I took 2 guys out on a hunt yesterday evening. Neither of them had ever shot a deer before, but couldn't stand not being a part of the "in crowd" around the office. All they wanted to do was "kill a deer."
THAT attitude really irritates me...so I made sure they felt like they had to EARN the right to be "hunters".
I brought them to the house yesterday morning, and let them choose a gun from my collection that would be "theirs for the day." Fortunately, they new a LITTLE about guns, I just had to explain why I had so many "deer rifles" and the purpose for each.
Then I took them out and made them shoot the gun and actually feel comfortable with it. When "we" were satisfied, I walked them around the lease so they would be familiar with the area. I already knew where I would put them, and there was NO CHANCE for an accident!
All three of us were sitting in the woodline of a 75 acre field, about 300 yards apart. I knew where the deer would come from, and made sure they understood "shooting lanes".
I missed calling the time the deer would enter the field by 6 MINUTES
and they came out exactly where I expected them too. A young doe ran out, with a cull buck hot on her trail. When they got about 100 yards out into the field, my new hunting buddies shot together, as if they had planned this ambush for days. Two shots, two deer down.
THIS is where my patience came in handy.... We get up to the deer, and I realize neither one of them have a CLUE as to what to do. So, I pull the buck aside, and started a "do as I do" class. It wasn't perfect, but they field dressed their first deer together. Luckily, we finished just before dark.
I made the mistake of telling them I knew how to "process" my own deer. 6 hours later, and with the same "do as I do" approach, we had two deer on their way to the freezer.
When my head FINALLY hit the pillow at 4 AM....I was exhausted, but positive they have taken something away from this experience that will stay with them forever. Now they realize "killing" is a VERY SMALL part of this addiction many of us have.
