2 for 4 so far!

[BML]

It was a tough hunt this year with the weather, but we managed to find a few deer. My hunt was a bit of a mixed emotion hunt. I took my 4 year old daughter on her first hunt and really didn't know what to expect, other than to not get much hunting in! Even still, I knew the experience would be an awesome one. My daughter goes with me on all my scouting trips so I knew it was time for her first hunt. We also had JT, great young man in camp for his very first deer hunt. His parents are very good friends of mine and I promised him and his dad last year that I would take him on his first deer hunt if he put in for the tag. I was a little worried that I had my daughter in camp and wouldn't be able to really show him a good hunting experience, but I also knew that my dad and brother would help as well. This kid is only 14 but he is well liked and well respected among my family.

 

Late morning of day one, my daughter and I rolled into camp. We unpacked some gear, jumped in the rhino and headed over to a nice canyon that I knew would just be a short hike to get to a good glassing spot. We glassed about 30 minutes or so before the "I'm bored", "I'm cold" and "Daddy I have to pee really bad!" started. :lol: I was able to get another 20 minutes out of her and started packing up. One last quick check revealed 2 does that appeared out of nowhere, as coues usually do. I unpacked the 15's and the tripod and set them up. I told my daughter Ryanne she better give it one more look in case a deer just woke up from it's nap. She looked up through the binos and snapped her head over to me and in her loudest "quiet voice" said "Daddy there's a deer!!!" "No way!" I whispered back to her. She looked again and said "There's two deer!!" What an incredible experience that was. I was the proudest man alive at that point!!

 

 

Shortly after that, it started to sprinkle on us so we hit the road. Unfortunately, we didn't make it far and the skies opened up. Even with the roof on the rhino, we were soaked and freezing by the time we made it back to camp. She never complained a bit the whole way, but she was unable to make it to the trailer where there toilet was! :lol: "Oh well" I told her. "At least you were warmer than I was on the way back to camp"!!

 

My dad and brother showed up after we did, and about an hour later JT's dad dropped him off at camp. We hung out for a couple hours until the rain broke and we were off again. My dad stayed in camp with Ryanne so my brother and I could take JT out. We went back to the same canyon Ryanne and I saw the does. We glassed for a few hours before decided to call in a night. Just as we stood up, a spike blew out of a little cheater canyon to our left. JT got set up but we couldn't get the buck to stop. Finally, he stopped but the angle wasn't good. JT let one go anyway, but it was a clean miss.

 

Day 2 was awesome. My dad headed out alone and my brother Charlie took JT with him. I waited for Ryanne to get up. We had breakfast and decided to jump in the truck and do some driving and glassing. A couple hours later, I was surprised to glass up my brother and JT a ways off. They must have seen me coming because both of them were waiving me over. I parked, grabbed Ryanne and we hiked all the way over to him. My brother said he had just shot a deer. He knocked it off his feet, but it still managed to get up and move to the other side of a big cedar. JT couldn't get a shot. He was bummed, but he knows that it just happens that way sometimes. So Ryanne and I set up the binos and watched them head over. Out of the blue another shot rings out and I hear my brother yell out that he's down. Yet another hike with Ryanne on my back and we were all there celebrating my brother's biggest coues to date.

 

My brother:

 

 

JT, Ryanne and me

 

 

 

Last night produced nothing but high winds and chapped lips! haha

 

This morning we had hope that we would get JT on a buck before we had to go home. My brother stayed in camp with Ryanne and my dad and I took JT to an area we had seen some smaller bucks in the past. As hunting goes, we never saw a deer. We headed back to camp, had breakfast and started packing up. My brother then said "We aren't done until JT get's his deer!" Charlie said he could stay through tomorrow to help him. A quick phone call to JT's dad to get the OK and then another phone call to JT's boss(yes the young man is already working) and with two "Go for it's" Charlie and JT left again. Unfortunately, my dad and I had to go home.

 

At around 3:00 my brother called to say that he had done it!! The wind was howling like crazy so my brother tried to find a good canyon with a thick brushy bottom. He found one and after an hour or so of glassing two little bucks came busting out of the bottom. They were winded!! My brother said it all happened so fast. He was able to get them to stop some how, said "250" to JT for the yardage and "BOOM". The buck went 10 yards and piled up!! It all came together and we all couldn't be happier. I am just bummed I couldn't be there.

 

JT

 

 

 

Thanks for reading my usual long winded story. Sorry about the pictures. They are all cell phone pics. I don't have any from the cameras yet.

[Redman]

Looks like a nice time!

[The Coues]

Congrats! looks like a great time!!

 

[thegunsmith2506]

Great story Blake! I love that pic of your daughter with the binos. Congrats to the lucky hunters!

 

 

[Red Rabbit]

Blake, I suppose that JT is ready to hunt with y'all again next year. Congrats to you all.

[bonecollector]

Congrats to all. Cool pic of your daughter glassing.

[TAM]

Sounds like the perfect hunt to me! JT's first buck, your brothers biggest buck, your daughter in her first deer camp, family and friends in camp. It just doesn't get any better than that!!!

 

 

[lucky2hunt]

Nice job! Way to go JT... way to stick with it! Nice shooting as well! Congrats to your brother! What a great weekend for the kids!!!

[BML]

Thanks for the comments! Almost made it 3 for 4 this evening, but it just didn't work out.