Maybe it's a good thing this young hunter doesn't realize just how big his buck is.
Parker and I were on our first hunt together during opening day of Missouri's youth season.
While I had high hopes we would see a few deer and maybe even a buck, I never dreamed what would happen next. Parker spotted a buck to our left on the ridge and heading away from us. The first good shot was at about 80 yards, so I yelled at the buck and it stopped broadside.
Parker took aim with his youth-sized .243 and fired. The deer ran down the ridge below us and out of sight, never giving any indication it had been hit.
Neither of us were hopeful Parker had connected, but I tried to keep my worries hidden. I was determined to make his first hunt a positive experience, and we were extremely fortunate just to see a nice buck and get a shot.
About a half hour later we heard movement and thought a hunter was coming through the woods toward our stand. Imagine our surprise when Parker’s buck topped the rise, struggling to get up the bank of a nearby creek.
It had been hit in the shoulder and barely made it to the top of the bank about 50 yards from our position. Even better, the buck wandered closer before turning broadside again at just 20 yards.
Parker took aim for the second time and fired, this time hitting the buck in the heart.
Not that it mattered, but Parker’s buck was so big we wanted to get some idea of the rack’s score. We measured it and came up with an unofficial tally of 167 inches.
I’m not sure Parker realizes how lucky he is and just what kind of buck he took, nor the fact that he likely will never top it. He does know his father loves him and that he enjoys our time in the woods together. That’s enough for me.