dogdoc

what a cutie--glad life is good and congrats on the new jobs. todd

I know a lot of the old timers on here have seen plenty pics of my kids deer and duck hunting with me and plenty of pics with them helping with the food plots. Izzy's has been wanting to go deer hunting for a while but was a little intimidated by a rifle and not strong enough to pull back a legal hunting bow. Well thank goodness for Cabela points credit card. I use that card exclusively and hadn't redeemed any points for close to 5 years. The points kept building up and before I knew it I had $800 built up. Never really wanted a crossbow but I thought that would be a great way to get her hunting and have a long season to hunt since crossbows were legalized last year for bowhunting. Well Izzy fell in love with the crossbow. The girl wants to shoot it all the time and she is a darn good shot. So this season we were all set to go. She didn't want to hunt in a tree stand so I purchased a couple pop up blinds and she was determined to kill her first deer. After practicing for several months on a 3-D deer target we both felt very comfortable shooting out to 30 yards and she learned different angles and what shots were ethical and what were not good shots. So last week it was off to Academy and she purchased her first deer tag. Fall break was this week so i took off work yesterday and we has an afternoon hunt. It was hot and a little windy but our hopes were high. We sat on my big food plot and around 6pm a group of does and a fork horn buck showed up. She was excited but unfortunately a shot never presented itself. We had a doe trot 5 yards in front of us but It happened so quick she couldn't shoot. Izzy came home super excited and decided she wanted to go in the morning. However a front is moving in and the wind was shifting out of the north and I don't have any pop up blinds for a north wind. She didn't care so we decided to sit in a 2 man ladder stand on a big pecan tree overlooking a small micro-plot of wheat and turnips. This stand can be hunted with either a north or south wind as long as their is a westerly direction with it. The hourly forecast said we would be having a NNW wind until 8:30am then shifting to NE. A NE wind is a killer for us so I thought we would have at least a couple of hours to hunt. So last night I found a full body harness that came with the stand and after a few modification I made it fit a 80 pound kid. Four am came quickly this morning but she up and ready to go talking the entire time. Off to 7-11 for chocolate donuts and chocolate milk. Got in the stand around 6:15. First two deer show up at 6:45. My 47 year old eyes couldn't see them but Izzy said she could see them fine. Then I felt the wind on my neck--wind had just shifted to NE and I knew we were in trouble. No blowing but they smelled us and off they went. At 7:15 two more showed up from the north. Thought we were good but sure enough they circle around the plot and come in down wind--busted. They weren't too spooked but they could just get a little scent of us and scattered off. Izzy was getting down as we had seen 4 deer with no chance at a shot. Then the wind shifted back to the NW and I was hoping for another chance. I told her to be patient that I thought we would see more deer--it was still very early. About 20 minutes later her come 3 more deer. A big doe and her twins. The twins were good size so I knew we were good taking the big doe. She walks on the food plot and for the 3rd time I feel the wind shift just slightly. She starts sniffing the air and was getting nervous. I told izzy she needed to take the shot. She was using my arm as a gun rest. The doe walked in front of us about 17 yards away. I could feel Izzy shaking like crazy. I kept telling her that the doe was getting nervous and about to go and to take the shot. She said she couldn't get the doe in the scope good--then just a few seconds later she said "got her" and then i felt and heard the twang of the crossbow and saw the bolt slice right through her. She rain about 70 yard and then we lost sight of her behind a big clump of willow trees. We waited 20 minutes and went to retrieve the bolt. Bolt had a little blood and I could smell intestinal contents on the bolt. I thought the shot was perfect but then I started doubting the shot placement. Izzy was 100% sure it was a good shot. She wanted to start looking immediately but lessons are learned in the field. There was also no blood. I told her it was early and lets go back to the truck and listen to the radio and give her an hour.We gave it an hour and Izzy started tracking--no blood. So we went to the last place we saw her--behind the willows and there she lay. How exciting it is to watch your child grow up and then watch her enjoy the same things that I enjoy. It was a great shot. She was slightly quartering to us and so the bolt took out one lung, liver, and exited out the abdomen. Deer didn't go 80 yards.Sorry for the long story but this was one of the most exciting hunts I have ever been involved with--because it was my daughter!!Izzy's first deer (dressed out at 98#) with her daddy todd

VCR????? They still make those:hammer1:

awesome. those cool season plants know they got to get it done in a hurry!!

what a handsome little boy!! congrats todd

way to go!!!!! todd

congrats--that's a really nice buck. todd

you didn't want to buy some uggs??? lol it's nuked!

that's awesome. That will kill a deer any day. good luck todd

that's a tough pass. that looks like a really mature deer. around here after 3 1/2 years i usually don't see a buck add more points---just length, width, and mass. I don't think i would have had the will power to pass on him. todd

i've removed two in the last three weeks. Have always been a little problem but we do our best to nuke them.

nice job!!!!!!

I should have another 4 to 5 weeks of growing so hopefully they will kick in quickly. Not expecting anything from the ladino clover till next spring.

getting a few timely rains have got the plot up and going.Wheat, radish and turnips (evolved harvests shot plot). and jumbo ladino clover. todd

I have met and made several friends on this forum. I always enjoyed the Oklahoma get together we used to have every summers at Griz's. Gator would fry us up some catfish and we would do a 3D hunt. Those were good times. Still a fun place to hang out. todd

awesome buck. big congrats todd

agree

dosse--congrats on the fat doe. nice shot todd

happy day late!!!!

Just read on FB that Bill's mom, Katherine Jordan, passed away. Been on the forum so long I kinda feel like part of the RT Community/family. Just wanted you to know that your family is in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless, todd

went hunting with a good friend and Belle on an early season teal hunt. We only had 5 teal come in but we were 100%. Now ready for real duck season. todd

congrats to bro!! todd

very responsible---if the shot don't feel right don't take it. todd

that last one is a mature buck. very big bodied. the first one sure has a nice rack for a 2 year old. He is going to be very nice in another year or two. Just needs to add some mass to that tine length. You got some great looking deer on your place. todd

have fun, be safe. and good luck!! you are living a dream. todd