Ronstar
Well-known member
When my boys were younger I would pull them from school one day and take them out on a deer hunt. We went over firearms safety, ethics, sportsmanship, love of nature, and all the other good freedoms we love in the outdoors. My oldest boy tried in vain to get his first deer but just never was in the right place at the right time. Once, while out in a couple inches of snow, we hit fresh elk track and I had a late cow tag. He asked if those were fresh and I said to move over and stay close behind me. About 10 minutes of tracking and slow moving I took good cow elk and at age 13 (back in 1994) he dove right in and helped. Took a couple selfies (timer) and made a couple pack trips back to the Jeep. That boy sure slept good that night!!! He eventually left home and struck out on his own but never did get his first deer.
In 2017 he paid out the dollars to get an out of state license and tags to come back to where he was born and try and get that first deer. Nope, sitting on a meadow a spike elk emerged and yup, I had an elk tag!!! De jevu…..For the next three years we tried in vain to get on a deer but it just never happened.
This year he said he was going to give it one more try as its a bit expensive doing the out of state buying. Four days in various weather conditions we walked, sat, snuck around, and generally covered a lot of ground. Believe it or not all we saw was elk and lots of them. His GPS track function showed just under 20 miles walked in four days (liked to killed me but I did it)! Day five was the lucky day…….
Early afternoon we had movement on a meadow edge and out walked a decent size doe. A quick check showed 128 yds so this should be meat in the pan. He waited until the deer was facing broadside, ensured a safe back drop, waited for the right moment and made the shot. One shot drop in its tracks!!! We walked up to it, carefully checked for life, and the deer was dead. Now this was his first field dressing but he had been in on the two elk and learned from watching. I only advised him on things as he asked and he had it done in about 30 minutes, not bad for his first.
Once we were home he finished skinning it out and taking initial carcass cleaning and care. Then we went inside and shared a congratulatory beer and shot of whiskey and Mom made dinner. Next next day we took the hide in to be tanned hair on and generally relaxed. Next day we sat down and with the help of a good reference book he butchered the animal down to his preferred cuts. We wrapped it all and got it to the freezer, the “nothing” pieces went to the butcher shop and breakfast sausage was made (he wants to mix it with huckleberries when he gets home and create his own flavor). We packed him up and he went home yesterday.
Now on the wall downstairs is a picture of he and I and that cow elk in 1994. He was 13 and I just turned 40, on the back I wrote “Are these fresh tracks” and “Move over”, I also wrote the location, the rifle make and caliber and the load used. Someday he will find that if he takes the frame off.
He turned 40 last August so he is my age in that photo, also, it turned out his first deer was a buck! There were no antlers but we learned a few old bucks stop growing antlers so kind of a trophy in a different way.
Everything I taught him about deer hunting he retained. Took awhile but he finally got one and feels very good about providing for his family.
I’m proud of that boy…….
In 2017 he paid out the dollars to get an out of state license and tags to come back to where he was born and try and get that first deer. Nope, sitting on a meadow a spike elk emerged and yup, I had an elk tag!!! De jevu…..For the next three years we tried in vain to get on a deer but it just never happened.
This year he said he was going to give it one more try as its a bit expensive doing the out of state buying. Four days in various weather conditions we walked, sat, snuck around, and generally covered a lot of ground. Believe it or not all we saw was elk and lots of them. His GPS track function showed just under 20 miles walked in four days (liked to killed me but I did it)! Day five was the lucky day…….
Early afternoon we had movement on a meadow edge and out walked a decent size doe. A quick check showed 128 yds so this should be meat in the pan. He waited until the deer was facing broadside, ensured a safe back drop, waited for the right moment and made the shot. One shot drop in its tracks!!! We walked up to it, carefully checked for life, and the deer was dead. Now this was his first field dressing but he had been in on the two elk and learned from watching. I only advised him on things as he asked and he had it done in about 30 minutes, not bad for his first.
Once we were home he finished skinning it out and taking initial carcass cleaning and care. Then we went inside and shared a congratulatory beer and shot of whiskey and Mom made dinner. Next next day we took the hide in to be tanned hair on and generally relaxed. Next day we sat down and with the help of a good reference book he butchered the animal down to his preferred cuts. We wrapped it all and got it to the freezer, the “nothing” pieces went to the butcher shop and breakfast sausage was made (he wants to mix it with huckleberries when he gets home and create his own flavor). We packed him up and he went home yesterday.
Now on the wall downstairs is a picture of he and I and that cow elk in 1994. He was 13 and I just turned 40, on the back I wrote “Are these fresh tracks” and “Move over”, I also wrote the location, the rifle make and caliber and the load used. Someday he will find that if he takes the frame off.
He turned 40 last August so he is my age in that photo, also, it turned out his first deer was a buck! There were no antlers but we learned a few old bucks stop growing antlers so kind of a trophy in a different way.
Everything I taught him about deer hunting he retained. Took awhile but he finally got one and feels very good about providing for his family.
I’m proud of that boy…….
