Well, my 9 year old grandson didn't get his deer, but we had plenty of excitement. We saw several deer over the weekend, but it's not easy getting a deer in the right spot for a youngster to have an opportunity to take.
On Saturday morning at about 9:30, my grandson had gotten tired, and made himself a pallet with both of our jackets on the floor of the stand, and was laying there looking up into the sky when a buck grunted very close by. It surprised both of us. I got him up as quietly as possible, he got his rifle, a 7mm-08 I got him for making the Honor Roll at school. The buck grunted several more times. He was trailing a doe along a run that goes by my stand, but the leaves are still so thick that you could only see movement and bits and pieces of the buck. I looked at my grandson, and he was shaking uncontrollably with his teeth chattering. I asked him if the was cold, or excited. He whispered, "I-I-I'm e-e-excited". I moved him over on my knee and pulled him up against my chest, so he would have some support to help the shaking. I told him that if we get a good look at the buck, just concentrate at the spot right behind his shoulder. He leaned back and whispered, "P-P-P-Pop, m-m-my heart is beating so fast, I-I-I think it's going to jump out". I told him to just try and relax and focus on the spot right behind the shoulder, if we get the chance. Well, we never got the chance, and we didn't hunt that afternoon. He told me at lunch that he thought that he had all the excitement he could stand for one day. He wanted to go back Sunday.
Well, Sunday morning between 6:30 and 7:30, the deer were everywhere, but the leaves were just too thick still. On several occassions during that hour he got his rifle, and of couse began the "shakes" again just like Saturday. We saw a total of 10 deer in that hour, 3 of which were bucks, but could not get any shots. I'm a firm believer in getting a good clear shot at the right angles. Finally, a four-point stepped into an opening at about 45 steps, my grandson couldn't see him. I kept pointing at the deer in the small opening. You couldn't see his head after he stopped, but there was a clear unobstructed shot at the shoulder, and his entire body. My grandson couldn't find him, and only when the deer stepped out of the opening did my grandson see the movement, but there were no more opportunities for a shot. That was the last deer we saw that morning. I cleared a few shooting lanes at lunch, but we didn't see anything that afternoon.
I told my grandson not to worry, his time will come. We'll just keep working to get him his shot. If he can stop shaking long enough to shoot, he should be successful.
I have to admit that I found it very exciting seeing it all happen through his eyes. I can't wait till this coming weekend. I feel success coming.
