Well I just got back from our traditional opening week of rifle in WV. We had a great time at the cabin. Lots of family and friends, and plenty of deer...and a great Thanksgiving. :D The weather was pretty cruddy overall last week, a good bit of rain and lots of fog. We even had high winds and snow one day. Despite that, we did manage to have a pretty good week. My son killed a nice 4pt on opening morning, and a doe on Thanksgiving morning. He did great. He just turned 12 and this is his 5th year killing deer with the gun. (Next year he'll be out with the bow for sure!) His 4pt was aged by dnr at 2.5...what a bruiser My cousin's son got his first deer ever, a nice 4pt (3.5 by dnr) and also got a doe as well...so that was cool! I told him he almost had a state record spike...LOL the spike side was almost 15" long! Best to get him out of the gene pool - not your ideal 3.5 :D Had a great time with my daughter too. I took her out with me on Friday and she got to be in on her first kill ever. I got a nice doe while we were together, and she did great. She was really excited...and even helped me gut it out! She held the leg and said "gross, gross" but she did it and it really didn't phase her. Now wants to shoot one next year she says. She just turned 9...I think she'll probably be ready. We had a fun time hunting together, and she did great. It was cold and windy in the morning...she stuck it out from 6:15 till 9:45, despite not seeing a thing. LOL, she lasted longer than my dad, he was back in the truck at 9:30! I snapped a few pics of her that morning...in our blind, and one in the tree we call the "Swiss Family Robinson Tree". Its an amazing white oak, really cool. We ended up getting our doe Friday afternoon. She dropped right against a log that saved about a 60yd roll down a steep slope, that then drops off a cliff about 40' high. Thank God for that log!!! :D Including all of us, we shot 14 total. 11 does, 2 bucks, and 1 button. We all passed alot of bucks, I passed about 15 myself. I saw several nice 80-90" deer, and one hammer that I couldn't get on. I did manage to sneak up on a bedded sleeping buck one afternoon...watched him sleep for about 45mins from about 60yds. It was cool. He was a 6pt with no brows, probably 90" or so. It was his lucky day Thought you guys might like to see some pics...dad's proud of his kids :D Now the fun begins...4 deer in coolers on my front porch I'll be back out with the bow this week probably....and I'll probably do some late m/l hunting and rifle hunting in WV as well as Dec goes. We still need to shoot about 20 more does at our farm. Good luck guys...take your kids out if you get a chance. We made some great memories this week. Mike
Looks like you guy's had an awesome time, which part of WV do you hunt? I live in Lewis County and hunt on our 400 hundred acre farm I wouldn't trade it for the world, the first week of rifle season is always a good time for us.
Great pictures and story Mike!! Congratulation's to all Involved!! I can't wait till the day that I can take my daughter with me on a bow hunt. I love reading these type's of story's, nothing better!!
Great job Mike. Always great to hear how your family does on your big hunt !! Pictures are great !! Looking forward to seeing more post about your son when he starts bowhunting and when your daughter starts hunting. Tim
Thanks guys! It was alot of fun...and we now have plenty of meat. Bowhunting is my love, but there is something special about opening week of rifle in WV. I can't really explain it, but I wouldn't miss it for nothing. hunter6742....we hunt in Hampshire County, (Eastern Panhandle area) Steve, you'll enjoy it sooner than you think! Its amazing how time flies...seems like just a few minutes ago that my kids were a couple years old and still not big enough to go out. Tim, thanks as always...good luck to you and Tyler the rest of the season! Speaking of growing...man I can't believe how big he's gotten. Time sure does fly.
Tyler is in his first year of college and almost an inch taller then me. Your boy is growing too... charish the time you've got with him... it goes too fast !! Congrats again !! Tim
Amen to that. And you're times coming Greg...it won't be long and yours will be laying em down too! :D
