One Proud Dad!!!!!!!!!!

[Hoytmania]

IT HAPPENED!!!!!! :woohoo1: He was finally able to close the deal. My 12 yr old son Austin has been trying to get his first archery deer since opening day, and it finally happened. It was our last day to be able to hunt this year and it came down to the last half hour. AMAZING is all I can say. Will have some pics and a story after while. :woohoo1:

[Deehntr56]

:bouncy: Congrats!

[benehunter]

Congrats to your son and to you as well :) :) . Tell us the story behind it.

[ltownhunter]

congrats u two!!!:D :bouncy:

[BigGeaugaBucks]

congrats to the both of you....

[Hoytmania]

Ok everbody here it goes. We started out this morning knowing this was the last opportunity to hunt and fill Austins tag for the year due to previous engagements in the up and coming weekends. So we went out trying to hunt in what was close to a blizzard. Sat out there till about 9:30 and only saw 2 deer about 80 yds away and they were on the move. We decided to come back so I could take care of some honey-dos, and then head back out in the afternoon once the snow had let up. So we got back out there about 3:45. We were hunting a field that is probably about 200 yds wide by about 1/4 mile long. We were set up at the one end and could pretty much see the whole field from our point of view.

We could see 7 deer at the other end of the field as soon as we got in the tree. So that was a good sign from the start. The deer were just feeding and then somebody that was on another property that buts up against the field must have gotten a new toy and started shooting off all kinds of rounds. They sounded like they wanted to be Rambo or something. This spooked the deer and had them coming our direction. Unfortunately they went by us about 80 yds.

About 30 minutes later my son saw 3 ore deer enter the field about 500 yds away. They were making there way towards us at a pretty good pace. It was a doe with 2 yearlings. The doe got to about 40 yds and closing when she saw Austin draw his bow. BUSTED!! She turned and hightailed it out of there pretty quick. All the way to the other end of the field. Here is the interesting part. The 2 yearlings that entered the field with her and came to about 100 yds stayed. The doe had totally left the field and they stayed. I thought that to be a bit odd, but none the less it gave us soething to continue to watch.

About 30 Minutes later I saw deer coming into the field about 60 yds from us. It was so stinking cal that they heard me trying to get Austins attention from the other 2 deer 100 yds away. They didn't spook to the point of running away, but they definetly were not coming any closer. There ended up being a total of 4 deer come out of the woods and into the field. I heard some leating back in the woods a little further. So I knew there were more deer coming. It was just so thick back in there I could not see them coming yet.

The 4 deer eventually started to cross the field about 50 yds in front of us as Austin is watching these deer I spot one coming in directly behind us about 40 yds and closing. I am trying to tell him about this other deer and in the process spook the four in the field. It was so stinking calm these deer were picking up on everything, and that is what makes the next part of the story so amazing.

As the 4 deer run off Austin has no idea how close this other deer is. He starts talking in disgust because ther is only about 15 minutes of shooting light left. I thought for sure that as loud as he was talking that he spooked the approaching deer off. Sure enough there she was at 25 yds. and closing. The way she was approaching was very thick and could not present Austin with a good shot. She got to 10 yds. and looked as if she was going to head right out into the field and give Austin a good 15 yd broadside shot. So he chose to draw, as soon as he did she froze. She did not spook or hear him she just wanted to smell some branches. So here is my son standing at full draw for around 3 minutes while this deer decides to make her way through the thicket right to the ladder of the stand. She literally touched the ladder of the stand with her nose. All the while my son was wise enough to know better than to try a shot like that. No longer being able to hold back his bow he tried his best to slow let it down. This spooked the deer and she ran off to about 40 yds. with no shot avaiable. We waited for a few minutes and she turned back around and proceeded to go back out into the field and stopped at 20 yds. Austin was drawn, cocked, locked and ready to rock. By this point there was only minutes left of shooting light. He pulls the trigger on his release and I hear the sound of an arrow hitting something hollow. The deer turns and runs back into the woods and drops about 40 yds from where she was when Austin shot her. I could not believe it. It had finally came together.

I can honestly say that this has been the best hunting season of my life so far, and It will take one hell of a year to top this one. Harvesting the largest buck of my life and seeing my son harvest his first deer with is compound. He bought that bow 4 years ago when he could only draw back 28 lb. To see him practice and keep with it has deffintely made me one proud father. And it was great watching him do his first full field dressing with no help. HAHA

Here is some pics, and a little bit of after the hunt footage.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/sdlesk/DEER/IMG_0168.jpg

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/sdlesk/DEER/IMG_0166.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD7k1Gr8jAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pWw7WZpWME

[wildohio22]

heck yea, congrats to your son and his patience of all things, not too many youngsters have that right off, my boy is only 19 months but everytime i get the bow out and bag with camo he grabs his little boots and puts em on (on the wrong feet) and goes to the door. he went nuts when i brought my first deer of the season home:) cant wait to get some time in the outdoors with him

[coonskinner]

congrats...:D

[Francis]

congrats! :woohoo1::grouphug:

[BigGeaugaBucks]

again congrats to you and your son on a great season ender... great story to i wish i could get one to present a good solid 20 yd shot...lol

[crossbow hunter]

congrats, great story!

[punisher]

congrats on his first archery kill...cool story also

[TritonBill]

That is awesome!! Congratz to both of you on your season!

[Hawgleg]

Congrats Austin, Just goes to show you that persistance pays off. Way to hang in there and finish the job. Helps when your father is there for you like yours is. Good luck with many more deer in the future.

[deerhunt45]

Awesome story! What a way to end your season. Congratulations to you both :bouncy:

[hunter79]

great story and pics.congrats to you both!!

[Hoytmania]

Thanks for all the congrats guys. It sure has added a new dynamic to the deer season beoing able to share all the stories with everybody on the board. Looking forward to all the stories that the future holds.

[Duffy]

That is great! Congratulations!

[Lance]

Congrats and way to go Austin! That is VERY cool to hear. :)