HuntingNet.com Forums - My Sons First Deer!!!

The Season began two weeks ago with promise. First let me share this with you. I have footage of my son when he was 3 drawing back a small stick and string bow and flinging an arrow at a deer in a field. It ran and he just knew he shot it. I even told him so. That was his first experience with bowhunting. Ok, now on with this hunt. I got off work on day 1 and rushed home to get Jake, my 11 year old son, into the ground blind for the last 1 1/2 hour of daylight. He was so excited. I had a good feeling and told him so. After an hour his attention span was gone. I told him to fool his mind by telling it he just got here. He tried. Asked 3 more times in a 15 minute span, " Dad do you still have that feeling?" I said yes. Within seconds movement caught my attention to my right. It was a Nice 6 point buck walking through the field at about 20 yards. I told him and he thought I was just kidding him, but he looked! His heart begin pounding. I led him through the shot. I had to freeze him a couple times as the buck looked our direction but eventually I got him through the shot and the shot looked good. After the shot he laid down his bow and tried talking. He was stuttering and he began to laugh then cry, then laugh and cry. He burried his head on my chest as his knees knocked uncontrollably. He reach down for his bow and couldn't pick it up because he was shaking so bad. It was priceless. To be able to experience that with my son. I will never forget it. His first real taste of buck fever. He was now struck with the addiction that never fades, Bowhunting!!! However, there was one problem, Its at edge of dark and its raining. We looked for arrow and found none. So we came back next morning. I was expecting to find the buck within 200 yards of where the shot took place. Because of the rain there was no blood trail. He anxiously awaited all night. We went back and looked and found nothing. He was heartbroke. Well I got him in the blind 4 more times in past 2 weeks. All has been different. He now hears every sound and it is always deer to him. He now has vision problems as every bush, tree stump, log, rock etc looks like deer from a distance and his heart races at every sound and sight. I love it!!! To his despair we have not seen another deer. Thursday I was off work and we went hunting at a new spot with Papaw. I agreed to let Papaw take Jake to his stand as he knows the area and I went to another stand location that was still good but not as productive as Papaws. Thats fine as my main goal is Jake getting his first deer. We hunted all day. They saw none and that evening God blessed me with the harvest of a little buck. Jake was heartbroke again. I felt horrible. He wanted to field dress it though. He wants to learn and know how to do it. He done great. I had to work the next day and heartbroke for him I allowed him to go back with Papaw on Friday. Hey, I am selfish. I wanted to be there with him on his first, but put my selfishness aside for his happiness. They hunted Friday with no luck. Papaw called me Friday night and asked if he could take him again Saturday. I agreed again. Well at 7:40 last evening the phone rang. It was Jake. I knew when I saw his number it was good news. I answered and he erupted with excitement. At 6:55pm a big fat doe came walking in. Papaw and him were in tree stands. I had bought Jake the Lil Youth Harness from HSS. Papaw had put a climber up at 15 feet with a lock on stand in the other half of the tree ( it was one tree that split and made two halves.)and put tree steps in the tree to lead him up to his stand, knowing Jake can't use a climber yet. The deer walked within 15 yards. Jake was excited but Papaw said Jake had ice water running through his vanes. He was focused. As he stood, the stand made a noise. The doe looked up and he froze. As the deer looked away Jake finished drawing his Bear Apprentice bow with his Muzzy 75 grain tipped arrow and anchored his sight on the deers rib cage as I had told him to do and released! The lumenock lit arrow made its path dissapeared as it travelled through the Doe and reappeared on the ground after passing through. Jake was so excited he thought he had shot under the deer. He looked to Papaw to question if he had and Papaw told him no he hit it and to watch the deer. As Jake looked back to locate the deer he saw it 20 yards away. It begin to wobble and he watched it fall in sight. Done! Accomplished! First Deer! Awesome! He knew he was now a full fledged, full blooded, welcome to the ranks BOWHUNTER!!! As the got to the ground Jake asked Papaw how to turn on his light. Papaw said, "like this." and he ran and tackled Jake and wrestled him around in the leaves! Papaw was excited just like Jake and me. I am glad Papaw got to experience Jakes first deer. After all, it was Papaw that taught me everything about Bowhunting I know. I am so Proud of Jake and was so glad to see him and give him a high five and hug and tell him how proud of him I am. I took pictures and we will now move on to the next hunt. Jake was exhausted after the past 3 days. I do feel it was best that it didn't come easy. He learned that you have to work at it and put your time in sometimes and he also appreciates it much more than if it had come easy. He also realizes how much of a challenge it really is and that its not something that is easy and of no challenge in a way that he looses interest. He was falling asleep telling me about the hunt for the 100 time. But, I will never get tired of hearing it. He can tell me a 1000 times and I still want to hear it and hang on to every word and detail. Here is a picture of his hunt. If it dont fit, I will reduce it in size sometime today and then add the picture to the post. Thanks for letting me share.