USA: Nieces First Buck Hunt

[Diamondhitch]

I am so excited right now. My 12 year old neice just shot her first buck late this afternoon.

She has had a tough go of it this year since the string of bad winters severely reduced our deer numbers. Her dad was not having any luck getting her on a deer so I volunteered to help out and had her on a doe the first evening, however, she had her hear set on a buck and no amount of coaxing could convincer her to take a doe. She had a chance the next night on a small buck as he bred a doe but did not feel confident shooting 160 yds and into the timber so she passed on the shot. Yeaterday afternoon was supposed to be the last hunting day due to commitments next weekend. I saw 2 bucks that evening and my hear sank each time. This afternoon her dad left work early and picked her up from school for one last try and with only limited time and the clock ticking down the last 15 minutes of light a well operator showed up to check the oil well at the far end of the property. He had to drive right past us after swinging open the creaky gate and clanging the chains loudly, he spent 10 minutes at the well then made his noisy departure. Paige was sure it was all over but with just 3 minutes of legal hunting time remaining the non-typical showed up at 75 yds and she made a perfect shot cleaning the arteries off of his heart. She is super pumped as are we all. When we got looking at her buck we found that he had snapped off what appears to be a second main beam on his deformed side. He is a young buck with a really unique rack. I know she will not forget soon!!!

Pics will follow.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Glad they changed the regs for her.
That she is tenacious enough to "keep the guide focused" on her trophy list and not be sold a management hunt is amazing.
Good for her.
Congrats, it is a great feeling to watch the youngsters successes.
Look forward to the trophy pictures.







'

 

[James.Grage]

good job

 

[enysse]

Thanks for the story, awaiting pictures .

 

[Diamondhitch]

Thanks all, I dont know who was more excited her or us! My brother spat out a quick coaching session as she prepared to shoot and when he finished she simply said "can I shoot him now?" The word yes was barely out of his mouth and the buck was doing the heartshot hussle into the timber! After he was down and it sank in she was clearly the most excited!

Sharing in someones first buck is better than getting one yourself anyday! I have had the good fortune of sharing that moment twice in the past 2 seasons, both times with female hunters.

Here is a pic.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Glad they changed the regs for her.
That she is tenacious enough to "keep the guide focused" on her trophy list and not be sold a management hunt is amazing.
Good for her.
Congrats, it is a great feeling to watch the youngsters successes.
Look forward to the trophy pictures.'

I think it is a great thing they did lowering the minimum hunting age to 12. Giving them a handfull of tags for $10 or whatever it is is great too.

LOL, I never thought of it as a management hunt. I started hunting in the 80s and back then deer numbers were at an all time low. My first 'buck' was a doe and we worked hard for her and I was as excited about her as I would have been with the new world record.

Deer numbers on the crown land areas around here are once again just as bleak. I drive 350-400km per day at work and see 1-3 deer per WEEK! Agricultural areas have made out much better but access tends to be tight, I was lucky to get a couple good properties through personal contacts this year. There are at least 5 times the number of hunters that I normally see this time of year, I assume because of the lack of success during the early season. Along with that the poaching and hunting without permission (also poaching) is unbelievably high this year. A few mild winters would really go a long way right now.

 

[BRICKBURN]

....she simply said "can I shoot him now?" The word yes was barely out of his mouth and the buck was doing the heartshot hussle into the timber!

View attachment 8953

She is ALL business! That is such a great attitude.

Too polite to add "shut up dad".

Very nice first buck. Glad she held out.


Speaking of holding out, what ever happened with that MOOSE you were supposed to be chasing?

 

[Diamondhitch]

Speaking of holding out, what ever happened with that MOOSE you were supposed to be chasing?

Well holding out is the theme here sooo... I saw a 55" bull with huge brow palms that almost touched in the middle but it was still bow season and my brother could not close the gap past 65yds after he held up there. I saw a bunch of smaller bulls once rifle season opened but could not find a monster. My brother had to go back to work a week early and I chose to stay and hunt by myself, that is until the griz chased me out of camp! I bumped him one evening 350 yds from camp then the next morning again in the same spot. Both times he paid little attention to me, the first time at 20yds the next at 60. He simply popped his jaws and casually walked away. I decided to give him the valley and packed up camp, slightly rattled, and headed for home. I had to pass near the spot I had been seeing him to get back home and was 75yds or so past it when the SOB decided to charge the horses. Apparently the first 2 encounteres had tried his patience. I barely hung on as my horse sprung 3' sideways and 4' down the steep embankment we were riding along and when I regained my seat I looked back to see no bear following and pulled him up. My packhorses had run randomly off into millions of acres of wilderness and the wind was howling far too loud to call them or hear the winnying of them trying to regroup. Luckily 2 days later all 3 packhorses and their loads were rounded up and in the trailer.

With an emply freezer and a day and a half left to hunt I told Christine to get a partner tag and we would shoot the first bull we saw. We rounded up the horses and set up camp the next afternoon and managed to find a 55" bull which due to a bit of inexperienced hunter bumbling managed to spook and get away. The next morning we had until noon to fill the tag and at 10:30 managed to find a bull tending a cow and called him away from her to about 100yds. 1 shot, 3 steps and he was down. Christine was quite excited, her dad suddenly passed away last spring and she has wanted a nice moose rack to donate in his honor to his moose lodge (mens club) back in Ontario so that is where the rack will go.

View attachment 8955

 

[RickB]

I love to see kids hunting....mine can't hunt yet, but they go to the woods with me!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good choice to give up the valley. Patience is not a virtue they seem to have on many occasions.

Good use of a set of Moose antlers too. At least you got some meat.
(The picture will post at some point. Can't see it at the moment.)

Congrats on keeping your seat on a spooked horse in the hills.

 

[Diamondhitch]

I love to see kids hunting....mine can't hunt yet, but they go to the woods with me!

Thats how she started. Shes been tagging along for years. She will one day be a big buck hunter to envy, she has limitless patience on stand. Her brother on the other hand cant stand still for 2 seconds but still enjoys hunting chickens from the quad.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Good choice to give up the valley. Patience is not a virtue they seem to have on many occasions.

Good use of a set of Moose antlers too. At least you got some meat.
(The picture will post at some point. Can't see it at the moment.)

Congrats on keeping your seat on a spooked horse in the hills.

I definitely needed the meat. Despite being an old rut crazed bull with a 10" deep horn puncture in his hip, 2 broken ribs and numerous bruises randomly scattered around his body, he sure is tasty and not nearly as tough as expected.

The griz in the other hand really needed a bullet. Since the moratorium on griz hunting they just seem to be getting bolder and bolder each year. I see no more grizzlies than I used to but bad encounters just seem to be on the rise.

 

[Diamondhitch]

BTW I see the pic did not post but if you click on the link it pops up.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Thanks all, I dont know who was more excited her or us! My brother spat out a quick coaching session as she prepared to shoot and when he finished she simply said "can I shoot him now?" The word yes was barely out of his mouth and the buck was doing the heartshot hussle into the timber! After he was down and it sank in she was clearly the most excited!

Sharing in someones first buck is better than getting one yourself anyday! I have had the good fortune of sharing that moment twice in the past 2 seasons, both times with female hunters.

Here is a pic.

View attachment 8953

Outstanding, the smile says it all! Congrats to Paige!!

 

[Bobpuckett]

OH NO the B word isn't Barbie anymore it's BROWNING Congrats on a Fine First Deer.