Good first hunt for my boys

[woodland]

Well, I am very proud. This was the first year for my 9 and 7 year old sons. They both took and passed hunter education, and practiced with the Mossberg ATR 100 Super Bantam in .243 that I got for them.

I took the 7 year old out first, and after about 3 hours a small group of whitetails walked out into the trail ahead of us. I knelt down on the bank beside us and he rested on my shoulder. One stopped broadside about 75 yards away and looked at us. It only took him about 10 seconds to get the shot off once it stopped. It ran off, and he said he was sure he had the crosshairs right in the vital zone. We waited about 15 minutes, and then started forward slowly. As I scanned around, I saw it laying against a bush about 80-90 yards from where he had shot it. I glassed it and it did not appear to be breathing, so we approached slowly. He made sure I knew we had to look for open eyes, and it was dead.

The shot was a perfect lung shot. When I opened it up, the lungs looked like they had been put in a blender. The bullet had just barely clipped the top of the heart. It had exited through the other shoulder, so we lost some meat from that.

I took my 9 year old out for 5 days. On day 1 we saw one about 25-30 yards away, but he was unable to get a sight picture in time before it went into the brush. On day 5 we found one about 50 yards out. Again, he was not able to get set quick enough. He was pretty amped up, breathing heavy and shaking, and just couldn't get steady. It ran off into the brush, and we were talking about why it was taking him so long to get on target, and I was showing him how to slow his pulse and shaking by controled breathing. Then I saw the deer off to our left through the trees about 50 yards or so out. This time he was able to do better, and got a broadside shot off. The deer ran a short ways and stopped and looked at us. I did not think he had hit it by the way it was moving around, but he was sure he had. It turned and was facing straight at us, and he was about to take a front chest shot. Then it turned a little, and was quartered towards us. He fired, and it stumbled and ran a short ways again, but it was clear it was hit good this time. It layed down and we waited about 10-15 minutes and approached it. It was dead.

His first shot was bad, passing through the very last rib on the left side. The second shot was a perfect quartering shot, going through the shoulder and hitting the heart, lungs, and liver. Oddly, neither bullet exited on this deer. We lost meat on this one too.

All in all, I was very proud of both of them. They both got their hands dirty and helped dress them, and also with the cutting and wrapping. My oldest boy learned the importance of making a good shot, and was a little humbled by his younger brother "outdoing" him with a longer, better shot. I think it matured both of them noticeably.

My 7 year old was walking with my mother a couple days later in the woods, and he told her "you might notice that I am walking very quietly." Mom said she did, and he said very confidently "I'm a hunter now, granny!"

After this, I am really a fan of head shots! All of mine have been head shots, so I have never had to dress a body shot deer before. What a mess!!! By the way, ammo used was Federal Premium 100 gr. soft points. I must say, I was impressed by their performance.

Sorry for the long tale. I am just a proud dad spouting off! This was a dream come true I have been looking forward to for many years!

[pax]

Congratulations on a job well done, to you and both your boys.

pax

[LateNightFlight]

Woodland, you should be proud! Heck, I don't even know ya'll and I'm proud for you and proud of your boys as well!

Thanks for sharing your story. I also have two boys, now grown, but I recall what a great age 7 & 9 is. And your boys should be particularly proud for passing the hunter ed so young. Even some adults can't do it on their first try.

Lucky is the kid with a father, uncle or family to introduce them to hunting. That good fortune has shaped the world for many, who go on to make the great outdoors their passion for a lifetime.

Cheers!

[Desertfox]

Nice stories. Congrats to all 3 of you.

[rem870hunter]

glad to hear their first time out in the field was a successful one.
congrats to all 3 of you. did either one ask whats that smell when you opened the deer up?

[Greg.B]

Great job, and congratulations! You've stirred the fire in them, and have made some memories that will never be replaced!

[simonkenton]

Congratulations!
What a tiger your 7 year old is.
His first deer, an 80 yard shot, got both lungs and the heart.
He is a real Daniel Boone.

I hope you don't start getting the boys to take head shots. The target is so much bigger with the lung shot.
And, on the first deer, you lost some meat but it was just shoulder meat. Big deal you lost a couple pounds of stew meat.

[woodland]

I hope you don't start getting the boys to take head shots. The target is so much bigger with the lung shot.
And, on the first deer, you lost some meat but it was just shoulder meat. Big deal you lost a couple pounds of stew meat.

No, they both understand that head shots are a skill level thing. They will be taking lung/heart shots until they can show very consistent accuracy skill from different positions under various conditions. That is a little ways down the road. Right now they do pretty well with a good rest, but they are a ways off from head shots.

By the way, from prone with a rest at 100 yards, my 7 year old has been shooting about 5" 5 shot groups. Usually they are made up of two groups of about 1.5-2". I think he is going to do quite well with further practice.