Saw my "big buck" tonight (he's not that big, a fair-sized 8-point, but he's the biggest thing on the property and his head/neck/rack are big enough that he'll look good in a mount 
).
My youngest boy had his AR in the stand this evening and I didn't even bother bringing a rifle. When we saw it, I told him that "the big buck" was his - and to make his shot count (I didn't really care about getting any deer on the property other than that one, but I figured that he had the opportunity, and it would make a great first deer).
He realized that he couldn't get the gun low enough over the rest to where the buck was (it walked almost right under us) so he just stayed as still as he could and didn't take the shot and eventually the buck wondered off without being spooked or nervous at all.
I thought that was pretty cool that he showed that kind of patience and control (he's 9 years old) and didn't panic or do anything to spook the deer.
Well he must have gotten a little bit of deer fever after that because shortly after, we saw a doe and behind it was a smaller buck and he got antsy so he went to sit up higher and get a better shot - the sling that we took off of the rifle had a metal QD connector and was sitting on the seat next to him and made a little "klink" against the metal part of the stand and as soon as the deer stopped and looked at him, he stood up a little to get a better shot and then came the blowing and galloping off.
He was beating himself up about it pretty badly, but I told him that we saw 3 good ones on our first day of deer-gun and we'd have plenty of more days to get one.
I thought for sure that the spooked deer took off in the general direction of my feeder and was sure to run over near my father-in-law and my son, but no dice - they saw nothing the whole day.
I'm thinking that until my cameras show me differently, I'm late-morning and afternoon/evening hunting for the next few days (no more 5AM get out there to see nothing mornings), or at least until it gets colder and less windy.
).My youngest boy had his AR in the stand this evening and I didn't even bother bringing a rifle. When we saw it, I told him that "the big buck" was his - and to make his shot count (I didn't really care about getting any deer on the property other than that one, but I figured that he had the opportunity, and it would make a great first deer).
He realized that he couldn't get the gun low enough over the rest to where the buck was (it walked almost right under us) so he just stayed as still as he could and didn't take the shot and eventually the buck wondered off without being spooked or nervous at all.
I thought that was pretty cool that he showed that kind of patience and control (he's 9 years old) and didn't panic or do anything to spook the deer.
Well he must have gotten a little bit of deer fever after that because shortly after, we saw a doe and behind it was a smaller buck and he got antsy so he went to sit up higher and get a better shot - the sling that we took off of the rifle had a metal QD connector and was sitting on the seat next to him and made a little "klink" against the metal part of the stand and as soon as the deer stopped and looked at him, he stood up a little to get a better shot and then came the blowing and galloping off.
He was beating himself up about it pretty badly, but I told him that we saw 3 good ones on our first day of deer-gun and we'd have plenty of more days to get one.
I thought for sure that the spooked deer took off in the general direction of my feeder and was sure to run over near my father-in-law and my son, but no dice - they saw nothing the whole day.
I'm thinking that until my cameras show me differently, I'm late-morning and afternoon/evening hunting for the next few days (no more 5AM get out there to see nothing mornings), or at least until it gets colder and less windy.
