I took my 12 year old son, Ryan, on his first Wisconsin Deer hunt Opening day. We were hunting a EAB, unit 14, in Northern WI, he was using a Winchester new model 70, .243, with scope.

At 7:15 am a 14" eight point came trotting in behind a doe and fawn. Ryan shot the doe at 40 yards, but it ran out of site, the eight point was gone. 30 seconds later, 135 yards out, a forked buck was standing down the shooting lane. Ryan asked if he should take him, I said "If you think you can make a good shot, yes." He aimed, shot, the deer bucked, and dissappeared.

We first went looking for the doe, it traveled 70 yards after a perfect double lunged shot. Gutted it, dragged it back to the blind. We then paced off the distance to the buck, he made it about 10 yards. Ryan got one lung, liver, nicked the stomach, at 135 yards, exellent shot! Dragged him out, took the deer into town to register, Ryan was all smiles, as he should be, his first two deer.

We went back out at 12:30. At 2:30 I heart shot a small doe, 45 yards, gutted and dragged her up to the blind. At 3:30 my son shot buck fawn, 60 yards, one lung, liver, nicked the stomach, went 15 yards. We had 4 deer, in four shots, my son shot three deer on his first day deer hunting, all great shots. We decided that was enough deer and decided to call it a weekend.

Later we discussed the days events. He had no problem passing on the first larger buck, and shooting the doe first. As for the buck fawn, he thought next time he/we should look a bit more closely for nubs. Ryan is already looking forward to next year, and agreed to be a bit more selective on what he shoots. To him or I, the EAB was no big deal, and the right thing to do where we hunt.