My daughters first deer

[JasonLester]

Well I don't know if I posted this before but I took my daughter out this year alot trying to get her first deer. She's 12 and loves to go. So I took her out with a crossbow. She took a shot a knicked the does back and I ended up killing the same deer during gun season a month later (weird but it happened)

We also had a youth gun season and I took her out and she got a shot at another nice doe. When she shot the deer flipped over and groaned and looked like it was done. She was shooting my 12 gauge. I had not taught her to reload the 870 because I saw no need for the quick second shot (treat it like a single shot) But her deer got back up and walked off. We waited in the stand a half an hour and then went in for breakfast. After at least an hour and a half we took up the trail. It went 100 yards before we lost it. We looked all day. I was heart broken. I looked and looked. I waled in the fields we we looking into. After I though I had looked everywhere I gave up.

Well Saturday I decided to walk out to where I had seen the dogs walk to the prior week. Its been a long time and I knew the deer was no good so I waited for her to be with me. Sure enough within a few minutes we found her. The deer was a big doe and she had hit it high above the spine. It was just a head, hide, and bones now as the coyotes and critters have eat on it good.

The deer had done a big circle and was 50 yards from where she had shot. I mush have walked righ by her searching. I found her because there was fur everywhere from the coyotes tearing her up.

I'm glad we found her. But I wish it had been the day of the shot. I may go back and get the head and boil it down for her. I probably should have done it the day we found her.

Anyway just though I would share.

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[fly]

It might be nice to have something for you and her to remember the hunt. Having the skull might be a cool thing. I think a photo of you, your daughter, and the skull would be better than nothing.

Always nice to hear about parents introducing their kids to the great sport of hunting.

[Ladybird]

I agree it would be a cool pic,of you, your daughter and the skull.

[wtnhunt]

Too bad you did not find it right away. That happens and it is a shame for sure.

My oldest daughters first deer was a somewhat similar situation, and I was absolutely sick over it. We looked and looked. She was hunting with the .243. For some reason there was no blood, my wife convinced me that my daughter must have missed. Three or four days after the youth hunt, I was outside and I heard yotes right after dark near where we had hunted and figured she must have hit it after all. Went back the next afternoon as soon as I got off work and walked the river bank from the opposite direction and some buzzards flew up. I kinda pinpointed the general area they flew up from and found her buck probably no more than 10 yards from where we had stopped looking. The deer was hidden from our view where we stopped at by briars and a tangled mess. Main reason I stopped where I did was because of the water and the thick mess and my 9 year old daughter trying to follow me.

I did end up killing a deer about the same size a little later that season and used my deer's cape to have her first deer(buck) mounted. I think the idea of a skull mount would probably be a good idea, especially since it was her first deer.

[WVdeerhunter]

congrat 2 her on her first deer.