Brock goes hunting

[brock ratcliff]

We have a big chalk board at the pizza shop for kids to write and draw on. Mason is at the shop with us tonight, and it's easy to see what is still on his mind.

 

[Gordo]

Fixated on one buck, and one buck only. Wont be the last time. He'll never be the same. Poor fellar. lol

 

[finelyshedded]

Great write up Brock! A lot to be learned for sure! You should be VERY proud of him making the RIGHT decision!!! Gordo is right, the boy is a pretty dang good artist!

I hope the boy that shot his second buck gets caught otherwise what lesson is learned here? Not only for Mason and our youth but the adults as well!

Thanks for sharing buddy!

 

[hickslawns]

You tell Mason we are all proud of him. That was an amazing show of self restraint and doing the right thing. That buck is a dandy! Shed hunting? Maybe he can adopt an Uncle Ric and Ron for shed season? If memory serves correct, you are not big into shed hunting. Believe I have heard "I only find sheds while turkey hunting" a few times.

Fine young man you have there. YOU deserve as much credit for his actions as Mason does. Without your earlier conversation. . . . would the outcome have been the same? Who knows. You are doing a fine job of raising this fine young man!

 

[brock ratcliff]

You tell Mason we are all proud of him. That was an amazing show of self restraint and doing the right thing. That buck is a dandy! Shed hunting? Maybe he can adopt an Uncle Ric and Ron for shed season? If memory serves correct, you are not big into shed hunting. Believe I have heard "I only find sheds while turkey hunting" a few times.

Fine young man you have there. YOU deserve as much credit for his actions as Mason does. Without your earlier conversation. . . . would the outcome have been the same? Who knows. You are doing a fine job of raising this fine young man!

You are correct, I am not a shed hunter, and I did think of Ric and Ron immediately when thinking of how I am going to get to know this deer. Mason swears up and down it's a giant, but I realize he is 10, and deer DO look much larger on the hoof. I'm going to get to work on getting some pics of him as soon as season is over. If he is the quality of deer Mason believes him to be, we'll get serious about getting to know him. Mason said all evening he is not interested in killing any other deer next year, just this one. Then again, that can change pretty quick, and at his age, I hate to see him set himself up for that kind of challenge. I want to be careful how I gather intel right now too. The last thing I need is for someone finding my camera set up and killing him before this season is out.

 

[Boarhead]

Just getting caught up Brock have not had much time lately to chime in but great write ups nice bucks you guys took yours had a huge body it is nice to see how Mason is coming along in the hunting world you should be proud of him and are doing a great job keeping him interested.

 

[Gordo]

I would trust his 'big' assessment even though he is 10. He's spent alot of time around the right cast of characters. Then again, you never know.

Personally, I cant wait to see a picture of this buck no matter how it ends up. Get on it man!

 

[cotty16]

That's a great sportsman you have there. Well done Brock and great decision Mason!

That buck has a drop too? Hope you get some pics of him.

 

[aholdren]

Wow Mason should be a sketch artist for the police, I wish I could draw like that. I really enjoyed reading your last hunt post, you have a great young man Brock.

 

[Big_Holla]

Sounds like Mason has a good conscience and that must have been instilled upon him by his father. Like others said, it only takes that one time and soon you can be on a path of wrong-doing.....and that doesn't just mean deer and deer hunting either. Great job to the both of you and especially for Mason who I have no doubts will turn into a great young man with many dreams to fill. Congratulations Brock for doing a great job raising him, that's something you should be proud of.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Did you give him a Pepsi for his self restraint? Sounds like a hell of a buck.

 

[Hortontoter]

You have brought up a fine youngster and should be very proud. I truely believe that kids "learn what they live". The saying "a chip off the 'ol block" is true most of the time. My hat is off to him for having the resraint to make the obvious "adult" choice.

Nice photo of the two of you also. Congrats on a great season thus far.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Thankd again for the nice comments fellas! I am pretty darn proud of him, obviously.

We sat on that farm tonight but didn't get a look at the big one. I'm going to get some corn and cameras out in hopes of getting his pic. He's been googling pics of bucks all day and showing me what he looks like. Pretty sure he isn't as big as Mrex's, but he's apparently worth putting a little effort into.

 

[reo]

Congratulations! You've raised a fine young man and you pride is well deserved.

 

[brock ratcliff]

A buddy of mine is a real estate investor. He owns a ton of properties in our area and recently bought a home on 10 acres in a short sale. The place is like a metro park with seemingly a ton of deer using the abandoned homestead. Mason and I ran over there this morning and saw 8 in the 10 acre woodlot. No shots fired, but it sure was fun. We may do it again as the owner has been after Mason to get him a deer. He's a non-hunter but likes venison. I'm amazed at the deer/sign that is in that little woods. It is surrounded by public ground that is void of deer. We must have found where the survivors are hiding!

 

[Bigslam51]

That's almost what its like at my girlfriends sisters Brock. They have 7 acres of woods, to the west its thicker than hell, big bucks, to the south and east is all farm and small sections of woods and crp and nobody hunts it! Its a honey hole!

 

[brock ratcliff]

We may as well try to shoot one on that property. I suspect he'll have the home rented by next year. Pretty good little honey hole for now though. Congratulations on your deer today, Bigslam!

 

[Bigslam51]

Thanks man! I started hunting this spot after I shot the 6 pt. But next year its on! There are deer everywhere there and I've got some studs on trail cam! Is it 2014 opening day yet? Lol

 

[brock ratcliff]

I have not been able to get a camera out @ my buddy's place. (Where Mason saw the giant). I'm not lazy, I'm crippled! I've been enjoying a 3 week long gout attack. My right knee is swollen to the point of not being able to bend it, feels like there's a knife blade under the knee cap. Its had me in a pretty foul mood... My buddy just sent me pics from his phone that put me in a much better mood! The pics are not good enough to post as he took them with his phone. However, he knows what a big deer is. His father was a charter member of the OBBBC. He said this is the biggest deer he's ever seen on the farm, with the possible exception of one that ran around there 25 years ago! He is still carrying both sides! He came up in my buddy's son's yard this morning, eating crabapples out of the yard!!!!! This is about 200 yards from where I pushed him out during gun season. With poor pictures and the reports from Mason and my buddy, this deer is really piquing my interest! Mason is sticking to his plans to hunt just this deer next season so far. After Bill's report, perhaps its with good reason!

 

["J"]

Good news there Brock.... Well at least on the deer part not so much the gout thing.... Hope it's better shortly buddy....