jbseamus83
Well-known member
It's been a couple of years coming. My son loves the outdoors and loves going on hunts. However, he hasn't been able to claim his first big game animal, let alone his first deer. This year, he has had a whitetail doe tag in WY and a buck tag here in the Kamas unit of UT. We went up to WY in September and got on numerous deer, but my son unfortunately missed a couple shots. He's always been a pretty good shot, but was really struggling with controlling his adrenaline. Over the last month we worked on shooting by practicing making a routine, breathing, dry firing, and actual shooting.
We weren't able to head out for the early rifle season until Wednesday evening because of work constraints that I had. We worked hard for 3 days, but were only able to get onto does and fawns. Numerous times when we found does, I would have him practice his shooting and breathing routines and practice taking the shot as if it were a buck.
On the third morning, we found a group of 4 deer. At first glance, it appeared to be a couple does and a couple fawns. However, when one of them turned it's head I said "that's a buck!" It was a 1.5 yr old forkie. My son went through his routine, but the buck moved behind some brush and didn't present a shot. I continued talking him through breathing and concentrating, but adrenaline started to get the better of him and he began to shake.
He said later he began to talk to himself and tell himself that he was fine. When the deer moved again and presented a shot at 72 yards, my son squeezed the trigger on the Savage 7mm-08 and the 120 gr Barnes ttsx passed perfectly through both lungs and the buck was dead within 15 seconds, not 5 yards from where he was shot.
I was one heck of a proud dad.
We weren't able to head out for the early rifle season until Wednesday evening because of work constraints that I had. We worked hard for 3 days, but were only able to get onto does and fawns. Numerous times when we found does, I would have him practice his shooting and breathing routines and practice taking the shot as if it were a buck.
On the third morning, we found a group of 4 deer. At first glance, it appeared to be a couple does and a couple fawns. However, when one of them turned it's head I said "that's a buck!" It was a 1.5 yr old forkie. My son went through his routine, but the buck moved behind some brush and didn't present a shot. I continued talking him through breathing and concentrating, but adrenaline started to get the better of him and he began to shake.
He said later he began to talk to himself and tell himself that he was fine. When the deer moved again and presented a shot at 72 yards, my son squeezed the trigger on the Savage 7mm-08 and the 120 gr Barnes ttsx passed perfectly through both lungs and the buck was dead within 15 seconds, not 5 yards from where he was shot.
I was one heck of a proud dad.
