Morning Idaho and welcome to OCTOBER!!!
Fall is my favorite time of the year...and Micah...my little girl already shot a doe this year...Indiana has a special "Youth Only" season that allows youths to get out the weekend before Bow season starts...so last Saturday evening her and I got out (I can't carry a firearm). This was her first time hunting and she has never shot a gun before this spring...she's been working hard learning how to shoot...and man did she make that one shot count Saturday.
Momma came in with two yougen's and Zoe and I had talked about what she would do in that situation...I told her dad has no problem shooting momma and has many times in the past...she understands deer management and the need to shoot doe's in addition to bucks...
Saturday had a lot of rain and thankfully we were in a blind...after a few hours...the three of them came into about 30-35yds out in the woods (we're in some pretty thick hardwoods)...Zoe readied her shot and made an excellent double lung shot out of her .44 mag rifle...the deer ran about 75-80 yards and expired out in the bean field.
She shot the deer about 6:40 and sunset was 7:30...but inside the thick woods with the canopy full of leaves...light was fading fast...and we had to find the blood trail...Zoe did great here too!...her young eyes really saved the tracking a few times. I've since just ordered a "tracking" flashligh...it has 49 "white" LEDs for normal flashlight mode along with 60 Purple and Red LEDs for "tracking" mode...supposedly those color LEDs help light up "red" in the scene...now "red" could be a red maple leaf too...but we'll see...for the price it is a decent flashlight that you always need either going in in the morning or coming out in the evening...
Here's a couple of pictures of my little 12 year old hunter...she sure made dad PROUD last Saturday!...I had the deer all butchered by 11am Sunday morning (granted this ~115# doe is nothing compared to an ELK!!!)...She's looking forward to getting back out afield November 12th when the gun season comes in...I really love the time she and I are spending together...
Have a great one everyone and good luck Micah when you get out there!
Joe.