TNRiverRat
Member
Took my little friend Dakota on his third juvi hunt Saturday. Lots of acorns this year, haven't seen much deer movement during the last three weeks of archery, wasn't too sure we would have any luck. On top of that, cold front came in Friday and the temps went from upper 80's to a high of 44 on Saturday. Winds out of the north at 15 mph made it a nasty hunt for the kid. We stayed the night at my cabin and got up early, cooked breakfast and headed out on foot to the ground blind I had set up Friday afternoon. Got to the ground blind about 30 minutes before day break and Dakota kept telling me he thought he saw deer running in the field...LoL it was pitch black outside...his imagination was running wide open. We sat in the blind from 6 am till 9:50 without seeing a thing...he decided we should take a break and go back to the cabin and get a snack and watch some TV...I told him we were hunting and couldn't shoot a deer back in the cabin. Hunt still on...LoL well at 10:00 straight up, I look up the field and saw a deer standing in the edge of the woods about 120 yards away. I give him a little nudge and whisper "Deer". He turns and picks it up about the time the deer steps out into the field. The deer turns broadside and the sun hits the antlers and Dakota says "Buck" and starts reaching for the rifle. I hand it to him and he gets a good rest on the blind window and picks him up in the scope. The buck is cross winding toward us so we just let him browse our way. About 100 yards out he turns broadside and the sun lit him up like a billboard...I say take him Dakota. He steadies and squeezes off a shot... BOOM...the buck just stands there and continues to browse. Dakota looks at me like what's wrong??? He didn't fall. LoL. I had another round in my hand and quickly reloaded his rifle. Buck continues to browse away and Dakota gets the rifle up and says he's got him in the scope. I settle him down a little and remind him to breathe slow and squeeze the trigger. Buck turns broadside one more time, catches the sun and I whisper "take him". The Handi Rifle booms and the buck drops in his tracks. I don't know who was more excited...him or me. It was a great day to be in the outdoors enjoying what I love to do. Having a great kid along to share it with was a huge bonus.
Dakota is being raised by a single Mom and has never had a father. She's doing a great job with him. She told me ever since he was 4 or 5 years old all he has talked about is hunting and fishing and she has no idea where it comes from. This is his third deer so far. He killed his first one when he was 8 years old. He turns 11 today.
6 point...95 yard shot with rangefinder.
Dakota is being raised by a single Mom and has never had a father. She's doing a great job with him. She told me ever since he was 4 or 5 years old all he has talked about is hunting and fishing and she has no idea where it comes from. This is his third deer so far. He killed his first one when he was 8 years old. He turns 11 today.
6 point...95 yard shot with rangefinder.
