My daughter has been showing interest in hunting for a few years now and I have been slowly easing her into it. I started by letting her tag along on duck hunts, then hog hunts, and finally a few deer hunts. She has always helped clean the animals and loves eating wild game. About a year ago, (she's 10 now) I got her a rifle. It's a Winchester 70 featherweight compact in .243. She has become a crack shot with it.
Fast forward to this year, my buddy leases a large MLD property in Mason. He invited us out to see if we could get her an old management buck. This weekend we finally got it done. Yesterday morning right on cue about 5 bucks came out to the road we were watching. The largest deer met the criteria. He was a wide 9 with a broken tine, and BIG saggy belly and was just milling around at about 80 yards. We discussed the shot and I let her run through the scenario we had practiced so many times during the past year. I heard her calm her breathing, slide the safety off, ask one more time about which one it was, and as soon as he opened his front shoulder she fired. He folded in his tracks and kicked about 3 times. Lights out. Came to find out her nerves were getting her and she pulled up a bit on the shot. Still double lunged him high but clipped his spine. She was over the moon the rest of the day and still is in fact. The deer ended up aging at 5 1/2. I think this was a perfect first deer for her. She has requested it all be made into snack sticks from Hudson's. I negotiated her down to about 1/4 of it going to that!

Here is the big kicker, this was the same stand I was in over 15 years ago when I shot my first Texas buck. That deer is mounted in my office still. This one will be proudly hung right next to it.

Thanks for reading,
John

Congrats to you and her!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!! Girls make the best Hunters!!
Adios,
Gary

Outstanding first buck
Congrats to the little lady

congrats!

Absolutely!!! Congrats to you both

thanks guys!!

That’s awesome.

Congrats to you both!!!

Congrats!

Great buck, great picture, and above all, great smile! Congratulations, young lady!

Greatness, congratulations to you both.

Great old deer to start her off. Very cool that both your first deer are from the same blind.

Very cool and great memories

Great 1st buck and a beautiful little girl. Very well done Dad!

That Sir, is fantastic! Congrats to you both!

Awesome story, congrats to you both!

very cool

Smile says it all. She will remember that moment for the rest of her life and so will you. Congratulations to you both and thanks for sharing.

Congrats to both of yall. A fine buck indeed

OUTSTANDING!!! Love it