Done for the Year, However...

[Johnny B]

I spent Friday morning in the stand and few hours again on Saturday. I did see three does but none came within bow range. When I finally climbed down, I removed my last stand and officially called it a season. I scouted the general area a bit just to see what kind of activity had been taking place. I found a ton of tracks and literal highways around the edges of this small field. I also found a dozen or so beds, one of which was very large and had huge tracks going to and from. It is very encouraging to see that at least one big buck successfully made it through the season. A local who said that he had seen a big 10-pionter near the area also confirmed this.

I had a good season: I was off work every Friday since mid September and logged a lot of hours in the stands. Got one with the bow, one with the rifle and shot a few grouse in between. Every time out is a learning experience and I enjoy reading about everyone else’s ventures on this Forum, which I am happy to see is getting used more than ever before.

One final note: My excitement surrounding hunting season must have rubbed off on my 2-½ year old son. He woke up at about 4:00 this morning and all I heard him yell was, “ My tree-stand, a buck!”.
Maybe next year I’ll take him with. How old were you when you first deer hunted?

[eyecrosser2000]

I started hunting regularly when I was 8. I carried a single shot shotgun with a slug when I was 10; and a rifle at age 12. The earlier the better, I say. I've taken both my girls out (ages 6 and 4) each year since they were 2; first couple years just out of sight from Grandma's house. Lots of snacks and grunt tube blowing! We don't last too long--about an hour, but it plants the seed.

This year they made the trip up to camp on a day when no one was around. We sat in a portable fish house my Dad put up on the edge of a food plot. We lasted a couple of hours. There was a lot of chatter, and not much chance of seeing a deer, but it beats going to the mall!

[Lunker]

My first deer hunts were at about 10 with a .410 slug. Graduated to the .270 at around 13 I believe. Of course, that was only a few years ago for me, good memories. All I did at that young age was scare the deer away from my dad! Due to kids hunting with him and health problems, my dad didn't shoot a deer for 14 years. We got him in front of a couple this year, and he got a doe. Pretty special, first deer for him since I've been hunting(I'm 18), and probably his last deer hunt.

The guy who owns the store up by my cabin(he always shoots huge bucks) brings his 4 yr old grandaughter into a heated stand with him. He watches while she plays with toys. He'll show her the deer when they come by, and she always tells him to shoot them, but he tells her they aren't big enough. Now thats how you start a kid off!