Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

Hunt filled with the lowest of lows and highest of highs Collyer's first buck

Trayball20

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My youngest son has been watching his older brother hunt the past couple of years and this year it was his turn to make the trip with me to Nebraska for HIS deer hunt. Over the summer and fall he has been shooting a lot with his 25-06 with ranges from 100 yds out to 300 yds. Here are his last two shots before we left from 300 yds.
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We left right after school on Friday to make the 7 hour trip east. This was the first time that he and I would spend 4 days hunting with just him and me.

Saturday moring: As the sun comes up on opening morning we are filled with excitement right away we are finding deer however all of them are on the neighboring properites, so we spend most of the morning watching the deer hoping that there will be hunting pressure to push them onto the property we are hunting, but no such luck.

Satruday evening: With the wind switching directions we decide to move to another property for our evening hunt. It was a slow night of sitting and watching with only six does spotted, no bucks.

My son and I during our Saturday evening sit.
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Sunday Morning: Sunday started out pretty slow with us not seeing any deer at all, but as we made our way around to other side of the property I spot a good mule deer buck, 150-160 range, with a few does. As we are making our way to our where we can get a shot a truck on the rode stops and starts shooting in the direction of the deer. In a matter of seconds all the deer have run and are gone. I find out later that they gut shot the buck, gut shot a small forked horn buck, and spined a fawn. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen hunting. I am guessing they were trying to get them to run the 70 yds arcoss the road to their property. I am just thankfull that we came the way that we did or they might have shot right at us.

Sunday Evening: With what happened that morning we decided a change was needed, so we headed to a differenct property that we hadn't hunted yet. As it is nearly the prime hour and many does have filed into the bean field a minivan stops on the road, about 700 yds away, and out gets this guy and starts walking towards the deer. As the deer all run back into the trees and thickets I am thinking what the hell is going on here. So both hunts ruined in the same day by trespassers.

Monday Morning: After a long sleepless night for me we are back at it. With a north to northwest wind it leaves only one property to hunt. With in a few minutes of leaving the truck we are seeing does and fawns. As we are making our way across CRP I spot a buck standing next to a thicket, so we get him set up. Just as he is on him into the thicket he walks. With a "Dang It" I can tell he is starting to get frustrated hell so am I at this point. Knowing that we didn't spoke the buck I decide to just wait until evening and try it again.

Monday Evening: We walk to a spot that we can shoot both the CRP and bean field, both shots are right at 215 yds. I have him sitting about 10 feet to my left to where he can see the CRP and I can watch the beans.
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After sitting for about 30 minutes a doe runs through the bean field through the trees up into the CRP we both see her and hope that a buck will be following here. After about 5 minutes out pops a buck in the bean field with his nose on the ground following the same path as the doe. Just like her he goes through the trees into the CRP right where Collyer is set up and ready. The buck stops at 150 yards big mistake Collyer takes the shot and he goes 10 feet and piles up. After the shot Collyer starts with the shakes. He says "Dad I am cold. I can't stop shaking" I tell him it is the hunting bug I think you just caught it. We laugh and hug. After the shot.
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The result of sticking with it his first deer.

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Helping skin and quarter him up.
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Not sure he has stopped smiling in 2 days. He has a spot all picked out in his room for HIS first euro mount. He told the dog when we got home that he had been gone having the time of his life. He is already counting down the days until next November when he can go back.
 
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Great first buck congratulations! So awesome! Good to get kids in the outdoors and especially successful while they are young
 
Congrats @Trayball20. You created a memory to your son that will stay with him for a lifetime and will be part of the hunting legacy that he passes on to his family. My hunting legacy was passed on by my father, and my great uncle. Trayball20, do not take this for granted. These times come and go in a vapor. Treasure it big time.

The other thing that I am impressed with is that were able to have teachable moments with Collyer all the way through the hunt: Instant success, nope. Waiting and enduring through days of seeing nothing, yep. Hunting ethics on display for him to see what NOT to do...yep. Lastly, putting in the time and effort......#success!!

Congratulations dad! Keep it going!
 
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