krshunter
Member
What a fall so far. We have all been so busy that we just haven't had time for the normal routine and felt so lucky to be able to get out and hunt with my daughter. The first few photos are just of the little range time we got. I always like to put in plenty of trigger time prior to a hunt but this year with her being in junior high and plenty of activities and my work schedule we just didn't get the time we like. But she did get out and ran a box of bullets through the little Model Seven to make sure she could group and that she felt comfortable squeezing one off. She was shooting 1" groups and unlike her first year of hunting last year wasn't worried so much about the recoil this year. Last year her fear of recoil caused a lost opportunity on what I believe would have been about an 83" buck, but the trophy for me was in the experience with her hot the horn size.
First afternoon out we got on what I think was that same buck from last year. Stalked about 1000yds through very little cover. That can be difficult with a young hunter but she led the way and did fantastic. We ran out of cover at about 350yds which is beyond her range at this point. I really felt we needed to be 200yds or less in order to make a good ethical shot. We laid down and talked about how to get closer to this buck and his harem when a little crop duster flew about 200' overhead and scattered the group. She was very discouraged but I was proud of her for getting where we did undetected. A great learning experience.
The following weekend we got out again and tried unsuccessfully to put a few stocks on. The wind was blowing and there were eyes everywhere. Cover is sparse and it was just plain difficult as is needing to be within 200yds on these creatures. We attempted 2 more stocks on a decent bucks over the course of about a mile and they spooked for reasons we don't know. Looking behind us we spotted a lone buck lying on a hillside facing away and decided to use a small draingage to approach him.
To this point she has only practiced shooting off of a bipod as I have just tried to get her comfortable with the feel of the rifle, the positioning against her shoulder and cheek, and the recoil. Trying to make sure she can get the bullet in the right location consistently. So, we're putting a good stalk on this antelope and trying to find a place where she can lay out prone and get a good shot. We peak up at about the end of the drainage hoping we're in good range and we're just a little further than I feel comfortable letting her shoot. We stop and talk and the buck gets spooked by something off to his left. Very slowly he starts walking up the hill. We decide to let him get just over the top before getting out of the drainage and following him. At the slow pace he was moving I figured we could get to the top of the hill and have him at less than 150yds, she could lay out and make the shot.
All went pretty well except the lay out part. The grass was just tall enough and just thick enough that neither the barrel or the scope was above them. I told her our only option was to slowly stand up and be prepared to take a quick shot. I ranged him at 137 yds when he stopped. I told her to stand slowly and that when she did he would see her, maybe take a few seconds to figure out what she was and then would likely run so she would have to take a good deep breath, steady herself and squeeze the trigger. With the short distance I told her to do nothing more than aim right behind his shoulder. She said she didn't think she could make a shot not laying down and I told her she could, to stay calm and I'd talk her through it.
It's nice when a plan comes together. We both slowly stood up, the buck obviously caught offguard turned perfectly broadside, she pulled the rifle to her shoulder took a deep breath, exhaled and copper flew. No hesitation what so ever. The buck immediately started running and my first thought was she was understandably nervous and shaking and missed him. I didn't hear the usual whap and I didn't see any blood. At about 40yds, he stopped, his back legs got wobbly and he fell over backward. She looked at me mouth wide opened and threw her hands around me and said, "Daddy, oh my gosh, one shot. It only took one shot." We walked over to him and I couldn't have hand placed the bullet behind the shoulder any better. The exit hole was in the exact same location and his lungs were soup.
Not only am I proud of the shot she made but the fact that we had stalked more than a mile on foot before we started the last one and she never once complained. You can see by the pictures that there is absolutely nothing to use as cover and we got to 137yds on this buck. That's My Girl!
First afternoon out we got on what I think was that same buck from last year. Stalked about 1000yds through very little cover. That can be difficult with a young hunter but she led the way and did fantastic. We ran out of cover at about 350yds which is beyond her range at this point. I really felt we needed to be 200yds or less in order to make a good ethical shot. We laid down and talked about how to get closer to this buck and his harem when a little crop duster flew about 200' overhead and scattered the group. She was very discouraged but I was proud of her for getting where we did undetected. A great learning experience.
The following weekend we got out again and tried unsuccessfully to put a few stocks on. The wind was blowing and there were eyes everywhere. Cover is sparse and it was just plain difficult as is needing to be within 200yds on these creatures. We attempted 2 more stocks on a decent bucks over the course of about a mile and they spooked for reasons we don't know. Looking behind us we spotted a lone buck lying on a hillside facing away and decided to use a small draingage to approach him.
To this point she has only practiced shooting off of a bipod as I have just tried to get her comfortable with the feel of the rifle, the positioning against her shoulder and cheek, and the recoil. Trying to make sure she can get the bullet in the right location consistently. So, we're putting a good stalk on this antelope and trying to find a place where she can lay out prone and get a good shot. We peak up at about the end of the drainage hoping we're in good range and we're just a little further than I feel comfortable letting her shoot. We stop and talk and the buck gets spooked by something off to his left. Very slowly he starts walking up the hill. We decide to let him get just over the top before getting out of the drainage and following him. At the slow pace he was moving I figured we could get to the top of the hill and have him at less than 150yds, she could lay out and make the shot.
All went pretty well except the lay out part. The grass was just tall enough and just thick enough that neither the barrel or the scope was above them. I told her our only option was to slowly stand up and be prepared to take a quick shot. I ranged him at 137 yds when he stopped. I told her to stand slowly and that when she did he would see her, maybe take a few seconds to figure out what she was and then would likely run so she would have to take a good deep breath, steady herself and squeeze the trigger. With the short distance I told her to do nothing more than aim right behind his shoulder. She said she didn't think she could make a shot not laying down and I told her she could, to stay calm and I'd talk her through it.
It's nice when a plan comes together. We both slowly stood up, the buck obviously caught offguard turned perfectly broadside, she pulled the rifle to her shoulder took a deep breath, exhaled and copper flew. No hesitation what so ever. The buck immediately started running and my first thought was she was understandably nervous and shaking and missed him. I didn't hear the usual whap and I didn't see any blood. At about 40yds, he stopped, his back legs got wobbly and he fell over backward. She looked at me mouth wide opened and threw her hands around me and said, "Daddy, oh my gosh, one shot. It only took one shot." We walked over to him and I couldn't have hand placed the bullet behind the shoulder any better. The exit hole was in the exact same location and his lungs were soup.
Not only am I proud of the shot she made but the fact that we had stalked more than a mile on foot before we started the last one and she never once complained. You can see by the pictures that there is absolutely nothing to use as cover and we got to 137yds on this buck. That's My Girl!
