I had a post on the forum last year about a Swede 6.5 x 55 that I put together for my (then) 12 year old daughter Rebecca for deer hunting. Other than the stock which came from Boyds (and I finished / glass bedded), the firearm, scope and scope mount all came from fellow gunnutz! We saw deer, but we never could get her lined up to shoot and I ended up shooting a yearling buck with it near Nipigon. Here's what the rifle looked like:
So this year, we tried again. My daughter helped me reload a batch of Remington 140 grain PSPCL bullets, and after shooting at the range this fall, we were all set.
On Saturday AM, we were in our wooden blind (looks like a fruit vending stall) on my best freinds 100 acres on St. Joseph Island. After hunting hard for 30 minutes, she decides to close her eyes for a nap while I keep watch. She wakes up about 1 1/2 hour later, stretches and says "Dad - theres a deer coming out". Sure enough, a fawn walks out about 15 yards from us and stops. As she gets the rifle up, she hit the barrel on the wooden cross rail, and tha fawn takes off across a small clearing. I grabbed a doe bleat call, gave two bleats and it stopped about 45 yards away and looked back. I told her to shoot, and she puts one behind the shoulder. Fawn runs 20 yards and piles up in the trees. My two buddies came over, congratulated her and we tagged it and headed back to the house.
Rebecca, I and the deer:
That afternoon, we headed back to the stand expecting not much would happen because of the commotion earlier in the morning. We brought a couple of books, and Rebecca brought her MP3 player and earbuds. We were in the stand for 20 minutes or so, and I looked up to see that a deer was walking towards us.
I whispered "Rebecca" - no avail, she's bopping to the beat of the MP3 player. I repeat it, louder - still grooving to the tunes. Louder - she looks up and I point to the deer. "Get your rifle up" I whisper. She does, and snarls the MP3 headphones in the scope. Calmly, she untangles the cords from the scope. Now I can see antlers and he is still walking towards us.
In the fuss with the headphones, Rebeccas hat became dislodged, and she turns to me, takes off the hat and says "Will you hold this". The deer is about 30 yards out and walking towards us still. My heartrate is starting to rise thinking he's going to bolt any time now....
The deer stops about 20 yards out from us, with his chest hidden behind a tree - all we can see is his hinds and his neck / head. Rebecca turns to me and calmly asks "Do you think I should shoot him in the neck?". I say that would be a good shot, she aims and POW - one shot and the deer went straight down. I got on the radio and told my buddies (one who radioed back - is she going to leave any for us?). A quick call on the cell phone to mom, two sets of grand parents, and we were tagging a nice 5 point yearling.
As a group, we tagged out the next day when I dogged a doe in front of one of my chums. We have never tagged out before.
We had a great time, and it was priceless watching her get two deer in one day. I think the smile says it all!
So this year, we tried again. My daughter helped me reload a batch of Remington 140 grain PSPCL bullets, and after shooting at the range this fall, we were all set.
On Saturday AM, we were in our wooden blind (looks like a fruit vending stall) on my best freinds 100 acres on St. Joseph Island. After hunting hard for 30 minutes, she decides to close her eyes for a nap while I keep watch. She wakes up about 1 1/2 hour later, stretches and says "Dad - theres a deer coming out". Sure enough, a fawn walks out about 15 yards from us and stops. As she gets the rifle up, she hit the barrel on the wooden cross rail, and tha fawn takes off across a small clearing. I grabbed a doe bleat call, gave two bleats and it stopped about 45 yards away and looked back. I told her to shoot, and she puts one behind the shoulder. Fawn runs 20 yards and piles up in the trees. My two buddies came over, congratulated her and we tagged it and headed back to the house.
Rebecca, I and the deer:
That afternoon, we headed back to the stand expecting not much would happen because of the commotion earlier in the morning. We brought a couple of books, and Rebecca brought her MP3 player and earbuds. We were in the stand for 20 minutes or so, and I looked up to see that a deer was walking towards us.
I whispered "Rebecca" - no avail, she's bopping to the beat of the MP3 player. I repeat it, louder - still grooving to the tunes. Louder - she looks up and I point to the deer. "Get your rifle up" I whisper. She does, and snarls the MP3 headphones in the scope. Calmly, she untangles the cords from the scope. Now I can see antlers and he is still walking towards us.
In the fuss with the headphones, Rebeccas hat became dislodged, and she turns to me, takes off the hat and says "Will you hold this". The deer is about 30 yards out and walking towards us still. My heartrate is starting to rise thinking he's going to bolt any time now....
The deer stops about 20 yards out from us, with his chest hidden behind a tree - all we can see is his hinds and his neck / head. Rebecca turns to me and calmly asks "Do you think I should shoot him in the neck?". I say that would be a good shot, she aims and POW - one shot and the deer went straight down. I got on the radio and told my buddies (one who radioed back - is she going to leave any for us?). A quick call on the cell phone to mom, two sets of grand parents, and we were tagging a nice 5 point yearling.
As a group, we tagged out the next day when I dogged a doe in front of one of my chums. We have never tagged out before.
We had a great time, and it was priceless watching her get two deer in one day. I think the smile says it all!
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Thanks for sharing. Good stuff! 
