356
5 year old buck +
I was feeling the pressure of getting my eight-year old granddaughter on deer. In 2023 she harvested a doe, and in 2024 a button buck. This year, her goal was to "tag out" with a buck and doe. She was already into her seventh sit of the season (two with me, five with dad), and she had only seen two deer. During the early youth season her 35 yard "chip shot" was ruined by a misfire. Today we were using grandpa's gun!
The morning started early, and we were fortified with hot chocolate and pop tarts. The morning hunt ended 40 minutes after entering the blind when she filled her first buck tag. She found a large tuft of hair where she shot the buck, confirming the shot connected. A few yards away she found first blood, and proceeded to track the deer 130 yards, then elation, celebration and phone calls began. The 1.5 year old weighed 126# and to her, was a true trophy.
That evening we went out to the soybean plot "mobile blind." While cameras around the plot had been silent, I felt the combination of cold (intermittent snow and sleet was falling) and the strong east wind afforded an opportunity. With two minutes of shooting light remaining, two does entered the south side of the plot, the youth .243 barked out one last time for the season and her dream of "tagging out in Missouri" was fulfilled with this very mature 152# doe.
The morning started early, and we were fortified with hot chocolate and pop tarts. The morning hunt ended 40 minutes after entering the blind when she filled her first buck tag. She found a large tuft of hair where she shot the buck, confirming the shot connected. A few yards away she found first blood, and proceeded to track the deer 130 yards, then elation, celebration and phone calls began. The 1.5 year old weighed 126# and to her, was a true trophy.
That evening we went out to the soybean plot "mobile blind." While cameras around the plot had been silent, I felt the combination of cold (intermittent snow and sleet was falling) and the strong east wind afforded an opportunity. With two minutes of shooting light remaining, two does entered the south side of the plot, the youth .243 barked out one last time for the season and her dream of "tagging out in Missouri" was fulfilled with this very mature 152# doe.
