RD Sr's Whitetail

[Ranch Dog]

My dad at 86 years old is still out there hunting whitetails. The last couple of years I have sat with him to make sure everything goes well but mainly just to enjoy the outdoors with each other as we both know that there are a lot more years now behind us than there are ahead of us.

My dad has had a bit of a rough go with the hunting last year and at the start this year but he told me he wanted to get one more freezer load of meat because he wasn't sure he would be up to it next year. He missed a good South Texas 11 pointer about a week ago now and I could tell it really bothered him. We headed out again this afternoon, a very pleasant afternoon after some rough frontal weather moved through this morning. About an hour before dark a young 10 point came with along. Typically I would have had him pass on this deer as he is a long ways from the potential he will reach in a couple of years, but I don't know if my dad has a couple of years or if he would want to continue hunting this season as he seems tired. I told him it looked like a real nice deer to me and to shoot it if he felt the same. He did.



My dad is using the Marlin Glenfield 30GT chambered in 30-30 Win that I gave him about 8 years ago, shooting the Ranch Dog TLC311-170-RF pushed along by a max load of BL-C(2). The deer was at 80 yards and my dad hit the buck just across the top of the heart, slicing through the aorta and destroying the bottom half of both lungs. The bullet knocked the buck off his feet and he kicked in place twice and that was it.

This is our 50th hunting season together! I'm very lucky!

[mr surveyor]

Your Dad is a real inspiration. Your Dad is also a very "experienced" man .... and you are a lucky man

Thanks for a great bed time story.


jd

[zippy]

Just when I was starting to go into withdrawal, waiting for another installment of Feral Hog Night Stalker, you release your Thanksgiving Special.

It's good to see that you appreciate how blessed you are, and thanks for sharing.

[Steelbanger]

Wow RD, you had me ready for a long, tiring season without a happy ending, but your dad came through as he usually does. My congratulations to both hunters. Well done, very well done! Nice buck too.

[akuser47]

Memories you'll never forget.

[Jaybm]

Thanks RD, you made my day !

AK hit the nail on the head about the memories. I can still recall the
days either fishing or hunting with my Dad. Just something about
sharing the time one on one.

Jim

[GasGuzzler]

Thanks for sharing.

[Ranch Dog]

Just when I was starting to go into withdrawal, waiting for another installment of Feral Hog Night Stalker, you release your Thanksgiving Special.

That's funny! We did see some hogs at a feeder yesterday afternoon but we let them be as our focus was on a whitetail.

hogs_151117.jpg

My wife's cousin, a 50 something lady, has really gotten interested in hog hunting. I sent her a text with the picture asking her if she would take care of this for me and she instantly replied that she would be here Friday evening for a weekend hunt!

This is really a nice sounder of both boars and sows, right at the point where they stop traveling together. This is probably the sounder that did so much damage a few weeks ago. I see this and see nothing but a moldboard plow that turns dirt. Their head is shaped just like one to do the dirt work.


Pretty much what they look like moving across a field.

[NavyDoc76-80]

You can never have too much time together with your Dad, nor can a Dad have too much time together with his son. Thanks for reminding us all what's really important. And how great is it that when you sit to eat the bounty, the stories of that day will surely be revisited. And best of all, your Dad gets the bragging rights!

[Okie44]

Great story. Good times not easily forgotten.