Adventures with Eli!
Whitetail Deer
Colorado was awesome as always, elk not so much! 6 days and 45 miles untold elevation gain, no Elk. The Elk are winning the score is 0-2
Colorado was awesome as always, elk not so much! 6 days and 45 miles untold elevation gain, no Elk. The Elk are winning the score is 0-2
So this year is the 2nd year that Eli has fully committed to shooting his buck with his bow. So far he has taken button buck, and last year had epic decoy hunt and where he killed a nice buck with his bow. Last year he learned how much more fun it is to hunt during the rut so he doesn't get supper excited about hunting much in the early season, I have become consumed with archery elk hunting as well so it has not been a bad thing. Deer have kinda been pushed to back burner until the rut heats up unless we have something showing up on camera early.
This will be good, get'm Eli!
Took me a couple of weeks to recover from Colorado actually the elevation was a lot more than expected and my off season workouts were defiantly not enough. The scenery is always worth it out west, the units we choose were high draw chance but low success, lets just say we ruled out some units in Colorado
Season started slow, it was warm here in Kansas and our food plots took a hit from army worms really have never seen anything like it, one day they looked perfect next day they are basically just dirt. Finding time is getting more difficult, Eli is in 8th grade this year and loves all things sports. Football is pretty big time commitment, and he does some baseball stuff with a coach all fall on Sundays so we got out a couple time early.
Had a couple of sits trying to fill our doe tags to no avail. Anytime we can get out right now is a good, so I take what I can get.
can anyone help with image tool will not let me rotate?
Shortly after a nap during an October hunt
Shortly after a nap during an October hunt
The last weekend of October rolled around and Eli was done with football, has two weeks before basketball games start so we would have a little bit more time. October 30th was a pretty good morning for us. We decide to sit in some timber between bedding and food action was slow until around 9:00 am when I decided to try first rattling sequence of the year. Shortly after hanging up the horns we both spot a nice buck running across some CRP about 150 yards out. Looks to be pretty descent deer so Eli picks up his bow I am watching the deer when he enters the timber, and slows down just a bit. As i am keeping tabs on the deer Eli taps me and says dad he is right here. I look down trail abut 50 yards and real nice deer is coming right to us. Eli has spent a lot more time behind the bow this summer but based on his poundage (40lbs) and lack of shooting at 30 and beyond his limit is 25. Deer is taking trail that is going to have him right in our laps. However we are in double ladder stand and I know the direction he is coming we are going to be skyline. Mature deer just don't put up with that very often. Deer hits opening at 27 yards dead broadside and freezes in his tracks. Eli wants to shoot pretty bad luckily buck doesn't stay around long making decision more difficult. Buck is not spooked but moves off slowly. Shortly after the original buck shows but never gives us a shot. While disappointed Eli is excited seeing two shooters in same morning ten minutes apart has him pretty jacked.
They always look bigger walking away, that's what I told Eli anyway. We have multiple pictures of the deer and I am guessing he hits 150s. Told Eli he is pretty luck i didn't go ahead and shoot him, as he gave me several opportunities at ranges Eli can't shoot. In reality the thought never crossed my mind, and bow never left hanger. He may have unhooked my safety harness and gave me a push if I shot :)
That evening we hunted same spot Eli killed his deer last year it's perfect for decoy. We saw several does, and smaller bucks that showed no real reaction to the decoy. All and all was great day, with lots of hours in the stand together.
Oct 31 rolled around this is date Eli killed his deer last year, we decided to sit a clover plot that is about half acre in middle of some timber. This plot has recovered from Army Worm invasion and deer hit it earlier on way to bigger ag fields around us. This spot is a little smaller from visibility stand point than I like for a decoy. However I found especially when hunting with a kid that the negatives from decoy are far out weighed by the positives. Mainly if you can get a buck engaged to decoy kid can pretty much jump up and down in the stand without alerting the deer.
So hunt started off with several does entering plot and not giving (-) interaction of decoy but were basically uneasy and moved off fairly quickly. As we got closer to dark Eli saw a pretty nice 10 working over a tree about 75 yards off in timber, I picked up the horns and crashed together. Deer immediately turned toward us and stared, I know from start that this deer was not gonna fully commit. He took his time coming through timber and, and really never bristle up or looks like he is going to respond in aggressive way. Deer circles down wind like expected but takes route through some thick timber, instead of taking mowed path he comes about 7 yards away but there is two much stuff in between us for good shot. In reality if he takes about five more steps Eli is gonna have a shot at about 5 yards. Well those who have used decoys what happens next, he gets down wind of decoy and its over. Never really freaks or runs out of area just takes his time blows a couple of times and moves off. OH so close. Eli was pretty pumped up and as deer walked off says "I am loving hunting rut dad I really didn't want it to end". Great ending to great weekend!
Thanks for pic help for some reason it will not let me do it!
I don't think I enjoy any hunt more than one with my kids or wife. My son shot is first deer with a bow when he was 9. This Saturday we plan to be out together again...he's now 27 and my favorite hunting partner. Good luck and can't wait for the rest of the story!
Go get’m Eli !!! I found if I edit my picture by adding text to it, my iPhone posts them all correctly. Good luck!
Saturday/Sunday 11/6 and 11/7 rolled around, Saturday Eli decided to go to a football game so Dad had treestand to himself. Saturday was a good day lot of bucks running around but nothing that interested me too much at this point.
Sunday morning was a great morning and Eli had familiar stand in mind. Killed my deer out of it last year, sits right on edge of some CRP between food and bedding would be good place to catch buck cruising trying to catch a hot doe. We got in quietly, got extra stand held without disrupting things too much. After last weekends action I did not even have to keep Eli for first 45 minutes. Right at first light I told Eli, I am going to go ahead a rattle a bit to see what responds. Well I have been hunting for 30 + years and never had multiple bucks respond to rattle, ended up having 4 bucks respond. First buck that responded was in timber light was sketchy, so was hard to tell how good he was but looked good. Deer moved around stand and was trying to get downwind, I asked Eli if he hit lane before he winds us you mind if I shoot? Direction deer was taking him he was gonna wind us for sure. Eli said sure dad go for it, well Deer continues to move to downwind side and hits shooting lane, I draw he is now got in open and I decide I am not gonna shoot. Deer Freezes there and we look to west and here comes 3 more bucks. I tell Eli you wanna shoot this deer, it just remained watching other bucks in our lane on downwind side. After some maneuvering in the stand I lean against by harness so Eli can shot back behind me, as he is drawing he says what pin, I whisper 2nd pin takes is times squeezes and arrow drops right below deer. His left to right was perfect, I asked him if he shot second pin and he says I can't hear you so I gapped it, had heard 2nd pin we would be done. Buck whirls and takes other three with him.
After deer moves off we both regain our composure. Eli is more excited than disappointed, his shot looked just did not pick right pin. The remainder of morning is a blur about ten minutes later two more bucks move through, we are watching them and look down draw and his target buck from last weekend is in draw about 80 yards a way. Give horns a tickle and bucks shows little interest think he has a doe, as we are trying to figure out what is going on, Elis says dad right down the trail right here. Coming up trail is nice 8, as he walking in I say to Eli its up to you, he gives me thumbs up, deer move right by about 22 yards, E bleats stops him and lets fly.
At shot deer takes off hard, from my perspective shot looks good but not great looks mid buddy. We watch deer and get good perspective of where he went. The shot looked pretty solid to me to be honest I know it was in ribs and not gut,I told Eli lets climb down look for arrow and come back in 3 hours. Climbed down and could not locate arrow but where deer turned corner was pretty good blood. Told Eli I was confident we would find him.
So this years hunt put several things into perspective as a father and hunter. On way back to Gator, it was obvious he was struggling a bit with this mornings outcome. I reaffirmed my feeling we would find deer, and Eli said I am pretty sure I made a good shot I just wished I held out for bigger buck we saw. It caught be off guard deer is nice deer, nothing huge but defiantly nice deer for 14 year old with a bow. When we got to gator sit on tailgate and talked about why we were hunters, and why we enjoy doing what we do. More than anything talked about enjoying time together. Really made me step back and realize that he is always watching, and how important it is to treasure every deer we take as opposed to focusing on the size. Conversation ended with some laughs and smiles, so I will consider a success.
Went home grabbed some biscuits and gravy sit and reflected with mom and sister. Around 12:00 Eli, his mom, me, his grandpa, and some of our good friends took up the track. To make long story short Eli eyes are a lot better than mine, deer basically died last place I saw maybe made it 70 yards pretty much perfect double lung. Based on smiles in the pictures I think he was happy to be right on this one!!
This picture represents why we hunt, my Dad, my lifetime best friend, best friends nephew, and my Son!
This picture represents why we hunt, my Dad, my lifetime best friend, best friends nephew, and my Son!
Great deer and memories made! Congrats!
Congrats to your son!! The smile says it all.
Congrats Eli, that's a dandy!
Way to go Eli ! And way to go dad for raising him right!
Thanks guys the adventures will continue he still has his doe tag, and his sister could not be outdone, we will see what rest of season brings. After he killed his buck we were processing and I was telling him how he had done good job deciding when to stop get drawn make shot, etc. This year his school is offering hunter safety course and I said so next year you wouldn't have to wait on me, you can go on your own. His answer kinda of surprised me, he said why would I do that I like that we hunt together, made my day!
It doesn't get any better than that!
Congratulations to Eli and good on you Dad for teaching him what it is truly all about.
