This was a great day to be in the woods. Evidently the 2nd rut is going strong out our place. Been chasing one deer all season and had pretty much just given up on him. Decided to start taking some girls off my daughter softball team (10 year olds) to shoot a few does. Took the first girl yesterday morning and young bucks were going everywhere. After her having to watch 6 or 7 young bucks a mature doe finally comes out but gets spooked and runs off before she could get a shot. At 9:00 were talking about calling it quits when a doe steps out about 200 yds away. We sit there hoping she will close the distance when I look over and see a buck coming out of the woods. I immediately recognize him as the split G3 that we have been hunting for. My daughter is in the blind with us and the first thing she tells the girl is "give my daddy the gun". I had left my rifle at the camper and all we had was my daughters Rossi (.243), which I have shot a good bit. I told her that I was not sure of the gun at that distance and she said "you can make that shot no problem". Now this adds a little more pressure...
I video him for a little while and he closes to about 175 yds and I decide to get the gun and give my daughter the camera. I check to see how steady of a prop I have and I was feeling pretty good but he is standing there facing right at me. After about a minute he turns broadside and stops. I pull the trigger and and he falls on his butt. My daughter says "you got him daddy" in an almost crying voice. She knew what kind of trouble this deer had given me and how it has caused my hair to go more grey and was more excited for me than I was I believe.
Anyway, it was a great morning. It is not the biggest deer I have ever shot but he is a 4.5 year old that we targeted as he was pretty much the only mature deer we had on camera. And to share the experience with my daughter and her/my young friend was outstanding. The girls was also able to shoot a big doe that afternoon for her first deer and she was excited. That was pretty much as rewarding as the buck that was shot that morning.
I video him for a little while and he closes to about 175 yds and I decide to get the gun and give my daughter the camera. I check to see how steady of a prop I have and I was feeling pretty good but he is standing there facing right at me. After about a minute he turns broadside and stops. I pull the trigger and and he falls on his butt. My daughter says "you got him daddy" in an almost crying voice. She knew what kind of trouble this deer had given me and how it has caused my hair to go more grey and was more excited for me than I was I believe. Anyway, it was a great morning. It is not the biggest deer I have ever shot but he is a 4.5 year old that we targeted as he was pretty much the only mature deer we had on camera. And to share the experience with my daughter and her/my young friend was outstanding. The girls was also able to shoot a big doe that afternoon for her first deer and she was excited. That was pretty much as rewarding as the buck that was shot that morning.
