stretchhunts

was tonight. Let me start by saying I have a 11yr old son who stands 5'5" tall and wieghs 170lbs. He isn't allowed to hunt here in NY for deer with a bow untill he turns 14. He's been dying to go so tonight I let him sit in my wife's ladder stand (Bowless). I was in my stand about 75 yards away. After sitting in my stand for 30 mins I get a text message from him on my cell phone. it says "I SEE A BUCK". I text him back and try to get info but get nothing,lol. A few minute later he texts me with "3 DOES". Now I'm laughing b/c I got a bow with me and ain't seeing a thing. 5:00 and another text. This one says " A BIG BUCK just crossed 10 yards in front". I meet my son at my truck and asked him how it went. Listening to him talk about him loosing his breath and shaking when the deer were near was awesome. I was so happy to have my son understand why we do this. He is now hooked. I told him 3 yrs to go and he'll see how it is to have all those feelings and then try to shoot that deer. Granted I didn't see a thing but hearing my son talk about what he was seeing and feeling made this the best time I've had in the field ever.

Steve F.in MD

Great post. Sounds like you have a hunter in the making. Will you get him out for a youth hunt? My son can't wait. Ours is on November 9th. Good luck.

stretchhunts

as soon as he turns 14 he'll be hunting with me. I was more excited reading his texts then I was when a deer came in towards me. It was driving me nuts not knowing what going on.

BuckAlley

Stretch, not sure if your much into turkey hunting. But soon as he turns 12 you'll be able to take him out after those turkeys. Spring season is a great way to gethim started. Especially seeing they have the spring youth hunt just for the kids.
Its also too bad this state can't wakeup, and allow our youth to bowhunt at age 12 like most states. Every yr its introduced as a bill, only to get shoved aside.

SteveBNy

Great job Stretch!!

[:@][:@]

As bowhunters and hunters in general, this needs to be the prime objective for us. They are our future, and I fear too many are lost by the late start in NY

Steve

Retired Leatherneck

Awesome day Stretch! I just had a similar experience with my 14 yr. old son. I am from WNY but now live in San Diego since I retired from the USMC. This is my son's 2nd year deer hunting with me on Camp Pendleton. This past Sunday (before the fires) we were hunting up on a ridge line and I glassed some eight deer heading down a draw. I grabbed my son and we stalked them from above about 350 meter above. We were hunting in a shotgun only area of the base and therefore didn't have the range to shoot down on them.

As we slowly desended to try to get in position to shoot we stopped behind some brush and just watched the deer for about 45 minutes. There was a big buck on a hot doe and two smaller bucks who began sparring. My son was out of his mind! He was loving every minute of it. The group of deer eventually split up and one large doe and two fawns split to our right where we got almost get them into range without spooking them. So we worked our way down the hillside to an area about 150 meters above them.

The week before I was in Bass Pro and bought a fawn distress call. I had read that Mule Deer will respond to this call as well. My son and I had been looking forward to tesating it out. So there we were, looking over a steep hill down on these deer and we're laying in the prone position. I blow the fawn distress call and the deer look up at where we are but otherwise don't react. I wait a bit and blow it again. Now the big doe and fawns start up the hill on the other side of a draw. We both thought they were coming up toward the call. Then they quickly sprint up and around the hillside away from us. We were puzzled as to why they reacted that way, and about 30 seconds later a mountain lion appears from just below us and chases up the hill the direction the deer went.

My son saw it first and said, 'Dad, I don't think thats a coyote". I saw the 5-6' tail and knew it was a lion. It was amazing. The wild thing is we were sitting up and blowing a fawn distress call. We were very fortunate that the lion didn't think we were breakfast!

Sunday night my son told my wife that it was the best day of his life! How cool is that?

I can't wait to get him back to NY for whitetail hunting. But that was a long story to say that I completely understand how you feel. It is such a great feeling to have your son share the same interests.

stretchhunts

never really thought about turkey hunting. He seems to only want to shoot his bow. No interest in gun hunting at all. I just wish they would let the kids hunt younger so they would have something to do outside and get away from the X-box/playstations etc. I'm just so excited and can't wait for him to be able to hunt deer in 3 yrs.

NyCzZzhunter

wo0ow thats NICE, how old do you have to be to hunt with a firearm?? i was just curious because my godson wants to come with me but im not sure if its illegal

StillHunter90

Great story . sounds like hell be showing up dad before too long.

stretchhunts

I hope so. He's gotta be 16 to gun hunt deer. Now he keeps asking to go out but I think dad needs to hunt that stand this weekend,lol.