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Couple of deer with the old boy.
Like many of you here, my Dad taught me to shoot with his .22. This was given to him by his father and is now my own.
He used to love shooting the small stuff when he lived on a farm. Rabbits/possums/hares but never moved onto anything bigger.
To be fair Dad no longer hunts, he gave me his only gun which was the .22 and has let his firearms licence expire with no intention of renewing. He now opts for the golf clubs in his spare time.
I caught the hunting/fishing bug from him from a young age and this has grown into an obsession with the outdoors. Over dinner the other night I mentioned that I was going for a hunt with a mate and would he want to come along for a walk. He seemed excited and keen and next thing golf for the day was cancelled and plans were hatched.
A few phone calls later we were set to go, location decided and areas confirmed. This would be an easy stroll bearing in mind that he is 61 so the last thing I want to do is push him to hard.
Dropping my mate Matt off he went one direction and Dad and I went the other. An hour 15 since leaving the quad I spied 2 deer on the skyline. We both took turns at looking them through the binos but they were to far and not suitable for a shot so we waited it out. Once the deer had feed over the skyline we headed up a step gut. I took the going far slower than usual and couldn't help but keep looking back to check he was still following and not puffing to hard.
Once about to crest the skyline I asked Dad the question of if a shot was presented would he want it? "No" was the answer as he just enjoyed being there and seeing how it was done. We crept over the rocky outcrop and started searching for the deer.
Bugger it, we have been sprung. The hind and yearling looking directly at us only 40 mt away but only the tips of the heads visible.
I'm not a fan of head shots, to much risk of wounding and only a small target but given this circumstance this was the only shot we were to get.
Boom, wack down goes the hind. Silly yearling decides the best action is to take a few steps into the open and stare at me for longer. Boom again (well 3 times actually) and down she goes.
While pondering what the F$%k just happened with the yearling it turns out that all 3 shots hit the engine room but didn't drop it. Time to seriously ponder ammo choices. For the critics out there I'm using a 7mm 08 suppressed.
Quick photo shoot and we start the task of butchering.
Drag up the hill and down the other side and we are back at a track. Matt is a good bugger and after a few radio calls turns up on the quad bike right on que.
Back to the car and home early which is always good for a few brownie points.
All and all a great day. Dad loved seeing some great scenery and enjoyed the whole experience, seeing his first first deer in the wild was a bonus but I don't think I can rekindle the spark for hunting to replace golf.
I loved having him out on the hill. To me shooting deer isn't the be all and end all. Instead having Dad there to share the day and experience was what I enjoyed.
Al
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