Grandsons and their first bow hunt for deer

[Okanagan]

No pics yet but I'm kinda proud of two of my grandsons, ages 11 and barely 14.  Their first time to bow hunt anything was opening day of bow season for deer yesterday, and the 11 year old shot a 3x3 buck in velvet at 15 yards.

The older one got his first deer with me last Fall, a spike buck blacktail with my .243.  This summer he bought a recurve to hunt near his house this year.  His 11 year old brother bought a junior size compound bow at a yard sale a month ago.  That compound shoots sizzling fast!  Both of them put all arrows in a six inch circle at 30 yards, and usually more like 3 inch groups.

They camped out in woods about a mile from their house the night before opening  and hunted with a friend who is 15 I think.  The two older boys put the 11 year old up in the fork of a tree and then still hunted in a way to nudge deer past the tree stander if they didn't get a shot.  The 3 point went slipping by the 11 year old, standing broadside for the shot.  The 15 year old friend killed a doe this morning (any deer is legal) to make it two deer in two days for three novice hunters.  That makes three consecutive years of bow kills for the 15 year old, which is amazing for blacktails in WA State where they live.  I'll go down to see them this weekend.

These are the same boys I bought the trail camera for to watch the "cougar log"  I posted about last winter.  We called a raccoon earlier this summer.  The older boy has discovered calling and has been calling blacktail deer, both bucks and does, all summer.  They have more fun than should be legal!  Hope to get in some bear hunting with them this weekend.

[Dave]

That's incredible!   My son is 11 and has been hounding me to get a hand me down compound ready for him to shoot.  Looks like your grandson is now my inspiration to get this done. 
Also love the fact that the three of them are out camping the night before.
I'll be looking for the pics

[Okanagan]

Well, I posted prematurely, right after I heard the news of the hunt third hand through two women in the family.  The reality is a bit different.

My 12 year old grandson (my error as he is not 11) hit a 3x3 blacktail buck alright but did not get it.  His Dad came out to help trail it and they worked on it all day and finally lost all trace of it about a mile away.  I talked with him about the shot and he aimed at a spot on the low middle of the ribs, which made it a poor shot location since he was shooting down at it.  From all evidence he knicked one lung.  He was refreshingly honest about where he aimed and hit.

At least we got some learning out of it.  I made a play dough deer body and with a long skinny splinter all my hunting grandsons and I examined different shot angles and where a shooter has to aim on the body to hit vitals as an animal changes position.  If the 12 year old hunter had aimed a few inches higher to adjust for the down angle on the buck’s body, he’d have taken out both lungs on the 3 point.

The other teenager killed a spike buck (rather than a doe as I posted earlier) from the same tree stand the next morning, second day of season.

I still don’t have any pics.

[possumal]

I've got a pretty good picture of the scenario in my old possum mind.  Man, does that bring back memories of my first camping trip. No sleep, junk food, and lots of anticipation.  It is great that those young fellers are active in bowhunting, one of the truly great challenges that teaches you more about hunting and technique than about any other method.  Having you to help them is a big plus. Kudos to you and the youngster.  I know you can't wait until one of them connects on a big buck, at least the encounter where they have to control their emotions and be cool to win.  Thanks for sharing a great story.

[FinsnFur]

I bet those boys stoked too.
Nice write up Okanagan, you got every reason to be proud. Give em a big kudos for us too when you go to see them.

[code]

The 15 year old also got a 4x4 elk with a bow this year.