Posted By: jdk1985
First hunt of the season - 11/04/13 07:28 PM
So here in just a few, I'm leaving for my first deer hunt of the season. While I hope to shoot a deer, I particularly hope to get my friend that is joining me one.
I grew up hunting, but I actually never shot a deer as a child. For whatever reason, for as much as dad liked to hunt and fish, we never practiced with rifles or distance or what not, so I got to shoot AT a few deer, but never connected. Fast forward a few years to when I was 12 or 13, and my dad got cancer and eventually died when I was 15. During those couple of years, we obviously did not get out too much to hunt. Then, with no dad to take me, and busy with sports in high school, and coaching in college and grad school, I did not get to hunt much during that time except for (very appreciated) pheasant hunts with my good friend and wrestling coach.
Then I moved to Waco 3.5 years ago and was able to get back to hunting, since I was no longer coaching every weekend, and was in a location suitable for hunting. Since I've been here, I have shot my share of does and pigs (no bucks), and have shot a few deer back in my home state of OK. Not to mention plenty of birds here and there. While I wish I could have shared my first deer with someone meaningful, I took it by myself, on my own. Oddly, I appreciate that I was able to do it on my own... in some way is was a way to make my dad proud, even though he never saw me shoot one and is no longer with us.
In any case, when I moved here for school (PhD), one of the other students that came at the same time had a similar situation as me. He had hunted throughout his youth, but he lost his dad while he was in college and had consequently quit hunting. Finally, 3.5 years later, I'm taking him on his first hunting trip in a decade. It is rainy, we are only after does, and hell, we might strike out, but he is excited about it (as am I), and I think it could be a really good opportunity.
All that to say, though I certainly hope I get to put a bullet in a deer and meat in the freezer, I'd much rather see him get some success on his first hunt, back out in the field for the first time without his dad and hunting partner. Whether or not he ever goes again, I don't really care; I just hope that it is meaningful to him, the way it was for me. For that reason, he gets the first shot.
After that, all bets are off. Will post up results later.
I grew up hunting, but I actually never shot a deer as a child. For whatever reason, for as much as dad liked to hunt and fish, we never practiced with rifles or distance or what not, so I got to shoot AT a few deer, but never connected. Fast forward a few years to when I was 12 or 13, and my dad got cancer and eventually died when I was 15. During those couple of years, we obviously did not get out too much to hunt. Then, with no dad to take me, and busy with sports in high school, and coaching in college and grad school, I did not get to hunt much during that time except for (very appreciated) pheasant hunts with my good friend and wrestling coach.
Then I moved to Waco 3.5 years ago and was able to get back to hunting, since I was no longer coaching every weekend, and was in a location suitable for hunting. Since I've been here, I have shot my share of does and pigs (no bucks), and have shot a few deer back in my home state of OK. Not to mention plenty of birds here and there. While I wish I could have shared my first deer with someone meaningful, I took it by myself, on my own. Oddly, I appreciate that I was able to do it on my own... in some way is was a way to make my dad proud, even though he never saw me shoot one and is no longer with us.
In any case, when I moved here for school (PhD), one of the other students that came at the same time had a similar situation as me. He had hunted throughout his youth, but he lost his dad while he was in college and had consequently quit hunting. Finally, 3.5 years later, I'm taking him on his first hunting trip in a decade. It is rainy, we are only after does, and hell, we might strike out, but he is excited about it (as am I), and I think it could be a really good opportunity.
All that to say, though I certainly hope I get to put a bullet in a deer and meat in the freezer, I'd much rather see him get some success on his first hunt, back out in the field for the first time without his dad and hunting partner. Whether or not he ever goes again, I don't really care; I just hope that it is meaningful to him, the way it was for me. For that reason, he gets the first shot.
After that, all bets are off. Will post up results later.
