My youngest, Gracie, who is now 12, has gone with me when I was hunting but finally decided that this was the year she was going to hunt. She shoots archery on her local 4H team so naturally this was her method of choice.
Went to a local farm I have permission to hunt yesterday (Sunday the 27th) and got on the stand right at 3pm. Had ween a doe and two farms as we pulled up to the place. We didn't see any other deer until 6:15 pm when a spike went running through the field that the logging road we were hunting fed into. By this time my daughter was so bored I thought she was going to fidget her way out of the stand, even getting busted by a young deer making it's way towards us across the road. That helped to motivate my daughter to sit still and less than an hour later 4 does had snuck in behind us in the thick woods.
We played a game of cat and mouse with the lead doe who kept staring at us but never could figure out what we were. All the while I'm Gracie is trying to get her bow and I'm asking her if she even has a clear shot. Finally the lead doe walked of without giving us a shot. Gracie aimed in on the second in line who stood still and made a great shot at 20 yards. The doe ran off with the arrow sticking out of the entry side. I knew the placement was good but it didn't look like it had great penetration. She's drawing 43 lbs and shooting the 100gr Muzzy 30blade.
After she quit shaking and crying (tears of excitement) she enthusiastically proclaimed that "I'm hooked!!!" I knew she would be. We made our way out of the tree. Dropped off our stand, sticks, and extra gear at the truck then went back and started tracking the deer. There was a great blood trail which helped to calm my worries. We did find the front portion of the arrow on the ground, broke off from the back 1/4 of the arrow. The blood looked great, lung blood.
The doe had made it about 60 yards. The entry was through the left shoulder blade and the broad head had made it through the deer, exiting out the right side just behind the leg. As the deer ran the arrow had broke and I found the missing 1/4 still inside the chest cavity, lighted knock still glowing.
Gracie drug the deer most of the way out of the woods by herself, helped me gut the deer, and once back home she helped to skin and quarter the deer. I am so proud of her and look forward to many, many, more hunts together.
Went to a local farm I have permission to hunt yesterday (Sunday the 27th) and got on the stand right at 3pm. Had ween a doe and two farms as we pulled up to the place. We didn't see any other deer until 6:15 pm when a spike went running through the field that the logging road we were hunting fed into. By this time my daughter was so bored I thought she was going to fidget her way out of the stand, even getting busted by a young deer making it's way towards us across the road. That helped to motivate my daughter to sit still and less than an hour later 4 does had snuck in behind us in the thick woods.
We played a game of cat and mouse with the lead doe who kept staring at us but never could figure out what we were. All the while I'm Gracie is trying to get her bow and I'm asking her if she even has a clear shot. Finally the lead doe walked of without giving us a shot. Gracie aimed in on the second in line who stood still and made a great shot at 20 yards. The doe ran off with the arrow sticking out of the entry side. I knew the placement was good but it didn't look like it had great penetration. She's drawing 43 lbs and shooting the 100gr Muzzy 30blade.
After she quit shaking and crying (tears of excitement) she enthusiastically proclaimed that "I'm hooked!!!" I knew she would be. We made our way out of the tree. Dropped off our stand, sticks, and extra gear at the truck then went back and started tracking the deer. There was a great blood trail which helped to calm my worries. We did find the front portion of the arrow on the ground, broke off from the back 1/4 of the arrow. The blood looked great, lung blood.
The doe had made it about 60 yards. The entry was through the left shoulder blade and the broad head had made it through the deer, exiting out the right side just behind the leg. As the deer ran the arrow had broke and I found the missing 1/4 still inside the chest cavity, lighted knock still glowing.
Gracie drug the deer most of the way out of the woods by herself, helped me gut the deer, and once back home she helped to skin and quarter the deer. I am so proud of her and look forward to many, many, more hunts together.
