This is What Hunting is for Me

[coonhunter]

I have a friend at work who is almost fifty. He has never killed a deer and had not even tried for probably 30 years. He was kind of indifferent to it until the the various gun laws were passed that made his legally purchased rifles illegal. This gave him a new desire to shoot and hunt.

 

Last year he didn't have a lot of free time because it was new, and unplanned. This year he was committed to putting his time in. He has never had an experienced hunter to help him out, and I offered to put him in one of my spots if he was going to be able to sit and not wander around. He jumped at the chance and I helped him out with dressing for the cold. He already had joined a gun club, and we went and sighted in his rifle, and just plain shot enough bullets so he was comfortable and confident.

 

Saturday came along and he was waiting for me when I pulled in. I told him to unzip his coats to keep his body from getting hot and sweaty because it is a long, uphill hike into the woods, and the temps were pretty chilly for someone not used to it. I walked him right to his spot so he didn't have to look for it when it got light. It is pretty thick with openings for shooting, and I reminded him to take his time, and wait for a clear shot if a deer came. I showed him the area I would be in my stand, and where he would be perfectly safe shooting towards. Then, I went to my stand.

 

We had some early action with fawns feeding in the area. He had a doe tag as well as his gun tag, and I was emphatic that he could shoot anything he wanted. I kept waiting for him to shoot, but he never did and told me a few times on the radio that he had some clear shots, but could tell they were fawns, and he wanted a bigger deer.

 

Well, a little before noon, I called him on the radio to tell him I hadn't seen anything in a hour and he said it was the same for him. But then he said he had deer coming and I told him to pick out a big one and shoot it. He told me they were all small again, but then he said," Oh wait! There's a big one." A couple minutes later he shot.

 

I asked if he got it and he didn't know. I asked if it had horns and he said I'm sure i saw antlers on it. I told him to mark with his eyes exactly where he shot at it. Now comes the best part. He says, "I gotta sit down. I'm shaking and I can't hardly breathe"

 

I climbed down and walked up to him and he showed me a stump where the deer was standing. We walked up to it and there are not even any tracks in the snow. He was sure the stump was in his sight when he pulled the trigger, so we walked further beyond it and found hair and blood. Now, he is getting upset because he thinks it got away.

 

I said we just have to track it and it was no big deal because he was sure of his target, and I know he can shoot. 25 yards later we find a nice young spike laying dead. You would have thought I gave him a million dollars he was so happy. We took pictures with our phones and sent them to his wife and my wife. He couldn't stop talking or hold still. It was awesome, and no different than the youth hunters I take out. He gutted the deer by himself with a few tips, and then found out what it is like to drag a deer back to the road.

 

I know this is a long story, but I wanted to point out some of the things experienced hunters forget about and often don't tell the guys with little or no experience. Back at work today he was still excited and can't wait to get back out this weekend to try and fill his doe tag.

[Brushbuster]

That is a great day.

[f3cbboy]

that's awesome!  good story

[132 eight pointer]

Hats off to you coonhunter for being an unselfish mentor . Your friend will remember you for the rest of his life.And you will have pleasant memories too, no doubt.

[malesi1]

This story is why I think GOVERNMENT imposed antler restrictions are a mistake! Congrats to you both.

 

[philoshop]

That's what it's really all about. Congratulations to you both, and wishing you many happy seasons in the future.

[fasteddie]

Yupper , that's what its all about .

[Nomad]

Another nice story thanks !

[gfdeputy2]

Congratulations to him & Cheers to you for being so UNselfish A BIG thumbs up to you

[coonhunter]

I am glad to see there are still hunters that feel this way. These days most of the good land is tied up in leases and posted up tight. It is tough for new or inexperienced hunters to find places to hunt other than state lands, which can be tough, as well as unsettling with all the shooting.

 

I always try to take someone new out every year to try and get them hooked on hunting. Too often now a days, deer hunters fall into the me, me, me attitude. They forget all about what it was like to get started with nothing to go by but stories and magazine articles.

 

I know I have good land to hunt, and I try to share it with others. So far, it has worked out well with hunters of all ages, male and female. No, they don't always get deer, but they almost always get opportunities, and even if they didn't, they got to see what hunting is about. It is a win for me because I always enjoy the excitement from others and the stories to be told for years. So, it is not all about being unselfish because of the enjoyment I get from the experiences.

[nybuckboy]

great story

[grampy]

Your friend is very lucky to have someone like you to mentor him. I think you are very commendable for helping him make memories that will last a lifetime.

From one hunter to another, thank you.

[landtracdeerhunter]

What a nice story. Congrats to you both!

[NFA-ADK]

I think teaching about deer is so much fun, especially to those who want to absorb it.  Your unselfish act is highly commendable I give you a 10 and say hats off to ya!  Awesome!  Thanks for sharing, we don't care how long awesome stories are!  You Rock!

[genesee_mohican]

Well done and thanks for sharing this story.

[phade]

Just saw this story coonhunter. Big kudos to you for helping to create a memorable experience for your friend. I look forward to our messages from time to time and to see how things are going. You reflect the same enjoyment that I get out of hunting and why moog5050 enjoy hunting together. Maybe one of these years we will get together for a hunt.

[Paula]

Well done, congratulations to both if you

[ATbuckhunter]

Thats awesome!

[bkln]

"The measure of the person is how much he/she does for others..."

[WhitetailAddict11]

Great story. Thanks for sharing!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

In the last 3 years I have been with 3 hunters who have taken their first deer with us. That excitement brings back my feeling of first deer every time.

[moog5050]

That is cool.  Well done to both of you!

[Steuben Jerry]

You're a class guy coonhunter. The deer hunting fraternity needs more like you!