PEAX Equipment

Nephews first

Ridge Runner

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Messages
2,140
Location
On the ridge
Well had to shorten my hunting season a bit as I had to get back to work but did get in some early archery season in Cali and ran across a few bucks but this time no such luck. Did manage to see some purty nice bucks though and decided to hunt a new area that I had seen 8 bucks in during the archery season for the rifle opener. We got up in the camping spot 2 days early as the area gets hit pretty hard the opening weekend and wanted to be able to get the spot I wanted for camp. Being 100 degrees some days a shady camp is a plus and sometimes hard to come by but we were able to score the one I wanted. We pulled into camp and I said to the boys welcome to Camp Shady Glen as none of them have hunted this area before. We set up camp and got some sleep and after breakfast the next day I marched them up the road to the area I had seen the bucks in the whole archery season. When asked how far up the road do we have to walk I said just about 1/4 mile. Well that is what it seemed to me being in shape from my preseason training and looking forward to the season all year. ;) :D When we did get to the drainage I wanted to hunt the gps must have been faulty because it was saying 1.65 miles from camp :confused: Anyways that still wasn't enough to cry over but some did. :D Anyways we had a bit of a look around and I sorted them out for the next morning with what I thought would be a good game plan on how to hit the drainage. Back down the hill to camp and a day of camp talk and a good night sleep and at 03:30 I make the rounds through camp with the wake up call "Day light in the swamps boys" We get ready to go and somebody says why don't we just drive up the road and park below the hill? Well I was ready for the walk but said well I guess we could as it is far enough from where we were going to be hunting anyways.
so we get up to the area and we have our final pow wow for the plan and start out to get into our positions. My partner Rich and his 12yr old son little Ritchie are to head up one side of the drainage within the tree line and pick a spot that they can see as my Nephew and I come up from the northwest side of the drainage and push towards Rich and Little Ritchie. I start out a bit higher than Josh my nephew as being familiar with the pattern of these deer from the archery season I want to be up in the timber a bit as they had been using it as there getaway ally from the bedding area in the drainage. As I come into a little clearing that allows me to see the side of the drainage that Rich is on I spot a deer on the hillside feeding. As I get into position and put the glass on it I see that it is a buck and can see that it is a forked horn. I know that Rich can't see it but Josh should be able to but I don't see him. :( At that minute I see Josh appear a bit below me and about 150 yds in front. This puts him about 50yds from the deer and the drainage to where it drops off. The deer never sees him or me and starts to move to his left so I motion to Josh to move to his left so he can see the deer. Well he does and I loose sight of both of them and am wondering what the hell is going on when I hear the shot. Well I know he has hit the deer as I hear it let out a bellow and I am on my way to him now. When I arrive he is standing there still shaking from a bit of buck fever being a virgin and all ;) and I ask him did you get it? He says I yeah I did and there was 3 more deer with him! One big ass 3 pointer the biggest I have ever seen he says. These deer were bedded in the drainage out of sight and out of mind 30yds below him when he shot and at the shot all hell exploded he said. By this time Rich is communicating with us and says he had three bucks run within 10yds of him just before the shot but couldn't get a clear shot. Well now I ask Josh where is the deer and he points across the drainage to a oak tree that is on the hillside and says he was just heading for the bush when I seen him and shot. Now knowing that I had seen a forked horn I asked him what it was he said I seen a fork on him. I head over to the spot and find the deer dead with a back spine shot above the back quarters and laying downhill in the oak scrub. This is where I decide too have some fun :D As I inspect the buck I notice that it is a sporked horn. Still a legal buck but the way it is laying you can only see the spike. So when he get over to me I say it's a spike Josh, have a look. He looks into the bush at the one side and and then looks at me with the hurt puppy dog look and says what, that's not good? I say hell no and let him fester it awhile then tell him get your buck it's a forked horn on the other side. Well that look on his face and the hug this man who has been hunting with me since he was old enough to pee on a tire gave me was worth more than any feeling I have had during my hunting time so far. I had been waiting for that moment to share with him as long as he has and for all of it to finally come together after him trying since he was 12 was well worth the wait. Passing it on is the best reward of all. Our plan had worked out well. We didn't get the biggest one but we got his first one and that is what counts. He was done with his hunt at 06:20 of the opener but I can guarantee he will re live that moment the rest of his life.
 
Congrat's are definitely in order....give him a big hand shake from all of his on scoring on his first !!!
 
Back
Top