Smalltown Bucks

Pawpaw Comes Through

Pawpaw Comes Through

By Ethan Vailliencourt

My name is Ethan, and I am 8 years old. I got to go hunting for the first time during the last youth hunt of the 2013 season in Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Since my dad had to work, my papaw took me hunting. We hunted in the morning on Dec. 28, and since we didn’t get anything, I told Papaw we should go back in the evening. When it was time, we put on our camo, grabbed the .243 and went to the blind.

We sat probably about 30 minutes before we saw a big doe come in. We kept looking for about a minute before another doe came out. I wanted to shoot one of them, but Papaw said to wait. It was just starting to get dark when Papaw saw something move out of the corner of his eye.

He looked over and spied the head of an 8-point buck. It stood there for about a minute and then moved back in the woods so we couldn’t see it.

When it stuck its head back out, it was getting a little darker. Then, finally, it stepped out to where I could see its shoulder. I was a little nervous, but so excited to get a shot at this deer.

I got the gun on the tripod, put the safety off, and BOOM! The deer dropped right there!

Papaw jacked another shell in the gun, just in case. When we left the blind, Papaw danced all around the field saying, “You got him, Bub! You got him!”

With a big smile on my face I said, “Big buck down!” real loud.

Then I grabbed one antler as Papaw grabbed the other one, and we dragged him off the hill. What a great way to end my first ever hunting season.

Papaw and I will never forget that day.

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