Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Son's first deer

lung buster

Senior Member
2,666
106
hocking county
The journey began over 6 years ago when my wife and I were blessed with our son Andrew.


I couldn't wait until I could get the little fellow into the woods. When he was 2, I started taking him squirrel hunting with me.


At the age of 4, I took him deer hunting with me for the first time.


Last year, I took him along, gun hunting, and he spotted the first deer and was very excited. He was also with me when I shot one and I knew that the following year he would be ready to try on his own.


Over the spring and summer I made him a permanent blind and planted a small food plot. I had bought him a .410 and later realized that it had too much kick for him. So I went with plan B and got him a muzzleloader. That worked perfect and he spent late summer/early fall shooting all the time. I got a full-sized cardboard deer target that shows the vitals and he kept punching holes in it. I felt extremely confident, that given the opportunity, Andrew would place the shot where it needed to be.

So, Saturday morning of youth season finally arrives and I wasn't sure Andrew would be able to go. He was up sick all night but chose to go out anyway. We got into the blind at 6:45 a.m. and things were quiet. Around 9:00 a.m., he started to get restless and I told him we should try to stay until 10:00. At 9:55, I heard a deer coming out of the thicket. He came across an old drag road and as he started to cross a small creek, Andrew was able to get on the gun. When his buck stepped into the plot and was about 30 yards away, Andrew decided that he had an itch on his head that couldn't wait! lol. The buck saw him move and started the "head bob thing". I said, "If you're on him take the shot." The next thing I knew his muzzy barked and he sent a 200-grain shockwave powered by 70-grain of 777 right through the bucks' lungs. He ran about 80 yards and we heard him crash. Words cannot express how proud I am of Andrew!!! I can guarantee that things were done right by this son/father team last weekend and it will always be done the right way (by this team) for that matter!


 

matt hougan

Junior Member
338
0
Dayton area
Daughters turn next.....

Congratulations! I know exactly how you feel. Dont forget tk get his "My First Harvest" certificate from the ODNR website. Very cool keep sake.
 

lung buster

Senior Member
2,666
106
hocking county
Daughters turn next.....

Congratulations! I know exactly how you feel. Dont forget tk get his "My First Harvest" certificate from the ODNR website. Very cool keep sake.
Lol. Yep a couple more years and its her turn! Thanks for the reminder on the certificate too!
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Awesome man, I was pumped as crap when you sent me the text. Very cool and you've got a great chronicle for him. Print this out and show him when he is 16 and 17.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
Just Outstanding! And you have the pictures Too!

My earliest, fondest hunting memories are with my grandfather,father and brother as a child.
 

RUT NUT

Junior Member
372
0
Congrats to the both of you! Looks like all that practice paid off with a perfectly placed shot!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
What a great story! Definitely something to be proud of! Huge congrats to you and your son!
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Awesome story! Congratulations to you guys. Were you shooting 70 grains of loose powder? Can you tell me approximately how much less the gun kicks from going down to 70 from 100 grains and also what it does to the bullet trajectory? I would like my son to shoot a muzzleloader also, but I think 100 grains is too much at this point for him. You mentioned a 200 grain bullet also, I would have to believe that a lighter bullet would shoot flatter with the lower powder charge.....Congrats.
 

lung buster

Senior Member
2,666
106
hocking county
Awesome story! Congratulations to you guys. Were you shooting 70 grains of loose powder? Can you tell me approximately how much less the gun kicks from going down to 70 from 100 grains and also what it does to the bullet trajectory? I would like my son to shoot a muzzleloader also, but I think 100 grains is too much at this point for him. You mentioned a 200 grain bullet also, I would have to believe that a lighter bullet would shoot flatter with the lower powder charge.....Congrats.
Gern, yes we use 70 grain of loose 777. We started out using one 50 grain pellet until he was used to it. I was afraid 50 would not be enough if he happened to hit bone so we tried 60 Then 70 And he is fine with it. I did put one lb of lead in the stock to help with the recoil. He is a 60 lb 6 year old. The bullet was a 200 Grain tc shockwave. As far as trajectory, I limited him to 30 Yds so I never shot it any further. I hope this helps. Good luck!