deer_shooter
Well-known member
This weekend I got to enjoy one of the most fun hunts I’ve been on in years. One of my closest friends Ron, has been battling the big ‘C’ for the last year and a half and has no vacation time left at work, plus the time off has been tough financially for him. If he can pick up a Saturday for overtime he does. Pennsylvania has a three day doe only youth hunt so I had the privilege of taking Ron’s daughter Monica on Saturday.
We made sure her 243 was sighted in Friday evening and then got up early for the drive to a farm I have permission to hunt. We got to see a couple bruiser bucks chasing some does - we tried to sneak closer for a shot but got busted. In all we saw three bucks and 11 does in the morning, but none close enough to get a shot. As the activity dropped off and it got warmer, we took off for a few hours, went to Cabelas and had lunch, then back at it in the afternoon.
High wind seemed to keep a lot of deer movement down but after about an hour I spotted a doe feeding in the field next to us. She was about 400 yards off and I had to wait till she fed in to a dip so we could close the distance. A few minutes later and we were set up on a small rise and when the doe fed into view I ranged her at 195 yards. I got Monica on the shooting sticks and told her to take a shot when she as comfortable. Seconds later she shoots and I see the doe stumble and go down. It tried to get back up so I got Monica closer and in a good position for a follow up shot which finished it. The whole time she was calm and handled her gun very safely.
I field dressed her doe while she watched intently and also helped me drag it partway to the truck. We stopped for ice cream on the way home and her parents and grandma were waiting at the house for the second round of picture taking. What a thrill it is to help a young hunter succeed.
We made sure her 243 was sighted in Friday evening and then got up early for the drive to a farm I have permission to hunt. We got to see a couple bruiser bucks chasing some does - we tried to sneak closer for a shot but got busted. In all we saw three bucks and 11 does in the morning, but none close enough to get a shot. As the activity dropped off and it got warmer, we took off for a few hours, went to Cabelas and had lunch, then back at it in the afternoon.
High wind seemed to keep a lot of deer movement down but after about an hour I spotted a doe feeding in the field next to us. She was about 400 yards off and I had to wait till she fed in to a dip so we could close the distance. A few minutes later and we were set up on a small rise and when the doe fed into view I ranged her at 195 yards. I got Monica on the shooting sticks and told her to take a shot when she as comfortable. Seconds later she shoots and I see the doe stumble and go down. It tried to get back up so I got Monica closer and in a good position for a follow up shot which finished it. The whole time she was calm and handled her gun very safely.
I field dressed her doe while she watched intently and also helped me drag it partway to the truck. We stopped for ice cream on the way home and her parents and grandma were waiting at the house for the second round of picture taking. What a thrill it is to help a young hunter succeed.
