DeerWhisperer

How did it go? I had high hopes on my 2 sons getting a deer this year but they didn't. We got into the woods and set up by 5:40 am. about 10 minutes later we hear movement in the leaves to our left side. About 10 more minutes passed and more movement, still to our left side but a little more out front of us. We kept hearing the leaves rustleing for nearly an hour and i was sure it was deer but could not see them. It was getting light outside but the area we was hearing them was still in the dark form a lot of shadows and the sun not up high enough yet. About 7:10am a shot rang out to our left. you could hear the deer jump and scurrying then the took off. They were about 40 - 50 yards right where we kept hearing the noise. We could not see them cause of the dark area and also there was a falling tree and they were near the top brushy part that was away from us.
Well about 10:00 i was looking through the binocs behind us and was scanning around. I took down my binocs to see my oldest son with the gun pointed outward and him looking back at me. I asked what are you doing? he said there's a deer right there, can he shoot? I look and say i don't see anything, but just as i say that i catch the back end of the deer. We was walking away slowly and i told him if he has a shot to shoot. Now i have my youngest son yelling it's a buck and i try to settle him down a bit and when i look back up the deer is gone. The deer was walking so slowly i do not know how he disappeared that fast.
After we settled down my son said he was waiting for me to give him the ok to shoot for like 10 minutes. I kind of felt bad, him waiting on me, but told him next time if he sees a deer that close and he is pretty sure he can shoot it and the area is clear then just to shoot.
Only seen i more that day and it was running. I still feel bad cause my oldest son does not really want to go hunting much but tells me he will go a few times a year cause he knows i like it.
I know he gets excited though when he sees deer, you can just see it in his eyes.

DeerWhisperer

Come on, no other marylanders took their kids out on youth day?

Saxman1819

Don't have kids sorry. Saw some fathers with their kids out though.

mossy33oak

my kids are 2 and 4 but the guy over the hill from me took his 13 yr old daughter out and she shot a nice 6 pt. I heard ALOT of shots though, I wonder how many guys are using the opportunity of all the gun shots to carry rifles themselves?? I just cant imagine that many young hunters are out there......I must have heard at least 50 shots in 4 hours. Of course my county only having 2 DNR officers doesnt help either.

Rickmur

I'm not a supporter of youth days. The kids proablly sit with dad during the early ML and gun seasons anyway.Why don't we have a ladies day and a senior day and a handicapped day and so on and so on?It will proablly follow.

DaveH

My son was away this year and couldn't go. With the extreemly warm weather we've been having, the movement was depressed (I went bowhunting). I had 4 does run right under me and I think there may have been a buck following them, but my neighbor's cows had found a way through the fence and started working their way up the hill towards my stand. [X(] The "sound" that was following them never came close enough to see.

DeerWhisperer

Sounds like a good idea. Let's start it now, any ladies want to come hunting with me and climb in my blind? Just let me know and we can work out the days.

maddawg0517

had it not been for the youth hunt back in 95 i prolly wouldnt have gotten started or as interested in hunting as i am now.

i think its a great idea to get kids out there on a day when its ALL ABOUT THEM and not the adults.

Steve F.in MD

I took my son to two different locations. We hunted a neighbors property in the morning. There were three doe standing on the edge of his driveway when we came in but they did not show themselves when shooting light arrived. In the afternoon we moved to a farm where I had seen lots of deer during the early ML season but we struck out there too. It was WAY too warm but we had a good time just the same.

Rickmur, I can only assume that you don't have children to take hunting on that day?

Branson

Youth hunt days are great. It gives kids a shot at unpressured deer that their dad's have been watching for the past few months. I got my first deer on a youth day. And the whole thing is one big lesson, without dad/uncle/whoever worried about getting their deer too. It's all about the kids.
-- B