I went out to the lease this past Thursday to fill feeders and get my cameras back out and running again. Every time I'm out there, I tend to drive around to check the place out and look for a new place to set up a stand or two. Well I was out having my drive-about and come into an opening to find an antler sticking out of the grass. Pull up to it and found the whole skull, and what do you know...it's the buck a 7 year old boy shot this past season! I called the boys dad and arranged to meet with him this past Sunday to surprise him with it. His dad and I were pretty excited since this was his first deer.

Anyways, dad and mom and little sister came out to just "fill feeders" and I told the boy I had something with his name on it in the back of the truck. Well of course his mom is videoing this whole thing and hand him the rack and he just stands there looking at it. Absolutely zero emotion on this kids face, whatsoever. His dad asked him do you know what that is? "yeah, but why are you showing it to me?" I told him it was the buck he shot this past year and that I found him. "Oh. Ok. Cool." with still no emotion haha. Well at least his dad and mom and I were excited for him for at least finding it, and his parents were shocked at his lack of excitement. Oh well. It just felt good to get that kids first deer to him, even if it took 7 months to get him back.

Here's a few of him on the hoof and after I had found him.

Nice!

Thats a dandy for a first buck, especially for a 7 year old

Sounds like the kid may be hunting for his parents, rather than himself.

Cool deal. Too bad the kid didn't appreciate it for what it was. Makes me wonder if he is really a hunter at heart or just shot something because maybe his parents wanted him to be a hunter. I know I would have come unglued had I lost a deer like that at his age and then someone found it for me later.

He'll be fine. It's an old deer skull to him right now but give it awhile it'll mean more later. I didn't care much what we shot at his age. Deer, squirrel, possum, all meant the same to me-fun hunting. Later on it matters more and more.

Just knowing that kid, he's all boy and loves hunting and being outdoors in general. There were a few times last year in camp he walked around asking what others saw. I'm not sure if it just hadn't really hit him yet, or if it's just an old deer skull like 8pointdrop said. He hunted is rear off early to mid season, but once he missed that deer, he didn't want to go out the rest of the year.

I told his dad on the phone I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when I gave it to him, thinking he'd come unglued. I know I would have at that age. Don't get me wrong, he was appreciative to me giving it to me, but I was really surprised he wasn't jumping up and down.

Kinda my thoughts as well. I hope my oldest son (10) enjoys his first kill as much as I did

There's a fair chance that kid felt a ton of guilt, disappointment, and negative emotions when me wounded that buck and lost it in the fall. Probably took him a while to get over. I'm betting at first that's what he felt vs being happy to have the skull, but also betting he will appreciate it soon. Those are complicated feelings for a 7 year old.

Still, very nice gesture by you to make sure the skull got back to him. Was a nice buck, makes for a cool "euro."

My thoughts exactly. I remember growing up and starting to go hunting around 6 or 7 years of age. I loved animals and was unsure about how I felt seeing them getting killed. In all honestly I used to close my eyes in anticipation of my grandpa, uncle, or dad shooting a deer. It was even worse seeing a deer wounded at that age. As i grew older I started to understand the reasons for hunting and started to feel more and more excited as I matured. I heard a few people talk about feeling the same way growing up but I don't believe this is the "norm". I don't know if this was what this kid was feeling but still a great recovery!

Great point TxAg. That's what I'm guessing was the case. I really hope he's back at it again this year. As much of a pain he can be in camp sometimes, the rest of the time he's a hoot and has a pretty good head on his shoulders for his age.

Most things like that I find, I typically hold on to but I remember his dad told me he shot at that deer and I couldn't have been more excited about it. His dad thought he flat out missed him or barely nicked him. He said he didn't hump up like a critical hit, and took off like a bat out of hell. He and another lease member looked for 3 or 4 days for him without even a drop of blood found. I found the skull and 1 vertibre about 300 yards from their set up, but there's some THICK stuff in between. I need to give him a shout to see if he ever warmed up to it or not haha

Cool find and nice gesture.

I don't know how I would have reacted. I lost my first buck, but we know he lived, I was really disappointed in that and it made it a little better knowing he lived. I don't think I would count a deer I wounded and was recovered 8 months later my first buck.

Glad you were able to find him

I agree. Great find!

This is why I made my daughter wait until she was older (15) to kill her first buck. I knew she liked to kill by 8 and started her out on smaller game and hogs until she asked if she could kill a buck.

I plan on doing something similar with Jaxton. Start with small game then hogs when I know he can make good shots consistently I'll let him take a doe and then a cull he will have to earn the right to take a good buck. When he does I know he will appreciate it.
I agree. Great find!

I think a competition has started among some hunting groups as to see which kid can kill a deer at the youngest age. My boy will be 11 in November and just getting good enough at the range and comfortable at the range to even start hunting.

There's no doubt that I'll make Cooper (my 14 month old) wait until he's ready and I feel he's ready. Pretty much the same way my dad did with me. I grew up with a BB gun in my hand and dad had some stipulations before he'd even let me take a gun with us to the stand. I had to be able hit a quarter multiple times at 25 yards with a .22 before I was allowed to start hunting deer. I guess for my dad it wasn't about age for me, but more of a "if he's ready" kind of thing. I took my first doe at 5 years old and even have my 'stipulation target' with my picture taped to it.

For us I think age and capability had little to do with it, it was more finances and the leases we hunted on were strict about the lease member being the only person hunting. You could bring a wife/girlfriend or child and that was it and they could not hunt on spectate.

When my brother was 10 we found a lease for him, since brother started at 10 that's when I started. When I turned 10 dad quit hunting and my brother took his place and I took my brothers.

my .02, maybe the kid is to young, & other issues

Yep.