The weekend before the opening of firearms deer season, our fine, State holds a two, day youth hunt. This past Saturday, my Son, Randy and Grandson, Sean, age 9, took advantage of this special hunt to bag Sean’s first deer. This past week Randy picked up a Youth Hunting License for $7.00 that includes fishing and Sean was ready to go.

Last year Sean tried his hand at shooting Randy’s .243 but the gun was just too big and he wasn’t ready. It was a different story this year. He had made his mind up that he would master the .243 and get his deer. His efforts on the practice range showed that he was ready. Friday night, as he was going to bed, he drew this picture of his aim point on the deer.

At 6:45 Saturday morning, the coolest of the year at thirty-nine degrees, Sean and his Dad climbed into Maw-Maw’s blind and got ready.

They saw a lot of skittish deer, but none came into the feeder and as the morning passed, Sean’s eyelids got heavy and he went to sleep.

Sure enough, with Sean being asleep, here came a spike into the feeder. Randy shook Sean awake and his eyes popped at the deer calmly picking up the kernels of corn. Sean steadied himself and aligned the .243 just behind the spike’s front shoulder, and bam! The deer shuddered at the impact but jumped out of the feeder, ran a few yards then dropped!

Sean’s first deer! No cut off shirttail for Sean, just the bloody fingerprint on his forehead, (a family tradition) denoting a successful, first kill!

During his future hunts Sean will get bigger animals, but he will always remember this first one.

Nothings better than a Son getting his deer on his first hunt!