steveshuntn1
Well-known member
The 2022 plans were for my daughter and I to go to Colorado and hunt elk. I bought equipment and drew tags for both of us to have a bull tag, and then we started exercising and training. Well I had an accident a month before we were scheduled to leave and we had to cancel. That was going to be her first time ever hunting out of state. First time hunting something besides whitetail as well as I can remember. I’m still not ready or able to tackle an elk hunt yet! I felt like I owed her a makeup hunt though.
She’s always been a deer hunter. My hunting buddy from the time she was old enough to climb into a stand. Even though she has her own business and is a 21 year old young lady who is taller than her Mom and her Dad now. We still hunt together.
Hunting with my girls are the best hunting memories I have. I was there when they both got there first deer, both were bucks. My oldest got a four point and my youngest was a 12” wide 6. That’s still her personal best! She’s killed several deer but she’s never been a trophy hunter. Usually the first one out gets the bullet or the broadhead!
My oldest quickly gave up hunting once the boys started skulking around and she hasn’t been in ten years or more. She’s focused on her family and career now as I expected her to be. She wanted to be a nurse at three years old and has made a very good career out of it. Had us a beautiful granddaughter too!
My youngest though has kept at it. I’ve tried my best to get her on a good buck but somehow it always goes south on us. Maybe it’s because I want to see that big grin a big ole nasty rutted up buck on the ground will bring out of her so bad.
Which brings me to February of 2023.
My brother gets a call about a Kansas lease and he jumps on it. He drives up to look it over and the deer sign is everywhere so he spends the money and enters the draw for himself and his son to get a deer tag and I put my daughters name in the hat as well. They all successfully draw tags.
The second week of October my nephew is up first and he is doing a grip and grin by the third afternoon.
We patiently wait our turn.
I pick the first weekend of November to schedule off work and it looks like it’s gonna be perfect….until it isn’t.
Last weekend it was cold, rainy and snowing and perfect weather for a big old rutted up buck to be cruising. The trail cam pictures were coming almost every morning and afternoon of just stud bucks. A couple over 160” even..those were at night though.
Then as I watched the forcast change almost daily the temps just kept rising. At first the hottest day was gonna be 63…that changed to 73 by the time we left.
We left on Thursday night around 9 and got here around 10 the next morning. We’re hunting hard…all day sits. We unfortunately have not seen a single deer. This morning was the coldest we will have. It was 39…as we sit in the blind now it’s 71. It’ll be 50 or so at night with highs in the low 70’s for the rest of our hunt. I’ve shown her every trail camera picture my brother has sent me and I can see how disappointed she is even though she’s trying not to show it. We’re maintaining a positive attitude though and we know that a big deer could walk out any moment.
So day three…
It’s our third afternoon…
She’s always been a deer hunter. My hunting buddy from the time she was old enough to climb into a stand. Even though she has her own business and is a 21 year old young lady who is taller than her Mom and her Dad now. We still hunt together.
Hunting with my girls are the best hunting memories I have. I was there when they both got there first deer, both were bucks. My oldest got a four point and my youngest was a 12” wide 6. That’s still her personal best! She’s killed several deer but she’s never been a trophy hunter. Usually the first one out gets the bullet or the broadhead!
My oldest quickly gave up hunting once the boys started skulking around and she hasn’t been in ten years or more. She’s focused on her family and career now as I expected her to be. She wanted to be a nurse at three years old and has made a very good career out of it. Had us a beautiful granddaughter too!
My youngest though has kept at it. I’ve tried my best to get her on a good buck but somehow it always goes south on us. Maybe it’s because I want to see that big grin a big ole nasty rutted up buck on the ground will bring out of her so bad.
Which brings me to February of 2023.
My brother gets a call about a Kansas lease and he jumps on it. He drives up to look it over and the deer sign is everywhere so he spends the money and enters the draw for himself and his son to get a deer tag and I put my daughters name in the hat as well. They all successfully draw tags.
The second week of October my nephew is up first and he is doing a grip and grin by the third afternoon.
We patiently wait our turn.
I pick the first weekend of November to schedule off work and it looks like it’s gonna be perfect….until it isn’t.
Last weekend it was cold, rainy and snowing and perfect weather for a big old rutted up buck to be cruising. The trail cam pictures were coming almost every morning and afternoon of just stud bucks. A couple over 160” even..those were at night though.
Then as I watched the forcast change almost daily the temps just kept rising. At first the hottest day was gonna be 63…that changed to 73 by the time we left.
We left on Thursday night around 9 and got here around 10 the next morning. We’re hunting hard…all day sits. We unfortunately have not seen a single deer. This morning was the coldest we will have. It was 39…as we sit in the blind now it’s 71. It’ll be 50 or so at night with highs in the low 70’s for the rest of our hunt. I’ve shown her every trail camera picture my brother has sent me and I can see how disappointed she is even though she’s trying not to show it. We’re maintaining a positive attitude though and we know that a big deer could walk out any moment.
So day three…
It’s our third afternoon…
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hot!! We wrap this hunt up in the morning with one more sit!
