This could go in a number of categories, but I figured I would post it here. My friend invited me for my first dove hunt, and said to bring along my 9 year old daughter. I was a little apprehensive as to what to expect, as I had never been dove hunting, my daughter has never been hunting ( she can't even sit still to fish) and it was going to be all males ( though our friends sons, ages 9 and 11, go to school with her and their all great friends). Seeing as how I really wanted to get the kids involved in the whole group dynamic and make this special, I talked my dad into letting me borrow an unfired mossberg 500 in .410, and my uncle lent me another unfired mossberg 500 in .410, except it was a youth model with shorter stock and 20 inch barrel. Also, I bought a crap load of .410 shells in the hope of them really enjoying themselves. Thank god I did!
To make an extremely long story short, those kids put about 75 shells each through those guns, and where shooting skeet, hammering away on the actions like pros. Those grown men ( about 8 of us) watched in awe as a skinny, tinny, beautiful blonde haired blued eyed 9 year old girl, dressed in camo, would step up to the line, lean over and spit out sunflower seeds, say pull, and send three shells with rapid succession, watching the clay obliterate. From that point on, my daughter was the belle of the camp, and she just soaked it up. We then moved on to .22's, .243's, .22 mags, and finally to my AR-15. Needless to say, those kids cost me some money!
As afternoon set in, it was time to head back out to the pond. After it was all said and done, I got about 5 doves ( of course there were many that we all fired at that went down,so we all just claimed it for the group), and everybody got one except my daughter. Iwas was heartbroken and disappointed for her, I just knew she wouldn't want to do this again. We all told her how sorry we were, and she just looks at me and said " that was so exciting and fun! Don't worry daddy, there are other things to hunt. Isn't there a turkey season? Can we shoot turkeys?". That was what made the trip. Thanks to a bunch of good ole boys who took a chance to share their sport with a guy they didn't even know and his kid, and in the process taught the next generation to carry love and embrace the sport.
) and will be loaded in the layout blind for waterfowl this coming season. Great times!
