2023/24 results/story time

[bmash]

8 year old up the week after Christmas - Deer running everywhere since the rut was on. I built the Grendel as light as I could so I could walk with a lighter rifle and don’t want to push the 300BO past 150 yds. So we were watching two BIG bucks at 300 yds chasing does, and some medium sized at 250 yds (yes still at the duck puddle). (Interesting side point - he asked why are they chasing does? I said to make babies. He wanted to know more…whoops, I said ask you parents!)Well the 8 year old wants the Grendel now! OK. But I won’t let him make the real long shots, since he hasn’t practiced at that range. So next trip up with 8 year old with school out for Martin Luther King birthday- last chance for him to hunt due to school. I convinced him to hunt a tree stand instead of the DP. Same spot where the 11 year old killed the spike. Same story, he sees a deer about 1 hour before sunset and points it out to me. The deer comes closer for a nice broadside shot at 50 yds, but I guess due to tree stand and not such a good rest he missed, but I didn’t know he missed until later! Deer runs about 30 yds to our right, and I said shoot it again! He makes a low shoulder shot, which if horizontal would have likely have hit the heart, but due to downward angle bullet comes out of the brisket and off he goes…into the THICK stuff! We find blood, and I go in. (Many of you will say you should have let it lay down and die, but we would never find it after dark in these woods.) I jump it and can hear it and see small trees moving. You couldn’t see more than 3 feet with 6’ tall pine trees. I had to tell him to stop his “celebration song” so I could hear the deer. Well, after several jump and follow, I almost step on the deer. It was out of energy and I finished it off. Then I had brother in law come help me get it out. Again, I’m 69! So after following, dragging, and processing, the 8 yr old says - where are going in the morning? NOT! Taking kids hunting is so fun