Changing Colors........part II

[ihuntelk]

I'm fairly simple minded. A couple years ago all my posts had the same title: something about boys drool and girls rule. After my elk hunt this fall I thought it was pretty applicable to use the same title for this post. Most our leaves have fallen off the trees, the camo now has blaze orange over it and the green pine trees of the elk woods have been replaced by sage and wheatgrass of the pronghorn and mule deer hills. Yes, the colors are changing! Thankfully the hunters changed also. I was finally home for a weekend and took my 12 year old out on her first big-game hunt with a tag in her pocket. Finished a jr high volleyball game up and left the house that afternoon. Found a buck on a chunk of public land and made the stalk. He stood up when I was trying to get her situated prone over the backpack, crossed a drainage and stopped to look over his shoulder when he reached the other side - Boom....Whop! Took 10 steps and fell over. Ashton was so excited that she made an ethical shot.

First stalk ended up with no shots taken but plenty of smiles.


2nd stalk ended up with a few more smiles.


Old man and 8 year old sister with the assist. This was my 8 year olds 6th big-game harvest she's been in on. If you're not taking your kids hunting who will? Do you expect them to get excited about it when they're home sitting on the couch?


Notching her first tag!


No hanging "Chads" here!


He died a couple hundred yards from a 2-track. Put em to work!


Yes I'm aware this hunt was about pronghorn and I stuck it in the deer section................... I'll go to lunch and then come back to the computer and try to load a couple mule deer pictures surrounded by smiles, of course!
-Cade

 

[maxx]

Excellent work, love seeing the kids getting out!

 

[MT_elk]

Very nice! Congrats!

 

[BlakeA]

This is awesome! Congrats!

 

[Bambistew]

I love seeing these kids out having fun. Their enthusiasm and exuberance is easy to capture in a picture. The experience is all that matters to them.

 

[Dave N]

Love that smile! Congrats to the young lady.

 

[pabearhunter]

Now that's a great day.

 

[TRS_Montana]

Just awesome!

 

[Nameless Range]

What a great day. Congratulations to your daughter and thanks for sharing!

 

[rjlefty3]

Very cool! It's always great to see kids excited about the outdoors!

 

[Gunner46]

Awesome !!!!! The rifle is nearly as big as she is......but her smile is Global !!

 

[JMG]

Now that is cool! Memories to last a life time.

 

[RobG]

A great weekend for kids!

 

[NKQualtieri]

Love it! Congrats to Ashton, her face really says it all!

 

[ihuntelk]

Changing Colors......part III Mule Deer

Okay..............now on to mule deer.
I had Columbus day off of work so I was going to take Ashton out of school to go chase a mule deer on the youth season. Sent a note to school that she would be "Attending the Funeral of a DEER Friend".

We loaded up the truck Sunday afternoon and were just about to point the truck West when I had the thought that I should call a good family friend. Their 13 year old son lost his dad to cancer 7-8 years ago. I wasn't sure if he was going to get to go this year. I learned that his uncle was coming down to take him elk hunting this weekend but he'd still love to go with us. He got to hunt a couple days last year but no shots were fired. As we were driving to pick D up, Ashton asked if he could shoot the first buck since she had just killed a pronghorn. I just grinned and said "SURE!". Kids are awesome!

Saw plenty of deer and a few elk once we hit our unit. It was Sunday so all the rifles stayed in their cases. We pulled down our dirt road in the dark and saw several sets of eyes as we made our way to camp. Once at camp I stepped out to start shuffling sleeping arrangements. I could see several sets of deer eyes in my headlamp.

Next morning we started glassing, and glassing, and glassing. Ended up seeing almost 200 does and had only seen 1 forky - that eluded us - by noon. We were driving to a new location when 3 deer stood up just off our 2-track. One was a forky! We got D situated and he made a great shot. His buck bailed off the hill before falling in a little gully. At the report of the rifle, 15 more deer came out of their beds from the sage hills around us. 3 were bucks that stayed together and ran across a flat to the chokecherry hills on the opposite side of the valley a mile away. I kept my eyes on them until they hit the chokes and hung up.

I knew we needed to hurry if this was going to happen. I send Ashton and D back to my rig and told him to CAREFULLY drive it down the hill to the bottom. I then ran to his buck and drug it out of the gully and down the hill to the waiting truck. We loaded it in the back and headed down the 2-track. After closing the distance we carefully crept around the corner and all 3 bucks were still in the patch of chokes. All I could see was ears and antlers. They were working over the top and I got Ashton set up and ready. After 5 minutes they were approaching the top where we'd get our first opportunity. The first buck stayed in the saddle and never offered a shot until he was skylined - Nope! 2nd buck stayed on our side of the saddle and stopped 10 yards from the top. Ashton already had him in the scope and asked if he was clear. I barely had "Yep" out of my mouth when the 300 barked. Boom - FLOP! She looked at me from her rest and grinning as wide as she could said, "dead deer!". I couldn't argue.

D and his first buck.


Ashton and D with her first mulie.


One proud papa.




We'll see if a cow elk is in her future this year. I suspect it will be
Please get your kids out enjoying the great outdoors. I'm learning first-hand how hard it is to balance everything these kids are doing today. Her older sister killed an elk, whitetail buck and pronghorn when she was 12; mule deer buck and pronghorn when she was 13; pronghorn when she was 14; and didn't have time to hunt at 15 and 16. She's balancing a 4.0, 3 sports, congressional awards, spanish class trips to South America, church responsibilities, social life and a few others. It's easier to get them out when they're younger and hopefully the seed is planted! Don't waste any opportunities!

Although these are Ashton's first tags, she's been in on 2 elk, 5 pronghorn, and lots of waterfowl and upland birds. I'll continue to take them as long as they want to go. I will also continue to fight for opportunities for our kids. It's too hard to get them outside, we need all the opportunities we can get.
-Cade

 

[Festus]

Outstanding!!!
Way to go Ashton, D, and Dad!
Congrats

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I think I want too move too WY.... for both my kids and myself.... but I can't say too much Idaho is pretty good, when my daughter turns 9 in Apr. she will be off too start hunters safety then bow ed. during the summer hopefully, she is pretty excited, congrats too her filling the freezer and for a dad who cares about the future of there children and hunting.
Matt

 

[HSi-ESi]

Congrats - great year so far and family time being spent!

 

[Hunting Wife]

Great job hunters and compliments to Dad! A great start to a lifetime of memories.

 

[El Jason]

Nice.Job.Dad!

I agree wholeheartedly on how narrow the window of opportunity is. My oldest is juggling much like yours is. She didn't hunt when she was younger, of her own choice. Now she wants to, and it is SO hard to make the stars line up.

My middle one is rapidly approaching the same level of business, and I'm trying to maximize all the opportunities we can while she is still able to play hooky.

My youngest will take hunter ed this winter, she's absolutely dying to go hunting.

Those smiles in your pictures are just beyond awesome.