The only thing we shot were “selfies.”
Got to a shooting house before dark. Achievement 1 has been met at this point.
We get settled in and I said there’s a good chance there will be some coming across this cut over right at daylight and I started into my bag to get some binoculars and then was blinded by camera flashes. I looked up like what in the heck are you doing and she had snapped a picture of me and was taking photos lol.. she captured my what heck you doin face
All in all she was about as stealthy as a piano tumbling down a flight of stairs for about the first 45 minutes.. I suppose after that she was posting her pictures because she did at one point sit still.. then her feet got cold so we did a foot tap for a bit and she said I just can’t sit still let’s walk down over the hill. Absolutely a great idea I thought, so we eased through the cut over following some deer trails towards a hardwood creek bottom. We took our time walking and I pointed out some of the deer sign and just kind of chit chatted about deer sign. She went through that cut over like a champ and even stopped me a few times to show me some deer prints and bedding.
We walked a good ways through some thick stuff and ended up at a pretty spot on the creek bed with several white oaks and sign everywhere. I figured if we ever were to see a deer that this would be the spot. I found a spot about 35 yards away from some large active white oaks where we could still see the flat and cut over pretty good. We settled in against a tree with some vines in front of us hoping to break up the silhouette. I knew she would be moving all around.
Few minutes go by and I noticed some subtle movements off in some thick area. I told her we may have a deer headed our way. I didn’t have time to hand her the rifle before a big nanny presents herself perfectly broadside. I whispered there’s your deer. She leaned over looking for it and her phone goes off... it’s that Siri thing asking how she can help us.. doe kind of scampers off. She said why didn’t you shoot it?
I told her I was letting her shoot her first deer. Her response to that was “ well I mean I want to shoot one but our deep freeze has no deer meat in it so you do what you gotta do.”
That was an affirmation of why I love this gal.
We had to go not long after that and she wanted to walk around the creek bend to see what was there. She followed a trail that led us to some good rubs and a sure nuff buck hot spot. She said can we put that double ladder here or you just get me a climber?
I said you want to use a climber? “I’d love to learn how to use one” she said..
I don’t know how well she will do as a tree stand hunter but I may have myself a stalk hunter in the making.
All in all ended up being a great morning with the wife. Thankfully she loved it and seems to be all in now!
Maybe I won’t get scolded anymore for buying all the hunting crap I buy.
My next adventure is my 6 yr old chatterbox daughter.. here’s a few photos.. to be continued