hunts far better than some of my own. That excitement they get and all the things that go with it just simply can not be replicated. I also think it's good for them to struggle a bit in the process as well. It's not supposed to be easy....makes it more rewarding as well. I wish the class they have here was more like what Buckdeer1 describes, but it's not. If you seem to be missing that spark while deer hunting....slow down, put your own agenda aside and take a kid. It's a great teaching tool for them and maybe you will get to see that sense of excitement that you may have been lacking. The kids just want to see deer. That little spike buck will be like king-kong to them.....sometimes we get too wrapped up in antler score and management practices and the like to remember how excited we once were simply to just see a deer.....

 

[Chainsaw]

Well, I don't know about "normal" but it's what I believe in. I have taken 2 other kids (one of my own and another relative of the family) for their first deer and I remember those hunts far better than some of my own. That excitement they get and all the things that go with it just simply can not be replicated. I also think it's good for them to struggle a bit in the process as well. It's not supposed to be easy....makes it more rewarding as well. I wish the class they have here was more like what Buckdeer1 describes, but it's not. If you seem to be missing that spark while deer hunting....slow down, put your own agenda aside and take a kid. It's a great teaching tool for them and maybe you will get to see that sense of excitement that you may have been lacking. The kids just want to see deer. That little spike buck will be like king-kong to them.....sometimes we get too wrapped up in antler score and management practices and the like to remember how excited we once were simply to just see a deer.....

It is another world today. I think back to the greatest of times;there were thirty-three guys in camp that year counting the tents in the yard. Nine deer were shot that week which far exceeded the norm. There was a lot of celebration.Lambs were as special as old does. Does were as celebrated as bucks and spikes were as celebrated as over 200 lbs dressed. Kids got turned around and had to be found in the darkness;adults got lost and showed up miles away at predictable spots;it was all okay. Doctors, lawyers,factory owners, laborers, and car washers all shared the same camp that week, drank out of the same bottle, did their share cooking and doing dishes and blew opportunities equally. We were all kids then and always, always, let everyone, especially kids and those over 60 or 70 be kids!

 

[j-bird]

I thought I would share an update. We have had some close calls, but nothing has been just so......until.......

I took off for the woods this evening and got settled in and I get a text.....from my youngest. "where you at?" She wanted to hunt.....this was right at 4 and it's dark by 6. I told her to get her stuff and to come to the stand. I was in 2-man and she knows where that is at, but took the long way to get there...."so she didn't get lost". She shows up like a little lost puppy so I get her situated. She was happy as a clam as they say and we chatted about the day and she was telling me how she had such a great day and the like. I figured her walking to the stand that late had essentially ruined the hunt....but, we make sacrifices for our kids....so I didn't say anything.

Totally unexpected 2 does come into the soybean food plot. Emma doesn't see them as there is a large tree branch in the way. I tell her one of them is a mature doe and if she wants it, it's hers for the taking. Keep in mind this would be her first deer......EVER!

Emma is nervous and decides she is going to shoot if the opportunity presents itself. The doe walks along the far edge of the food plot and simply won't stop. Emma is tracking the doe in the scope of the gun and I crank up the magnification. As the doe entered the corner of the clover plot I got tired of waiting. I whistled! BOOM! The doe mule kicks and bounds into the CRP weeds.....I here some limbs breaking and a crash. The fawn bounds away in another direction. It's 5:20....and Emma appears to have just shot her first deer! I tell her we have to wait. She negotiates waiting until 5:30 to get down. I tell her we will only look for blood. I take the lead with the gun in case the deer bolts.....even though I think it's done. I find deer hair and Emma finds blood. Time for another teaching moment....how to follow blood and not just where we think the deer went. At this point I don't hear or smell (thinking gut shot) the deer and the blood looks like lung hit. There is enough light that Emma finds blood on the grass and weeds so I let her take the lead. She does pretty good and I show her how to follow a deer's path to help find the next spot. We come to the edge of the woods and still no deer. The blood showed up well on the switchgrass which really helped. I again take the lead with the gun and Emma sees a big smear on a tree.....and just beyond that about 10 yards I see a white rear-end! I approached the deer to ensure it was done. I signaled to Emma that the deer was done and again teach her how we approach a downed deer and why. It's photo op time!!!!

Emma is on top of the world right now. The shot was about 75 yards and the 30/30 did the trick and took out both lungs. Location was a bit high and missed the heart and the deer only went less than 100 yards. live weight was 150 lbs.

Another memory that I will never forget.

 

[Chainsaw]

Congratulations to Emma. That is a fine looking doe.

 

[HB_Hunter]

Congrats to her and you! Enjoyed the story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Keithw247]

Congrats to you and Emma!! I'm looking forward to when I can share this experience with my daughter (currently 12).

 

[j-bird]

Well I am not sure how many of you out there are familiar with "The GAD-A-Bout" newspaper that covers outdoors topics that is distributed for free in Indiana and I think a few counties of bordering states, but..... I have been in touch with some of the folks involved with this publication and it sounds like they will be publishing a little story about Emma's deer in the February issue. Most of it will be re-hash from my posts here. As I understand it this will be the issue distributed at the Indy boat, sport and travel show as well as it's other typical locations, so if you get a copy of it keep an eye out and let me know what you think. I'm going to surprise Emma with a nice framed copy of the article. Emma is already talking about next year. I told her I was going to trade MY 30/30 in on a new 308 and she said that she didn't know I had a 30/30.....SHE has a 30/30, but she was unaware of one that was mine!

 

[j-bird]

The article came out.....

 

[Sampson]

Congrats to you both! Great memories and I am sure you will miss your old 30/30. I did the same with my dad’s old 243 that I killed my first deer with, it has its own special place in my gun safe and will never leave the family.


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