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My son finally got a deer!
#6066566
12/04/15 05:01 PM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210
Jungleexplorer
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210 |
Years ago when my son was 14 I set him a on stand for the first time and five minutes later he shot a huge buck. I had barley driven away. He was like, "This deer hunting thing is easy!". I was upset because I knew he was ruined! You are not supposed to get your first deer like that. You are supposed to freeze your buns off for weeks and though you started off imagining shooting a buck so big it could cradle a baby grand piano in it's rack, you end up settling for a spike buck and you are exhilarated about it. That is how your first deer season is supposed to go. Then each year, as you get more experience, you get a bigger deer and so on and so forth. Shooting a massive 200lb 10 point buck with your fathers rifle on a 70 degree day after sitting on the stand for only five minutes is the worst thing that could happen to a beginner. It creates an unreasonable imbalance in their expectations. There is nothing left for them to aspire to after that. Just as I expected, the next year when he did not get a huge deer in five minutes suffering some minor cold on the stand, he was like, "I don't think I want to hunt deer no more." Each year, I would ask him if he wanted hunt deer and would not show much interest. He bought stupid guns like AR-15s and pimped them out with all kinds of gadget that made them look real cool, but when it came to accuracy, they were sorry at best. All the while, I was like, "Hey son, why don't you buy a serious deer rifle." Finally last year Savage had a sale on a Axis II XP package with a weaver scope for $289 after a $50 rebate. It was a heck of a deal and after much pressuring, he finally caved and bought one, a .243. After putting three in a 1/4 inch group at 100 yards, he was like, "Hey this gun is way more accurate then those other guns I paid $800 for. I said, "Yes, that is because this is a serious long range hunting weapon, not some cool looking toy that was designed for close quarter fast action combat." So after I shot that nice buck a while back, my son finally said (after 6 years), I think I would like to try to get a buck. I showed him pictures of all the bucks coming to my feeders and said he could shoot anyone but my target buck. I told him. "You go out morning and afternoon. It might take a few days, but if you are patient, you will get one. He did and after about five days, he got this nice one. He was so happy! I was like, "Yes! He is finally getting back to what deer hunting is supposed to be." Getting a good deer is supposed to be a reward that you earn.
Last edited by Jungleexplorer; 12/04/15 08:13 PM.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066569
12/04/15 05:04 PM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,289
BenBob
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,289 |
Tired, Wired, and Uninspired
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066579
12/04/15 05:08 PM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,034
Western
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,034 |
Very nice!. I agree with you to a point, but they have other things occupying their minds at that age too No doubt things that come tough, usually are much more appreciated, even for us older folks (sometimes).
If at first you dont succeed, then skydiving is not for you..
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln Dennis
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066586
12/04/15 05:11 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,235
Fltmedic
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,235 |
Don't take life so seriously, you'll never make it out alive!
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066604
12/04/15 05:20 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 466
ThreePeppers
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 466 |
Nice job! I know people love their black guns and I guess they have their place but I just love the feel of a good bolt action. Also nice to hear that the Axis was so accurate. I have a Savage 111 and love it but the deals they run on those Axis rifles always intrigue me.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066610
12/04/15 05:22 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 359
JH117
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 359 |
Great story and congrats!
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: ThreePeppers]
#6066798
12/04/15 07:20 PM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210
Jungleexplorer
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210 |
Nice job! I know people love their black guns and I guess they have their place but I just love the feel of a good bolt action. Also nice to hear that the Axis was so accurate. I have a Savage 111 and love it but the deals they run on those Axis rifles always intrigue me. I have a Savage 110 in .234. I bought it in 1992. It is a nail puncher at 100 yards. It is my baby. It only comes out of it's hard shell case for deer season and it goes right back in. I put a Bushnell 4x12x40 scope on it in 1996 and sighted it in and that was the last time I messed with it. I used it for years to cull deer for the White Point Ranch in Paint Rock, TX. They require head shots only. I have shot many deer in the head with it at range of 300 yards. It is just a sweet shooting gun. It does not have the nice accutrigger on it, but I have never needed it. The Axis 2 XP is a significant improvement over the original Axis. Aside from design improvements, it comes with the Accu-Trigger standard, which is an $80 upgrade over the standard triggers that come on the Axis. The XP package also comes with a Weaver Kaspa 3x9x40 scope which a $120 scope. So for $289 (after $50 rebate), if you deduct $80 + 120, you are only paying $89 for the gun, that was an exceptional deal. It was so good I bought a 233 for myself. Both of these guns can shoot sub MOA groups at 100 with no problems. My 233 hates Remington ammo though. With Winchester ammo I can shoot 1.5" groups at 300 yards with it.
Last edited by Jungleexplorer; 12/04/15 07:45 PM.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066806
12/04/15 07:28 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 25,266
Creekrunner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 25,266 |
Great story Dad, and congrats on being patient with the boy/man. He's well on his way.
...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066853
12/04/15 08:07 PM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 300
Hen-Killer
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 300 |
"I'm responsible only for what I say, not for what you understand"
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Creekrunner]
#6066857
12/04/15 08:08 PM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210
Jungleexplorer
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210 |
Great story Dad, and congrats on being patient with the boy/man. He's well on his way. Thanks.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066906
12/04/15 08:36 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 133
Tinkle
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 133 |
Awesome Buck! Congrats to you both
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6066956
12/04/15 09:08 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 855
jsplinter
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 855 |
Great story. We hunt small acreage and so the deer are not as routine as some of the larger acreage are. I have had my son out a few times with me and this weekend will be the first where he is the shooter. My girlfriend asked if I wanted to take him to her parents where 20 minutes after corning the roads the deer show up every night. I said, no hunting shouldn't be that easy, if he doesn't get a deer this year then he doesn't get a deer. I grew up knowing I probably wasn't going to get one but that's all part of hunting.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6067034
12/04/15 09:47 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 17,117
MikeC
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 17,117 |
Excellent!
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: jsplinter]
#6067354
12/05/15 01:11 AM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210
Jungleexplorer
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 210 |
Great story. We hunt small acreage and so the deer are not as routine as some of the larger acreage are. I have had my son out a few times with me and this weekend will be the first where he is the shooter. My girlfriend asked if I wanted to take him to her parents where 20 minutes after corning the roads the deer show up every night. I said, no hunting shouldn't be that easy, if he doesn't get a deer this year then he doesn't get a deer. I grew up knowing I probably wasn't going to get one but that's all part of hunting. You have the right idea there. I know we live in a microwave society that thinks kids should be encouraged by us giving them everything they want without any effort on their part, but that teaches them the wrong thing about life and leads them to believe they are owed the best for no reason other then they are alive. When they enter the work place and experience real life where only hard work and dedication are rewarded, they get confused and angry because reality does not live up to the expectations of the illusion they were led to believe is real. I have dealt with hundreds of modern young people that fail in life and become angry at everyone because of this. Kids need to learn that in real life, reward is not deserved, it is earned. The same goes for trust and respect, which are also earned but are to often confused with love and forgiveness which are given. I have a saying that I teach to people. "You will learn. Either your parents will teach you or life will teach you, but you will learn. The only question is, what will be left of your life by the time you do." You are teaching your son well. Who knew that kids could learn real life lessons from deer hunting?
Last edited by Jungleexplorer; 12/05/15 01:14 AM.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6068334
12/05/15 09:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,034
TxYoteHunter
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,034 |
He's got the hang of it looks like.
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6069780
12/06/15 11:41 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 210
elkaholic
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 210 |
Take your kids hunting and you won't have to go hunting for your kids
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Re: My son finally got a deer!
[Re: Jungleexplorer]
#6069817
12/07/15 12:06 AM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,257
Texas Dan
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,257 |
Sure beats the heck out of my first buck.
Congratulations!
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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