I am 36 years old and grew up in California pheasant, dove and duck hunting. Only got to go deer hunting once and never saw a deer. Fast forward to this year and was stationed at Fort Campbell. Had an opportunity to get both my kids into a hunter safety class for free through MWR and took it. Wanted to get both my kids into hunting and while the early morning hours and cold temperatures didn't sit well with them just yet I am hooked. Im shooting a 50 year old spanish 20ga double barrel side by side that my dad brought out. It was something that I thought my kids could handle. He brought a nice Remington 700 .270 also that I learned to shoot as a kid. All my hunting this year was on fort Campbell which is why I used the shotgun so much (no rifle hunting on post).
Well I missed high on a 6 point buck early in the year (my first hut in a tree stand). Then the day after Thanksgiving I killed a doe and spooked an 8 point following her in. Should have waited for him but I was just more excited about getting my first kill that nothing was gonna walk past me that day. Ill post pics of her below. Thing was I hit her in the spine and had to slit her neck in order to kill her. She couldn't move her hind legs but she wasn't dying either. Felt bad for her suffering so I had to do it.
On the last day of hunting on post I had 7 Does and a young spike walk within 15 yards of my stand and I let em all walk just hoping for something a little bigger or older to come by but nothing did.
I am hooked now. Unfortunately I am headed to Afghanistan soon and will miss next season. Hope when I get back my kids will be more durable to the cold. Anyways thank you to everyone here for all the valuable information in your posts. I have been reading all season.
I will post another topic on tracks soon. And hopefully me pics will work. Not sure how to get them to show up. Ill work on that next.