LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
Hudson is in his third season of hunting. He's had some great success and is loving every second of it. We've gone out during youth season a few times but only saw a few does and 1.5 yr old bucks. He still gets super excited and a little antsy to shoot something but more comfortable with not shooting the first deer he sees. He really wanted to hold out for a bigger buck and I was going to let him decide what that meant to him. Finding time to go hunting is harder and harder so we didn't connect on one during youth season, weren't prepared for early muzzleloader season at all but made it out one morning. I had issues getting a muzzleloader sighted in for him so grabbed my smokeless and knew it was sighted in last time I shot it about a year ago.
We actually got up early and to the blind early, the full moon lit the way but the dry leaves and corn stalks were very noisy. Hudson resumed sleeping once we got in the blind and about 20 minutes after shooting light arrived I figured I better wake him up because the action could start any moment and happen fast. He got up, watched the first doe work through our shooting windows. Then he spotted the local group of toms landing in front of us and immediately getting to strutting and chasing each other. I had a landowner turkey tag and shotgun along incase a big one got close. Hudson was getting real excited at the idea we may get a turkey. We enjoyed the show, the six younger birds worked their way into about 25 yds and I glassed the two bigger birds 50yds away trying to see if they had some good hooks worth ruining a deer hunt over. haha I had the corner window open watching the turkeys and out of the edge of the woods this buck walks out, right infront of a trail cam.
Hudson doesn't hesitate to decide this is the buck he wants! He stands broadside, less than 75yds away, just perfect. Hudson is on the gun, solid rest, squeezes off a shot and hits the buck back??? The buck hunches up and walks 50yds to the field edge and lays down. I scramble to get the gun reloaded, Hudson and I debate back and forth about who's going to take a followup shot at a bedded buck. I was hesitant to let him shoot again since he's never shot at a bedded buck and finding the vitals is a little different than one standing. But as we go back and forth the buck stands up, Hudson gets on the gun and gets a second shot off at him. Again, it's back, inches from the first shot (gun has to be off I'm thinking at this point). The buck hunches up again and walks into the timber and we loose sight of him. I know the bucks going to die, no doubt, but I'm thinking we got a lot of work in front of us to recover this guy. Standing corn all over in the area... tons of places for him to hide... I had nightmares popping up in my head about the next couple days trying to find this buck. We put the last load into the gun and after 30 minutes figured we'd sneak through the timber, the buck probably isn't far and likely headed away from the giant hillside. I assumed he'd need another shot to finish him so we slowllllly worked our way through the timber to where we last saw him go in. Turns out, he went inside the timber 5 yds and died thankfully! Hudson was so excited, his biggest buck yet and first with a muzzleloader.
I have never put a 'no shoot' rule on a buck for any kid, can't imagine doing that in the future either. This buck was one that last year at 2.5 I knew was special. He came by during bow season and was real thin racked but had 10pts already. He blew up this year, wish all the 3.5s looked like this! I told myself if he came out in front of me and I had the kids along and they really wanted me to shoot him, I'd miss on purpose. lol But when he stepped out in front of Hudson I thought "welp, this is your day dude, I can't save you from this hunter!" haha
We actually got up early and to the blind early, the full moon lit the way but the dry leaves and corn stalks were very noisy. Hudson resumed sleeping once we got in the blind and about 20 minutes after shooting light arrived I figured I better wake him up because the action could start any moment and happen fast. He got up, watched the first doe work through our shooting windows. Then he spotted the local group of toms landing in front of us and immediately getting to strutting and chasing each other. I had a landowner turkey tag and shotgun along incase a big one got close. Hudson was getting real excited at the idea we may get a turkey. We enjoyed the show, the six younger birds worked their way into about 25 yds and I glassed the two bigger birds 50yds away trying to see if they had some good hooks worth ruining a deer hunt over. haha I had the corner window open watching the turkeys and out of the edge of the woods this buck walks out, right infront of a trail cam.
Hudson doesn't hesitate to decide this is the buck he wants! He stands broadside, less than 75yds away, just perfect. Hudson is on the gun, solid rest, squeezes off a shot and hits the buck back??? The buck hunches up and walks 50yds to the field edge and lays down. I scramble to get the gun reloaded, Hudson and I debate back and forth about who's going to take a followup shot at a bedded buck. I was hesitant to let him shoot again since he's never shot at a bedded buck and finding the vitals is a little different than one standing. But as we go back and forth the buck stands up, Hudson gets on the gun and gets a second shot off at him. Again, it's back, inches from the first shot (gun has to be off I'm thinking at this point). The buck hunches up again and walks into the timber and we loose sight of him. I know the bucks going to die, no doubt, but I'm thinking we got a lot of work in front of us to recover this guy. Standing corn all over in the area... tons of places for him to hide... I had nightmares popping up in my head about the next couple days trying to find this buck. We put the last load into the gun and after 30 minutes figured we'd sneak through the timber, the buck probably isn't far and likely headed away from the giant hillside. I assumed he'd need another shot to finish him so we slowllllly worked our way through the timber to where we last saw him go in. Turns out, he went inside the timber 5 yds and died thankfully! Hudson was so excited, his biggest buck yet and first with a muzzleloader.
I have never put a 'no shoot' rule on a buck for any kid, can't imagine doing that in the future either. This buck was one that last year at 2.5 I knew was special. He came by during bow season and was real thin racked but had 10pts already. He blew up this year, wish all the 3.5s looked like this! I told myself if he came out in front of me and I had the kids along and they really wanted me to shoot him, I'd miss on purpose. lol But when he stepped out in front of Hudson I thought "welp, this is your day dude, I can't save you from this hunter!" haha
