E
Elwood
Guest
My two sons who are 13&14 were fortunate to be drawn for the 12A antlerless youth hunt. They had put in for this hunt three times before and were skunked so we were happy to be drawn. We went up to scout on the ninth of October and we were pleased to see many deer but, their hunt was a month later and the deer had migrated. I had sent a PM to AZbowhntr and received invaluable information on where the deer are congregated.
THANK YOU AZbowhntr!
The boy's hunt started on the 10th so we traveled up to the Kiabab on the ninth. The Kiabab is 520 miles from our home. We live in Southern Arizona.
We saw lots of deer. My 14 year old was using a 270 win and my 13 year old was using a contender carbine in 7-30 Waters. We did a lot of glassing and plenty of stalking and a little missing before my eldest connected on a nice sized doe on Sunday morning.
During our Saturday afternoon hunt we had trecked farther south and my eldest had stalked a herd of deer unsucessfully. He wanted to go back on Sunday, so come the crack of dawn we were stillhunting up a woodcutting road in a burn. The oak sappling thicket on our left exploded with maybe 25 deer jumping out of thier beds and trotting out. Three does headed up the mountain so we followed. By the time we got up the ridge these deer were gone but we glassed the valley and immediatly spotted about ten deer. We cautiously moved down the ridge into some dead trees that the boys could use as rifle rests as well as cover. I wanted my eldest to shoot but he had become cautious. I had buckfever so bad at times I couldn't keep the deer in my binoculars. After a half hour of watching the deer we had all calmed down and he shot. With so many deer it is hard to keep track of one. After waiting twenty minutes we went in search of the doe. We walked right up to her as we rounded a bend. She ran before they could shoot. We waited another hour before tracking her again. We found very little blood but eventually found her. I had two very happy boys.
That evening we were heading back to the same general area when deer crossed the road 75 yards in front of us. I pulled over and my 13 year old got out. The deer were meandering through the trees as he squatted and shot. It was a classical behind the shoulder shot and the deer never went 15 yards. She wasnt very big but it was his first deer and he couldnt be happier if it was a trophy buck.
We deboned the deer and broke camp on Monday went to Fredonia to have a tire repaired and headed home. We arived home 1:30 on Tuesday morning tired and satisfied. I told the boys that we would hunt there again but not next year as it is so far away. I call the boys "the lady killers" now.
Elwood
THANK YOU AZbowhntr!
The boy's hunt started on the 10th so we traveled up to the Kiabab on the ninth. The Kiabab is 520 miles from our home. We live in Southern Arizona.
We saw lots of deer. My 14 year old was using a 270 win and my 13 year old was using a contender carbine in 7-30 Waters. We did a lot of glassing and plenty of stalking and a little missing before my eldest connected on a nice sized doe on Sunday morning.
During our Saturday afternoon hunt we had trecked farther south and my eldest had stalked a herd of deer unsucessfully. He wanted to go back on Sunday, so come the crack of dawn we were stillhunting up a woodcutting road in a burn. The oak sappling thicket on our left exploded with maybe 25 deer jumping out of thier beds and trotting out. Three does headed up the mountain so we followed. By the time we got up the ridge these deer were gone but we glassed the valley and immediatly spotted about ten deer. We cautiously moved down the ridge into some dead trees that the boys could use as rifle rests as well as cover. I wanted my eldest to shoot but he had become cautious. I had buckfever so bad at times I couldn't keep the deer in my binoculars. After a half hour of watching the deer we had all calmed down and he shot. With so many deer it is hard to keep track of one. After waiting twenty minutes we went in search of the doe. We walked right up to her as we rounded a bend. She ran before they could shoot. We waited another hour before tracking her again. We found very little blood but eventually found her. I had two very happy boys.
That evening we were heading back to the same general area when deer crossed the road 75 yards in front of us. I pulled over and my 13 year old got out. The deer were meandering through the trees as he squatted and shot. It was a classical behind the shoulder shot and the deer never went 15 yards. She wasnt very big but it was his first deer and he couldnt be happier if it was a trophy buck.
We deboned the deer and broke camp on Monday went to Fredonia to have a tire repaired and headed home. We arived home 1:30 on Tuesday morning tired and satisfied. I told the boys that we would hunt there again but not next year as it is so far away. I call the boys "the lady killers" now.
Elwood