I decided this year would be the first time I'd take my 5 year old daughter deer hunting with me. I convinced her mom to go, too. I wasn't sure what to expect out of them, so I tried to make it as easy as possible. The weather couldn't have been better for the two of them, either.
We got out of the truck at shooting light and hiked down into a small canyon to a rock where we'd have a good vantage point to watch a lot of country. After about a half hour, my daughter was antsy to hike to a different spot and see something else. So, we made our way down the ridge and around the bend of the canyon to look over a some different hillsides. Nothing moving there, either. I asked her where we ought to go and she said back up the canyon along the same ridge, so off we went.
After we hiked for a few minutes, I spotted a few deer just out of the trees. My daughter couldn't see them, but she was excited that we were "finally" seeing some deer. I couldn't put horns on any of them, but I was sure there were a few more down in the trees a little just out of sight. I ranged them at 650 yards, so we decided to close the gap. Just as we started walking again, a doe and a fawn walked out of the bottom of the canyon just across from us, only about 100 yards way. My daughter was able to spot them, and any complaining that had gone on quickly stopped and she was excited. We watched them for a few minutes, and they made their way to the herd we were watching. I worried they'd be too alert to us after that, and we wouldn't get a better look. But, we decided to keep after it anyway.
Right about then, some other hunters pulled up in their trucks several hundred yards above the deer. Ugh. They couldn't see the deer, and weren't too worried about seeing any, as they commenced to yell and laugh back and forth. The deer perked up and started to get restless from all the noise above them. We made our way closer, and set up to get a better look, hoping the deer wouldn't bust out of there. The guys in the trucks must have seen something somewhere else, because they jumped back in and took off back up the ridge. The deer decided they'd had enough and took off to the bottom of the canyon and into the trees. We saw glimpses of them here and there, but I thought for sure they were gone.
But, we lucked out and they came out on the ridge closer to us. My suspicions were right and there were more deer than we could see originally. They stopped for a while, so I decided to get the spotting scope set up for my daughter to have a better look. My wife kept glassing and was eventually able to spot the one little buck among the 20+ does and fawns. I had explained to my before the hunt that we try to shoot "daddy" deer, not younger bucks. She understood, and was fine with that. So, I explained again that the buck we could see was just a "brother" and not a "daddy," but if she really wanted, we would try to shoot him. She was all for it, so we decided to move in for a shot.
The deer were scattered along the ridge, some about 450 yards away, and some as close as 300. We started sneaking in and made our way to about 150 yards, but as we moved, the guys in the trucks had come back and were making noise again. I am not sure if they could see all the deer from their vantage point or not, but the deer weren't sticking around. The buck and two does were moving back down into the trees, and the rest of them took off up the ridge and eventually out of sight. I was confident they didn't know we were there, so we kept sneaking in.
We got to a spot with a good shooting lane and I found a rock for a rest. Sure enough, the deer made their way below us and presented a shot. I touched one off and he just stood there. Surely I didn't miss!? So, I bolted another round as he took a few steps. As he stepped out from behind another tree, I let him have it again. This time he tipped over and was done.
I worried my daughter would have a hard time watching him die, or when we went to dress him out, but she was beyond excited and didn't bat an eye at the blood or that we had actually killed Bambi.
After all that story (sorry, I rambled) the picture says it all! Just a little forked horn, but great memories with my wife and daughter!
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos2/8749image.jpeg
We got out of the truck at shooting light and hiked down into a small canyon to a rock where we'd have a good vantage point to watch a lot of country. After about a half hour, my daughter was antsy to hike to a different spot and see something else. So, we made our way down the ridge and around the bend of the canyon to look over a some different hillsides. Nothing moving there, either. I asked her where we ought to go and she said back up the canyon along the same ridge, so off we went.
After we hiked for a few minutes, I spotted a few deer just out of the trees. My daughter couldn't see them, but she was excited that we were "finally" seeing some deer. I couldn't put horns on any of them, but I was sure there were a few more down in the trees a little just out of sight. I ranged them at 650 yards, so we decided to close the gap. Just as we started walking again, a doe and a fawn walked out of the bottom of the canyon just across from us, only about 100 yards way. My daughter was able to spot them, and any complaining that had gone on quickly stopped and she was excited. We watched them for a few minutes, and they made their way to the herd we were watching. I worried they'd be too alert to us after that, and we wouldn't get a better look. But, we decided to keep after it anyway.
Right about then, some other hunters pulled up in their trucks several hundred yards above the deer. Ugh. They couldn't see the deer, and weren't too worried about seeing any, as they commenced to yell and laugh back and forth. The deer perked up and started to get restless from all the noise above them. We made our way closer, and set up to get a better look, hoping the deer wouldn't bust out of there. The guys in the trucks must have seen something somewhere else, because they jumped back in and took off back up the ridge. The deer decided they'd had enough and took off to the bottom of the canyon and into the trees. We saw glimpses of them here and there, but I thought for sure they were gone.
But, we lucked out and they came out on the ridge closer to us. My suspicions were right and there were more deer than we could see originally. They stopped for a while, so I decided to get the spotting scope set up for my daughter to have a better look. My wife kept glassing and was eventually able to spot the one little buck among the 20+ does and fawns. I had explained to my before the hunt that we try to shoot "daddy" deer, not younger bucks. She understood, and was fine with that. So, I explained again that the buck we could see was just a "brother" and not a "daddy," but if she really wanted, we would try to shoot him. She was all for it, so we decided to move in for a shot.
The deer were scattered along the ridge, some about 450 yards away, and some as close as 300. We started sneaking in and made our way to about 150 yards, but as we moved, the guys in the trucks had come back and were making noise again. I am not sure if they could see all the deer from their vantage point or not, but the deer weren't sticking around. The buck and two does were moving back down into the trees, and the rest of them took off up the ridge and eventually out of sight. I was confident they didn't know we were there, so we kept sneaking in.
We got to a spot with a good shooting lane and I found a rock for a rest. Sure enough, the deer made their way below us and presented a shot. I touched one off and he just stood there. Surely I didn't miss!? So, I bolted another round as he took a few steps. As he stepped out from behind another tree, I let him have it again. This time he tipped over and was done.
I worried my daughter would have a hard time watching him die, or when we went to dress him out, but she was beyond excited and didn't bat an eye at the blood or that we had actually killed Bambi.
After all that story (sorry, I rambled) the picture says it all! Just a little forked horn, but great memories with my wife and daughter!
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos2/8749image.jpeg
