re: Got my 10-year-old daughter a .243 for Christmas… she obliged me with her first kill

Special time HT, special time and one you will always cherish.

Not a deer hunt, but I remember the first squirrel I killed. I'm 66 years old now so it was probably 60 years ago. My dad pointed into a tree, said watch right there and when I walk around to the other side of the tree, the squirrel will come to your side, when it does, shoot it. Of course as my dad walked to the other side of the tree the fox squirrel came around to my side and BOOM went the 410 and ForLSU56 killed his first squirrel. I walked by that same tree a few days ago and got a lump in my throat remembering this.

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Not a deer hunt, but I remember the first squirrel I killed. I'm 66 years old now so it was probably 60 years ago. My dad pointed into a tree, said watch right there and when I walk around to the other side of the tree, the squirrel will come to your side, when it does, shoot it. Of course as my dad walked to the other side of the tree the fox squirrel came around to my side and BOOM went the 410 and ForLSU565 killed his first squirrel. I walked by that same tree a few days ago and got a lump in my throat remembering this.

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Thank you for sharing that memory. It’s wild how quickly a hunting memory can take us back, much like a song can.

I shot my first deer in 1990, 8 years old, wearing a Nolan Ryan t-shirt. To this day I can still smell the gunpowder from that shot.

Merry Christmas, sir.

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I’m happy as can be for her.

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I’m happy as can be for you

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I’ve got some admirers that follow me around in here, it’s a compliment as far as I’m concerned haha.

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I got a few of those. It's funny when I post something completely benign or universally positive and I see the downvote and who replied to my comment. I rarely see it because there are few threads I got back to see if there are more comments but it really shows on Pelicans game threads.

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Man what I wouldn't give to have the opportunity to feel that excitement again.

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Yea you right!

So I’ll guess I’ll share some more hunting details…I had a rough week until this moment with her…

I got off early Monday for the rain and went to scout a new spot on Tensas. I found a good rub, some scrapes, good acorns (easy part) and climbed up… sat the rest of the day in the rain and didn’t see anything until I climbed down and promptly bumped/spooked a buck on my walk out.. no big deal.. came back the next day, climbed the same tree… about 515 pm on Tuesday (off work all day with rain) I see a small buck running off downwind, so I grunted. At that point a decent buck walks outta the palmettos to 20 yards broadside.. I put an arrow with a rage right into the back area of his right shoulder…hit him and he runs… I get decent blood and looked for an hour by myself in the dark, but couldn’t find him… call a guy with a dog, and the dog finds new blood and we trailed til 11 pm with no luck. Super bummed.

I went home and worked all day the next day thinking about it. Took off Thursday and was up at 3 am to go back to the spot and get climbed up… as soon as the sun rose I started seeing buzzards northwest of where I hunted and that buck ran, so I chalked him up to dead and wasted. Bummed again.

Well about 10 am I see one of the most beautiful, largest bucks (10 or better) I’ve ever seen on the refuge. Grunt him to within 45 yards of me but the south wind that day was blowing my scent directly towards him.. he stops dead in his tracks, starts licking the wind, turns around and bounds off… then a 6 pt comes out same direction and does the same thing… bounds off to my north.. that concluded my week’s hunting until today with my daughter …

Seeing her lay down that nanny made all that fade away. My excitement was back to 11!!

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explained to her, my nephew got one when he was her age and he still kills with it at 17. She can take many many deer with this gun.

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I bought one for my oldest boy when he was 8 (15 years ago). Of all the rifles we have and have had since, it has by far done the most killing..A few different people have used it to make their first kill..

What brand/model rifle and scope did you get her?

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What brand/model rifle and scope did you get her?

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Ruger American .243
Hawke 3-9x40 scope
All black

I was out the door at Mike’s Gun Shop in Winnsboro for $650. Simmons and Spotted Dog were about $700.

I got that 243 youth model savage years ago.....a real tack driver.

You are right about that. I was up in my climber this afternoon hunting, and I thought to myself that I didn’t get a picture with her and the deer. Only took her picture with the deer. But one thing that will stick with me forever is sitting back and watching her aim and fire and that deer laying down right where she was standing.