Got back from the 22/23 youth deer camp and I have to say I was very impressed with the camp!! Everyone from the AMDO, AZG&F, the mentors, and the camp cooks were awesome! This was my youngest son's first big game hunt and he drew unit 22. He wanted to go after Coues, but our plans changed after we got to camp and hooked up with another young hunter and a couple of mentors. So we headed off to a spot they heard about in mule deer country. Opening morning were glassed up some does and a spike that went over the ridge they were on, so we decided to make a big circle around to get a look on the other side. As we get to the top, to our surprise we jump the deer further up the ridgeline than we thought and the spike presented a shot but Kam was not ready and he ran off and we could not find em again.
That evening the other kid (Jacob) made a stalk and shot at a tall 2x2 but missed. Next morning we were glassing the opposite side of that same ridge when our mentor picked up two small bucks sparing up the same ridge from us 300 to 400 yards. Kam decides to go after them so we walk along the top to where we last saw them, but they are gone. So we drop down to get on the next one. Just has we start to crest the top, I tell Kam to get in front of me and get ready, I made that mistake a couple years ago. We get to the top and Kam shouts "dad" and buck pops out of the next little cut I saw it had antlers and said shoot him. Kam shoulder's the rifle and realizes the front scope flap is still down, he lowers it flip it open aimed, and just has the buck realized he needs to move Kam fires. I didn't hear the whack but I see hair fly and he kind of lunged forward. Efren our mentor buddy said you hit him. So we crept up and he was still alive but down, so Kam finished him off. What awesome thrill! Kam was pumped his first buck! We get down to him and realized it was the same buck his fellow hunter missed the day before! It was a standing 55-60 yard shot, I was proud that he kept his cool and did everything right.
Needless to say I was pumped for Kam taking his first game animal! Now he is 1 up on his brothers!
We couldn't do it would the awesome help of the camp mentors that came with us, they were awesome dudes and a huge help to not only us but other youth hunters, one of them help skin 4 deer back at camp! Huge Thanks to Efren and Gilbert