Daughters First Rifle

[Brentster7189]

A few months ago my wife and two oldest daughters took hunters education. They all passed with flying colors. So the next weekend I took my oldest daughter and got her a junior hunting license so she could apply for fall controlled hunts. She was pretty stoked to finally get her own license.

Then it was time to actually pick which hunts she wanted to apply for. We went through the harvest statistics, drawing odds, and different hunts available for elk and deer. After all was said and done, she had the data...so then she made the choice on what she wanted to do. I'm crossing my fingers that she is able to pull at least one of them so her spirits don't get dampened. Either way though she knows there are plenty of general hunts that her and I can go on together to try and fill her tags.

Now it was time to pick a rifle. After a lot of research on calibers, and models, as well as only those available in a lefty...which narrowed things down rather quickly. I settled on a Savage Model 11 Trophy Hunter XP in 7mm-08 for my oldest daughter. The Nikon BDC reticle will be a good fit for her, she really likes it, and should make some quick calculations for a youngster once we get her ballistics table printed out. Right handed and left eye dominant. I'm finding out this isn't as uncommon as I thought, just that a lot of people force themselves, or their kids to try and shoot right handed. I had no problem getting a lefty as my wife is a left handed shooter as well, and out of 5 kids my chances are good I might get another lefty.

Time and circumstances haven't allowed us to go out shooting yet, but soon. Here's a picture of my daughters excitement as she opened the box up!

 

[bnkwnto]

Looks like you made a good choice. I'm sure she will be happy with the 7mm-08.

 

[noharleyyet]

Way to go dad.

 

[Baerman]

That's cool Brent. She'll like that scope. I have a Nikon with BDC on my muzzleloader and really liked it. Good luck in the draws! They should come out next week.

 

[kansasdad]

Beautiful work there Brentster, (and I mean the girls, the hunting ethic and the new rifle). My son is co-dominant eyed, and we have found he shoots shotguns best left-handed with a squinted right eye, and scoped rifles he is fine right handed. I haven't had him shoot much open sights. Wishing your daughter the best in the draws.

 

[rhomas]

What a beautiful young lady, it's just a shame that y'all live in a state with such strict requirements concerning your rights to hunt!!!!!!!!!!

 

[StHubert]

That is a awesome,good job to you and happy Father's Day tomorrow. "Teach your kids to hunt, so you don't have to hunt for your kids"

 

[Brentster7189]

That is a awesome,good job to you and happy Father's Day tomorrow. "Teach your kids to hunt, so you don't have to hunt for your kids"

Thanks. I get what your saying. I think that kids that can grow up in the outdoors are not 100% guaranteed to stay out of trouble...but they certainly have a greater chance of it. I think that's as true today as the old days, as long as you are willing to make an effort to guide it that way.

We decided to get out of the city as far as we possibly could because of work commute still, and it has made a tremendous impact on how our kids perceive things. Even though we still live in a subdivision, we live in a smaller town outside of the bigger cities and all their pavement, buildings, cars, noise and general nonsense. We are able to hunt pheasants, and quail close to home. Experience farms, and ranches, small town hospitality (which is easily recognizable as soon as you have to run into the bigger city for something). For now...this will do, as it is the best I can do for them at the moment.

 

[fowladdict]

We decided to get out of the city as far as we possibly could because of work commute still, and it has made a tremendous impact on how our kids perceive things. Even though we still live in a subdivision, we live in a smaller town outside of the bigger cities and all their pavement, buildings, cars, noise and general nonsense. We are able to hunt pheasants, and quail close to home. Experience farms, and ranches, small town hospitality (which is easily recognizable as soon as you have to run into the bigger city for something). For now...this will do, as it is the best I can do for them at the moment.

Funny how you design all of the things you mentioned above, but certainly don't want to live in any of it.

You are a great dad Brent!