# My daughter's first deer hunt.



## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

I had the opportunity last weekend, after harvesting the biggest whitetail of my life so far to take my 10 yr old daughter on her first deer hunt.

In SD you can get a mentored tag where the adult/guardian is unarmed with the mentored hunter. They are an anterless deer tag here, for $10.

I had asked a local farmer if he minded. He has a lot of hay bale stacks next to some nice shelterbelts. He more than agreed, took me and her out the day before, showing where he thought the deer had been, where they would come out towards evening, and where he would set up.

She was excited and nervous. We had practiced a bunch over the last two months, starting with the old 22, then the 17 to get use to shooting through a scope, and then up to the 222 rem. She prooved very proficient out to 75 yds, but I wanted to keep the shot around 50 yds. I loaded the 222 up with the Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzer, which I had read good things about both in its performance and due to it's shape the ability to stabilize in slower twist rifles. It prooved to be a very accurate round. I could keep it well under an inch and she was shooting about an inch at 75 yds.

We got set up about 3:00 in the afternoon in a hay stack. About 4:45 pm (sunset was at 5:10) I saw 4 does working through the trees toward us. I had a picture of a deer with the crosshair's drawn on it where I wanted her to shoot it, so we reviewed quickly and got set up. 4:50 the deer walk out at about 50 yds. The wind was in our favor so I knew we had a little time. She was ready so I told her to take her time and make sure it was a good shot. She waited about 30 seconds and bang. I saw the impact just above the shoulder. The deer reared up and over, bang flop dead.

I can tell you I was a proud pappa. She held the legs as I gutted the deer, asking questions, putting rubber gloves on and looking at the damage internally, asking questions, helping me with the tagging, taking pictures before we lost the light. She couldn't wait, she had to call mom and grandpa to let them know on the way back home. She stayed out in the garage helping me skin (well as much as she could, mostly asking questions).

Long story short, I was more proud of that girl and the doe she shot than the buck I had harvested the night before that was the biggest of my life.

On a side note, that 70 gr speer performed flawlessly. Broke both shoulders, tore up the lungs and top of the heart and exited through the shoulder on the off side. I am not a big proponent of anything smaller than a 243 on big game. But in the right situation, accurate shot and right ammo the 222 proved more than adequate.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Great story... hell, I was even proud of her!!!! Please give her my congrats... :beer:


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

thanks, it was definitely a once in a lifetime first, but definitely not the last, she is hooked.


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

Very cool!Congrats to you and her.

I'm a few miles east of you and have 'mentored' 3 times now with neighbor kids and it's very rewarding.Many great experiences.Had one boy who was unable to talk when we walked up to his deer-shaking so bad he had to sit down.This year another boy declined to shoot at 100 yds,then again cause the light was fading and he wasn't 'comfortable'.Even mentors learn during the process.

Congrats on your best ever as well.


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

Good story, great job Dad. Sounds like you are raising a very responsible young lady.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

4 years and my little guy will be able to go cant wait. I took one of my wife cousins out from sioux falls. She was the last person i thought would ever want to go deer hunting but one day asked if i would take here. I said sure she practiced as much as posible that summer but than got cance got leg amputated from knee down and could not go. Well all went well and the next year she was more than determined to go. Sat in a box blind of a friends and she made a 100 yd shot walking up to that doe i was probally happier than the biggest deer i had shot. It feels good knowing that i might have helped some one who probally would have never known the outdoors get to love it.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Good story.Congrats to a new deer hunter.Did you tell her she gets to gut the next one?They love that. :thumb:


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

KEN W said:


> Good story.Congrats to a new deer hunter.Did you tell her she gets to gut the next one?They love that. :thumb:


Actually she asked if she had to gut this one, I just laughed.


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