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December 18, 2011

Youth’s first deer a memorable experience

Kenny Bayless The Tribune-Star

As I was clearing away the clutter on the table in the hunting cabin — like deer lure, batteries, zip ties, tent stakes, etc. — I was thinking: ‘How do I express a father’s feelings and thoughts of a hunt he has been waiting for all his life, to tell the hunt of his son’s first deer?’

On Nov. 12, 2011 the big day had finally come: Seth Bayless is the young man’s name who just turned 12 years old Oct. 29.

A Circuit Judge rifle was the choice of firearm. It chambers a 45 long colt pistol-type cartridge or a 410 shot gun shell while holding five shots in a rotating cylinder like a pistol. It was topped off with a Center Point variable scope. The lesson taught was to not let an animal suffer so you take one well-placed shot. After sighting the gun in, Seth and Bill Klass, our hunting buddy, was driving nails at 25 yards with his new weapon.

As we pieced our way, winding through the hard woods of Parke County going into the cabin, the four wheeler pulling a trailer laden with food and hunting gear squeaked and bumped. We was straining our senses for the glimpse of a buck that may have a tag with Seth’s name strapped to its hind leg while taking a ride out of the woods in the trailer we was pulling.

Stands and blinds was placed with care, with the deer scrapes and rubs telling the young man where the bucks were courting the does.

When the alarm went off that first morning, Seth’s head appeared on the top bunk bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for a lifetime’s first experience. A pancake with a lot of syrup was an energy boost for the day’s adventure.

Mother Nature gave the promise of a beautiful day, although a little too warm for a deer’s liking. As we set in our buddy stand with a new type hanging deer blind over it, two does came past and checked us out, with Seth holding out to take a buck. After doing our time there, we went to another stand and on the way an average eight pointer with a doe got up to slip away. We rattled and grunted while producing two more does, and Seth is holding out for that buck. While returning to the cabin a couple more doe’s was spotted.

On the way back into the woods we decided to set in the frog pond stand that evening with it being our best stand. Seth looked me in the eye and said to heck with waiting for a buck, “I’m taking a doe.”

  As Seth was inspecting the inside of his eyelids, three does come feeding up the edge of a holler. After a couple of nudges he realized the stage was set for a memory of a lifetime. He was like a bird dog on point when the first doe had made her way about 30 yards out from the stand but at a steep angle below us. We traded seats in the stand with finally Seth setting on my lap being able to take the shot. I could tell buck fever set in with the rhythm of his heart gong ninety miles an hour.

The doe had went into alert mode with every muscle tensed up ready to bound off when the trigger was squeezed and the report of the rifle echoed through our hard woods with the doe going directly to the ground not taking a step. A father can only experience the extreme pride and love for a son at a time like this, taking his first deer setting on my lap!

My heart glowed watching Seth climb down the steps, running over to claim his first trophy of his deer hunting years.

As we set on the porch of the hunting cabin that evening, Seth looked up at the sky turning a beautiful pink and said “Look, dad, that mean’s my deer’s soul is going to heaven” and I said “Yes, son, you’re right, as your life begins another one ends.”

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