I know this isn't a bowhunting story, but I gotta tell ya!

Sorry, long read. Proud father's story.
So this weekend was the youth gun hunt in Wisconsin. This was my son's first real gun hunt by himself in a stand. ( I was at the bottom of the stand in a blind) He's in a stand located on a fence line between a alfalfa field & some woods. At 6 o'clock I hear this Kabooom from his 30-06, scared the bejepers out of me. So I quick unzip the panel and ask what's up. He's freaking out cause he can't slide the pump to load another shell. (buck fever type stuff going on). Kinda like he's talking to the gun, "come on", come on". I whisper for him to relax and concentrate on jackin out that shell. Finally he does it and I see him aim & shoot again. Then all I hear is "man o man", man O man! He's got the first deer/first shot adrenalin shakes like you would not believe. All I could do was grin about it.
He tells me there were 4 doe about 150 yds out in the field with the first shot. The deer take off, and come his way & stop about 75 yds with the second shot. So I tell him, give it about 15 min. So finally he gets down, all cranked up. He's not sure if he hit them. So we walk over to the initial shot area. No blood. We start walking the path the deer took, still no blood. We get to where the second shot took place, no blood either.
Now he's bumming, and saying " I think I'm gonna throw up". I'm thinking this is great, he's experiencing what we all do with the first sighting, shooting and then realize there may be no deer.
So the deer cross over to the neighbors' property. We go over to the house, no one's home. I drive to a friend's house nearby to get a pen to leave a note. We get to the house, start to write the note, no ink in the pen. Couldn't believe it. Now I'm pissed. So we have to leave it for the morning. All the way home, he's just bumming knowing the inevitable. I'm trying to tell him we'll see in the morning. He thinks he jerked the gun being so excited.
Next morning we get out the neighbors property, and they let us go out to look, along w/another guy. We make it out the fence, and again no blood. Then we walked around the property for an hour. No deer, no blood, nothing.
Story learned by all at one time or another, elation followed by defeat. That pit in your stomach, when you can't find your deer. I told him that every time he goes out, it's a learning lesson for the next time. That he won't forget this for his life. That at least he got to see deer, and shoot. That's what's most important.
But this week I'm going out to replace that 30 yr old scope on his rifle, and surprise him with it next week. Maybe that'll take the sting away. Good hunting out there.
We get out there the next morni

 

I am sorry that he didn't connect, but you can remind him if you haven't already that if it was too easy, it wouldn't be any fun.

It will still be a day/hunt he will always remember. As a dad, I know how special it was for that you got share it with him, ESPECIALLY since it didn't go his way.

While I enjoy being at all of my son's games and it is fun on those days when he excels, it is the games in which he struggles that I am the most thankful for the opportunity to be there and give him some words of encouragement and acceptance afterwards.

Thanks for sharing and good luck to him and you the remainder of the season whether it be gun or bow.

 

Thats cool Hank :D My son has been a lucky until last year. He has killed everything he has shot until last year. He missed twice with his bow, Gun season rolled around, I put him on an 100" 8 point that i passed umteen times in bow season, He got a bad hit on it and we never found it. The kid was flat sick to his stomach, and was throwing up. He had never felt that before. I then put him on a 9 point that I had been passing up all year and he missed him flat out :D cool read bud!

 

Yeah, we've all been there at some time. That sick feeling in your stomach when you can't find the deer, and hoping like heck to come across it. I kinda grinned at the dry heaving he was doing.

 

And another deer hunter is born!

 

Thanks for sharing. Tell him not to be too hard on himself. I remember the first deer I shot at 30 years ago like it was yesterday. I figured I missed but wasn't sure. Tracked her over 2 miles in the snow to make sure... I felt bad. No dry heaves though.

Tim

 

Great story Hank!!! That's hunting In a nut shell right there, thanks for sharing. Good luck to your son on his next upcoming hunt.

 

I can't wait until those days I have two little one's comming up and hunting is in their blood.