Took Mason to Camp Mrex this past weekend. We had a great time hunting and really enjoyed getting to meet some of the TOO members!
On Friday evening we hiked into the stand that Mason, Mrex and I set up before opening day. Climbed aboard and settled in. About the time our butts started hurting and our backs were getting stiff, Mason mentioned to me that Mrex was nuts - this place didn't have any deer... Shortly afterward, he said "DEER!". There was a doe and a button buck standing at eye level to us about 15 yards dead-down wind! They stared at us, scent checking for several minutes before calming down and starting to feed. Mason readied his crossbow and got it into position intermitently between stare-downs. His scope was on the big doe for several minutes with a tree blocking her lungs partially...he waited. Suddenly the button buck stepped into the clear and without hesitation he swung his crossbow onto it, took aim and fired. We watched it drop. At first he was really upset when I told him he'd killed a BB. He had been so focused on the doe he hadn't paid any attention to the other deer before shooting. Still, he was happy with his prize. Mike came down in the Ranger and helped us get it out of the woods, checked it in at his home, bought Mason another tag and headed back down to the campground.
Saturday morning was relatively slow. We saw one doe up on the hilltop where the BB had died, and she stood and stared down at us for several minutes. I suspect she was pretty ticked off at Mason for killing her offspring.
Saturday evening we went back to the same stand to endure more wind and rain. I told Mason that if the showers moved out and the wind died we'd be in business. Sure enough, the rain stopped and the wind ceased. The woods were dead still. Mason has been battling a bit of a cough. Well, he coughed, and I heard a deer stomp or something over the hill. Shortly afterwards, two deer popped over the ridge. Again, the stare down and scent checking started. Several minutes of that and they settled down to feed. Mason made all the needed preparations to shoot and waited on a good angle. Then, their mommy came over the ridge. Mason realized he was about to shoot another fawn and whispered that he wasn't killing another baby... it would be the big one or he wouldn't shoot! She took her time getting positioned for a shot, and when she did one of the fawns was in the way. I told him his arrow would clear the fawn and to go ahead and kill the doe. He wouldn't do it! He was afraid he may wound the fawn in the process and woulnd't risk it!!! I was SO proud! After a few tense minutes, the fawn moved aside and the doe stepped forward. Mason calmly shot her perfectly, just a shade lower than we would have liked. I felt pretty good about the shot and sent Mrex a text. We got down and checked for blood...there was plenty! Unfortunately, as we tracked her we jumper her from a bed maybe 100 yards or so down the trail. We backed out and returned to camp for the evening festivities. Mason and I returned Sunday morning and found her relatively quickly. Mike called just as we found her and came to the rescue with the Ranger again, saving us a heck of a lot of work!
I guess this doesn't really count in my hunting log, since I wasn't really hunting, but it is what I do the most of these days. I'd much rather take my kid hunting than hunt myself these days. It's still all fairly new to him and the excitement he feels is contagious!
We saw some mighty nice scenery while we out this weekend too. Leaves we pretty even with the rainy and windy weather. Old home sites are always cool too. Our little stand site was suprisingly effective with the minimal movement required with Mason using a crossbow too. The pic of mason is the view the deer had when shot, except he had remained seated to shoot. Great time for sure!
I may get out some this week, but it's not likely I'll be out much.