Can’t a guy catch a break?

So this was my oldest son’s 3rd year rifle hunting. Started at age 10, an opener that began with a small buck walking directly into our set-up right at shooting light. Anter restrictions (of which I am a big supporter of) required that we hold off on taking a shot until we could verify that he had brow tines. Forks were obvious, but the pale morning light wasn’t enough to be sure if brows were there, or if I was just wishing to see them. We never found out – he busted us and ran away. Okay, a great first 20 minutes of my son’s hunting career. And a good teachable moment – don’t shoot unless you know for sure.

That was 3 years ago, and probably no less than 90 hours of sitting in the stand ago. Sadly, I’m not exaggerating on the time. We have sat. And sat. And walked. And walked. A couple of our spots are close to 2 miles from the truck.

Aside from the glimps of a fawn that we spotted through the brush on opening morning this year, we have not seen any other deer. Nothing.

It gets worse.

Without fail, when we go to Stand “A” on a given morning, and a buddy goes to Stand “B”…you guessed it, the buddy sees deer. Chip-shots. And after I bring my boy home after the first 3 days of season and I return to the woods – guess it again, I see deer.

There are some obvious answers to our situation – the first of which is to hunt areas that are more populated with deer. I get that. But rifle season (to me, and I’d like to instill in my boys) is more about the tradition than the seeing/killing of deer. I continue to hunt the same woods my grandfather started hunting in the late 1940s.

So there you have it. My dobber is down. I so desperately want my boy to be as addicted to this sport as I. And (thankfully) he still presents as though he is enjoying himself. He is. Yet, he’ll return to school today to get the report from his buddies – most of whom have already shot a deer or two last year from heated/inclosed stands overlooking foodplots – while he, who has risen at 4AM, walked 2 miles one-way to his stand, and sat for 11 hours OUTSIDE AS GOD INTENDED, hasn’t even taken off his safety.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Don’t get your hopes down. My first 3 years hunting were buck only. It took me 3 years before I saw my first buck… a one horn spike which busted me on the last day of season while lowering my gun out of the tree because it was so windy I did not feel safe in the tree. My fourth year, I shot a fork on the fist day. That was all it took to get me hooked. There is an under laying lesson you are forgetting. When the ice is finally broken and he shoots his first deer the emotions will be higher. He will truely realize his accomplishment and the sacrafice it took to get there. Keep at it. Persistance brings success. Your goal is to keep him interested until it happens.

My understanding is APR doesnt apply to youth, am I wrong?

APR did apply to all hunters at that time in the area I hunt (Itasca State Park). They do not have APR there anymore. To the contrary, they are doing everything they can to kill off as many deer as possible. And that’s per the Park’s biologist. They are managing the Park for “white pine reforestation”. That’s great, I told him…but I don’t hunt white pine.

While every zone around the Park is Lottery, the Park is still Intensive Harvest.

I dont agree with the mgt practices. If you want to eat venison in areas of intense harvest you are better off shooting a small buck than a doe. At least if you want to see deer in the future.

I can definitely relate to the pain I shot a buck my first year and went 5 consecutive years without seeing a single dear in the woods.

I hear and understand your concern. It took 11 years before my kid got his first shot at a buck. That was 10 years ago. He has been able to get out only three times since due to his job/shift/seniority. He told me the other night it’ll be about 7 years before his days off will match up, and seniority swings in his favor. All in all, he hasn’t given up the desire. Even though he misses the time in the woods, he still remembers the thrill of that one buck so many years ago. You’ll find that it’s Dad’s job to help keep the fire burning, continue to make it interesting even without success. Don’t get stuck in a rut. Can he shoot a doe where you hunt? Do some early season scouting with him, find different stands where there may be more deer sign. Make him a more active part of the process. And, above all, remember he’s still a kid. Keeping them interested is the biggest challenge. All other things will fall into place.

Back in the old days of bucks only my Dad went decades between deer. I only remember him actaully shooting 1 in my life but he always took the first week off and always went every day he could. He hunted harder than me for sure. No comparison. He also saw unholy numbers of does. The daily counts back then were always double digit. Not sure why he never seen the bucks but the deer sure were managed differently back then.

Thanks for the feedback. I know it’s bothering me more than it’s bothering him. And I do include both of my boys (my youngest will be hunting next year) in the scouting. And bowhunting. There’s a fair chance that my kid’ll arrow a deer before he runs lead through one. He launched 3 arrows on opening morning this year – at 2 different deer (15 minutes apart). They were standing broadside at 15 yards…nerves got the best of him.

Part of the challenge for me (with rifle hunting) is that my preference is to still hunt. To be effective in doing that, conditions play a huge role. Snow is your best friend. We haven’t had any for the past 3 opening weekends. Without ideal conditions, teaching a young lad how to sneak through the brush and see the deer before they see you – well, that’s a tall order.

It’ll come together. Like I said, it’s bothering me more than it’s bothering him. Just needed to get it off my chest to a group of folks who can relate.