IA Born Report post Posted February 1, 2016 Saturday will go down as one of my most favorite days of dad-ness ever! My 11-year old daughter,Sydney, and I got up early to get ready for her youth pheasant hunt down at the High Desert Hunt Club. This is the youth hunt sponsored by AGFD for hunter ed students that are selected from their instructors and entered into a pool. The year Syd took the class, she was actually nominated (I wasn't her instructor), but not selected. Last March, during the live auction at our NWTF banquet up here, I bought her one of the slots that our NTWF State Chapter buys every year. We spent the night in a quaint little motel in Cordes Jct and arrived at the club at 0530. After the briefing and safety part, she received some excellent coaching at the trap range. She walked up there so confidently and the instructor told her she had great form. Of course, she didn't give me any credit for prior coaching! After some great pointers, she started busting clays consistently, turning heads up and down the range! As we were getting lined up and ready to be taken to our respective hunting fields, we had a chance to crank the radio and jam out to Elton John and Kiki Dee followed by Culture Club (Karma Chameleon). Don't judge, she absolutely loves 80s music, it was her hunt, and we had folks in other vehicles laughing. Then I got to watch my daughter work hard and harvest her first rooster pheasant! Watching from the edge of the field, I was so excited that I jumped so hard with my hands in the air, forgetting I had my binoculars around my neck and got smacked in the face (worth it). Seeing fist pumps and high fives from 100 yards away was awesome! We pulled over on the way back to the club to take another picture because she wanted her shotgun with her in a picture. As we were driving back again, another great Elton John song came on and we were jamming again. After lunch and regrouping at the hunt club, we took off for Tempe to catch up with her team (already chalked up a morning victory) for a 4:30 game. Syd slept the entire drive, waking up rejuvenated. She didn't have a ton of pressure at the net, but still kept a clean sheet when she was in there. She got some field time and had a beautiful assist on another girl's goal. The team walked away with a 2-1 victory! A little Jamba Juice supper made the drive home in the dark even better. It didn't take too long for her to crash on the drive home. During lunch today or sometime tomorrow, we get to take her pheasant to the taxidermist to get ready to take its place on the wall next to my first bird! Discussions these last two days have revolved around more bird hunting, getting a bird dog, and getting more pheasants! If you ever have the chance to take your kids on this hunt, I highly recommend it! Busting Clays Before the Hunt. Eager Anticipation Jamming Out Pre-Hunt Interview with Her Mentor Working the Birds (Syd on Far Right) Dog On Point Success With her Mentor, Dog Handler, and Dog Back at the Truck Heading to Tempe for Soccer Victory Stop at Jamba Juice 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azruger Report post Posted February 1, 2016 Awesome awesome awesome. Nothing beats hunting with the kids 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted February 1, 2016 Love it! Great job Dad for getting you Daughter out of the house and Congrats to Sydney on another great adventure with her dad!!!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim Report post Posted February 1, 2016 Awesome story nothing beats the juniors getting it done. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoghntr Report post Posted February 2, 2016 Very nice! Now she has shot as many pheasants as i. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted February 2, 2016 Very cool! Gotta love moments like that as they just can't be replaced! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
