azffhunter Report post Posted August 28, 2012 So this story is about my sons first deer hunt last year. I read about the Jr. Camp sponsored by SCI and thought it would be a good experience for my son to be around other youth hunters so we gave it a shot. I have to say....what an AMAZING experience all around. The volunteers were incredible and camp was very well organized. Huge kudos to all who were involved in the great camp, and a HUGE THANKS for helping to provide an unforgettable first experience for my son. Well...to start things off, my son broke his foot about two weeks before his hunt while playing football. When we found out that is was indeed broken, my son teared up and looked at me asking "am I still going to able to go hunting"? dang near broke my heart...and as any father would I assured him that if I had to carry him, he was going hunting. The first day we glassed up several herds of does...but no bucks. Overall had a good day (at least we were seeing deer). The next day we were introduced to one of the volunteer guides, Joe, who said he knew of a few areas to try and joined our efforts that morning. Well, it was pretty windy which resulted in minimal deer movement. As the morning slipped away with little luck in finding deer, we decided to head back to camp for lunch. We thought we would just glass a few ridges on the way back...you know...just in case! Turns out, this was a GREAT idea! We no sooner set up our optics on a ridge when Joe said "freeze"! He had spotted a nice buck in a saddle at 500 yards. The winds were blowing hard, but that buck was just standing there...looking over the valley as if he was "on guard". So we decided to sit and watch him and just see where he is going to go. Well, 60 minutes later....there he stood. The only movement he made was the occasional lifting of one of his front legs. I can remember at one point thinking it was a decoy because he stood so still for so long. Finally I told Joe that my son and I would try and slowly put a stalk on this buck and see what happens. So, I took my son...leg cast and all and we slowly started to crawl through the cover to see if we could get close enough for a clean shot within my sons 300yd range. It took us about 40 minutes and we made it to exactly 300 yards...from this point forward there was no cover and any advancement would easily be seen by this "guardian". So I told my son, "well buddy...this is it. You're gonna have to shoot from here". So he settled in for the shot. The first shot of his .243 missed its mark. "put another one in pal" I whispered. The buck stood fast as if he didn't hear a thing. "Now just relax, breath, and just slowly squeeze the trigger" I told him. The second shot rang through the hills...miss! The buck was startled a little this time but he didn't know why. He trotted a few yards...stopped, looked around then started walking right towards us! My son says "can I shoot again"!?! "No" I whispered, "relax and take a deep breath. He's walking right towards us. Let's let him get closer...he's coming right to us!". So the buck walked down the ridge line and stopped at 250yds broadside. "Can I shoot can I shoot"!!!!! It was more that my son could take. "Be patient buddy, I know your excited....me too! But let's just see what he's gonna do but be ready". So the buck stood there for a good 15 minutes and finally I decided it was time. "Ok buddy...this is it. You're doing great, just take a deep breath and relax. Tell me when you have him in your sights. He's exactly 250 yards so aim a few inches high". "Ok dad...I got him" he said. "Alright buddy, whenever your ready go ahead and take the shot and put him down". The rifle bucked against his shoulder as the unmistakable sound of the rifle bounced around the hills. Everything seemed to be in slow motion for that instant. The bullet found its mark....PERFECT SHOT!!! He dropped the buck dead in its tracks!!! I was SO excited and proud. My son jumped on top of me yelling "I did it I did it"!!! I was overcome with emotion and could feel the tears of joy streaming down my cheeks. In that moment, I held my son tight and told him that I loved him and was so incredibly proud of him. Truly one of the best moments in my life that I will NEVER forget. Thank you to everyone at the SCI Jr. Camp 2011 that helped make this memory possible. My son drew the same tag again this year and we can't wait to be a part of camp again this year. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Great story and an awesome buck! Can't wait for this kind of experience with my son! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trophyhnter Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Great story. Thanks for sharing. That so awesome that your son wanted to hunt with a broken foot. Hes hooked for life! Good luck on his next hunt! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John O Report post Posted August 28, 2012 How cool is that!! Nothing like hunting with the kids. Way to go! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basser15 Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Great story. And now he has a buck bigger than his Dad's to go on the wall... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reganranch Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Congrats on your sons great buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted August 28, 2012 What a great first buck and even greater story. Congrats to both of you on a hunt that will never be forgotten. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stanley Report post Posted August 28, 2012 VERY, VERY, Awesome!!!! So happy for you and your son that you had an awesome hunt! I have joined that camp many times over the years, as an organizer (with the ADA), as a volunteer cook/cleaner/glasser, and as a father with kids hunting. Bobby, Gabe, Steve, etc. always run an awesome camp! Kudos to them for doing that, and kudos to you for spending precious time hunting with your son! Thanks for sharing the pic/story! S. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted August 28, 2012 That was a great writeup and picture. Congratulations to your son. What a dandy of a buck. Good luck on this years hunt. It's stories like this that puts a smile on my face and big thanks to SCI and their youth camps. Thanks for sharing. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ RANGER Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Awesome story and great buck. Thanks for sharing, congrats to you and your boy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted August 28, 2012 That SCI camp is a great one! Thanks for sharing your story, I loved it! Congratulations to you and your boy on a great father/son outing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
