Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Thunderstix's 14 Year Old Boy Gets His First Big Game. Oct.29, 2004
"Greetings" from the Keystone Province. Today we have a guest tale-teller from the B.C. Coast, in the Prince Rupert area. This is my brother's tale of a father, a son, a rifle, a deer, and a rite of passage. These memories are always bookmarked and strengthen the lifetime bond. Here is his story.
"On Friday afternoon we went to my favourite Black-tail haunt which is two hours by boat (Porcher Island). The rut was definitely not on, as when it is, this place is crazy with deer. We jumped a fat doe in the first 5 mins. of the hunt (about 4:00PM), and then saw nothing for the next 2 hrs. or so. We decided to hunt the ridge tops as the deer were not in the fields. As we were climbing up a well-worn deer trail, a deer started bounding away from us up the trail. I blew my call and it stopped behind a tree...of course. My son jacked in a round and tried to move over to see it. The thing ran another 30 yds. or so and stopped again behind some trees. At this point we both thought it was a doe. I blew the call once more and it stepped out to look at us and I could see (binocs) it was a spiker. It was faced quartering towards us. We were about 30 yds. away and my son asked me if he should shoot it behind the shoulder, to which I replied "No", shoot it square in the chest. He got ready and shot it free hand. The thing leapt into the air and disappeared. We went over and could find zero blood. We searched the direction it went until dark, about 40 mins., but to no avail. We were very disappointed. We figured he must've missed, but the way he jumped I wasn't convinced he had. I soothed his discouraged heart (and my own), and we headed back to the Gillnetter to meet our partners, another father and 14 yr. old son."
"The next morning we set out with a plan to hunt the ridges up to the ridge where we had the encounter. We never saw any deer on the way. We got to the spot where he had shot from and I told him to start looking again while I "went to see a man about a dog", to the bathroom for those who are wondering. I went about 30 ft. down the opposite side of the ridge to have some privacy and what did my eyes behold...his spiker! I called him over immediately and we had a hi-5, a hug, and a prayer of thanks that we had found it. Who would have thought that 2 people could both think the dang deer went the other direction and then find it had died 30 ft. from where it had been shot. He took out the top of the heart and one lung. Ruger M-77 30-06, 58 grains of IMR-4350, 165 grain Hornady Interbond. I took some pics (yes I have film now...Doh!) of him and we used the timer for a father-son shot. My son would not allow me to help him drag it back to the boat, but did the whole 30 mins. himself! I am a proud Dad!
We are going back next weekend for mine and our two partners' deer, as the rut should be in full swing by then. I told my wife before we left that my only goal this trip was to be with my son when he got his first deer.........Mission Accomplished!"
Thanks to my brother for being a guest story-teller. A great tale, thanks!!!!
A successful young hunter...
A proud Dad, and rightly so.....
Sailing home successful.......
"On Friday afternoon we went to my favourite Black-tail haunt which is two hours by boat (Porcher Island). The rut was definitely not on, as when it is, this place is crazy with deer. We jumped a fat doe in the first 5 mins. of the hunt (about 4:00PM), and then saw nothing for the next 2 hrs. or so. We decided to hunt the ridge tops as the deer were not in the fields. As we were climbing up a well-worn deer trail, a deer started bounding away from us up the trail. I blew my call and it stopped behind a tree...of course. My son jacked in a round and tried to move over to see it. The thing ran another 30 yds. or so and stopped again behind some trees. At this point we both thought it was a doe. I blew the call once more and it stepped out to look at us and I could see (binocs) it was a spiker. It was faced quartering towards us. We were about 30 yds. away and my son asked me if he should shoot it behind the shoulder, to which I replied "No", shoot it square in the chest. He got ready and shot it free hand. The thing leapt into the air and disappeared. We went over and could find zero blood. We searched the direction it went until dark, about 40 mins., but to no avail. We were very disappointed. We figured he must've missed, but the way he jumped I wasn't convinced he had. I soothed his discouraged heart (and my own), and we headed back to the Gillnetter to meet our partners, another father and 14 yr. old son."
"The next morning we set out with a plan to hunt the ridges up to the ridge where we had the encounter. We never saw any deer on the way. We got to the spot where he had shot from and I told him to start looking again while I "went to see a man about a dog", to the bathroom for those who are wondering. I went about 30 ft. down the opposite side of the ridge to have some privacy and what did my eyes behold...his spiker! I called him over immediately and we had a hi-5, a hug, and a prayer of thanks that we had found it. Who would have thought that 2 people could both think the dang deer went the other direction and then find it had died 30 ft. from where it had been shot. He took out the top of the heart and one lung. Ruger M-77 30-06, 58 grains of IMR-4350, 165 grain Hornady Interbond. I took some pics (yes I have film now...Doh!) of him and we used the timer for a father-son shot. My son would not allow me to help him drag it back to the boat, but did the whole 30 mins. himself! I am a proud Dad!
We are going back next weekend for mine and our two partners' deer, as the rut should be in full swing by then. I told my wife before we left that my only goal this trip was to be with my son when he got his first deer.........Mission Accomplished!"
Thanks to my brother for being a guest story-teller. A great tale, thanks!!!!
A successful young hunter...
A proud Dad, and rightly so.....
Sailing home successful.......
