Good day for a father

willy · #1 11-29-2006, 09:51 PM

Went to PA mountains with my son for two days during the rifle season, stayed with a long time friend and hunting partner at his home in Montrose PA.
Last year he got screwed by the adjoining property guys who shot his buck after seeing it was cleanly shot and bleeding out right on the property line, put five shots in it as it tried to get up on their approach and claimed it for theirs. Could not care less that it was a kids first buck, first deer, a little forky four pointer. If my son had not been there and I did not want him to experience any more bad hunters and bad experience I would have butt stroked the lead guy and taken the deer.
My son then 13 was amazing in that he kept his mouth shut and stood proud and told me it was OK Dad and that was how his first deer season went.
This year we went back and he kept a positive attitude the whole time, stayed 12 hours in a rock outcropping blind we made weeks ago and all we saw was does.
Second day we sat until noon in a different spot and again saw does only. My good friend and his son decided they were going to do a slow push of a heavy cover area by just going in about half a mile from us and see if they got anything moving. I took my son to an area that was about 200 yards wide and sort of a natural funnel and quickly showed him how to shoot from a standing position using a tree as a brace and cover and we waited, about half an hour later a buck comes sneaking down following two does and moving very cautiously. He gave us a 65 yard shot broadside at a slow walk and my son had to shoot thru gaps in the forest. I had my Winchester on the buck the whole time from the adjacent tree and told him to take the shot when he felt he could. I heard a boom and saw the buck hunch and run like crazy and disappear over a little rise, no oppurtunity for a second shot.
We waited about 20 minutes and I told him to mark the spot he was at when he shot. We went over there and started looking and no blood, nothing. His face was full of doubt but I told him it would be OK either way, we just need to follow up and make sure one way or another. He smiled and we started following the tracks of a running deer in the woods for about thirty feet and then we saw it, BLOOD, good pink frothy blood ;D twenty yards away lie a beatiful eight pointer shot clear thru both lungs and dead.
My friend and his son had heard the shot and came into the woods and found us.
I don't think there is a better moment for an avid outdoorsman than when his young son takes loss in stride and comes back to step up to the plate and make a great shot. The look on his face when we found the buck is worth evey trouble I have ever had in my life.
Fellows I give you Daniel Christopher Schultz and his prize

Proud Papa and son

And the kinda friends everyone needs

willy · #2 11-29-2006, 09:51 PM

Went to PA mountains with my son for two days during the rifle season, stayed with a long time friend and hunting partner at his home in Montrose PA.
Last year he got screwed by the adjoining property guys who shot his buck after seeing it was cleanly shot and bleeding out right on the property line, put five shots in it as it tried to get up on their approach and claimed it for theirs. Could not care less that it was a kids first buck, first deer, a little forky four pointer. If my son had not been there and I did not want him to experience any more bad hunters and bad experience I would have butt stroked the lead guy and taken the deer.
My son then 13 was amazing in that he kept his mouth shut and stood proud and told me it was OK Dad and that was how his first deer season went.
This year we went back and he kept a positive attitude the whole time, stayed 12 hours in a rock outcropping blind we made weeks ago and all we saw was does.
Second day we sat until noon in a different spot and again saw does only. My good friend and his son decided they were going to do a slow push of a heavy cover area by just going in about half a mile from us and see if they got anything moving. I took my son to an area that was about 200 yards wide and sort of a natural funnel and quickly showed him how to shoot from a standing position using a tree as a brace and cover and we waited, about half an hour later a buck comes sneaking down following two does and moving very cautiously. He gave us a 65 yard shot broadside at a slow walk and my son had to shoot thru gaps in the forest. I had my Winchester on the buck the whole time from the adjacent tree and told him to take the shot when he felt he could. I heard a boom and saw the buck hunch and run like crazy and disappear over a little rise, no oppurtunity for a second shot.
We waited about 20 minutes and I told him to mark the spot he was at when he shot. We went over there and started looking and no blood, nothing. His face was full of doubt but I told him it would be OK either way, we just need to follow up and make sure one way or another. He smiled and we started following the tracks of a running deer in the woods for about thirty feet and then we saw it, BLOOD, good pink frothy blood ;D twenty yards away lie a beatiful eight pointer shot clear thru both lungs and dead.
My friend and his son had heard the shot and came into the woods and found us.
I don't think there is a better moment for an avid outdoorsman than when his young son takes loss in stride and comes back to step up to the plate and make a great shot. The look on his face when we found the buck is worth evey trouble I have ever had in my life.
Fellows I give you Daniel Christopher Schultz and his prize

Proud Papa and son

And the kinda friends everyone needs