We sat down for late dinner at a pizza place near home the evening I arrived back from my 2008 Kansas deer hunt. Rich Novotny and I relived the highlights of the trip for my wife and son as I started to unwind from the adventure. My son Colin listened intently to the conversation hanging on every word and drinking in as much detail as he could. Like most young aspiring hunters, Colin had wished he could have gone with me to Kansas and made sure he asked me each night I was there just how our trip was going. During our nightly conversations he would also tell me how he couldn’t wait until I got home so we could go hunting again in our treestands.

Well it didn’t take long for our dinner conversation to reach that point; I could see the excitement in his eyes and knew something just had to be done. I told Colin I would take him out the very next afternoon for a sit in our stands, almost immediately he asked if I was going to shoot one if we saw a buck. I promised him if I saw a good one I would take the shot.

I have taken my son out to sit on stand with me many times and he was anxious to actually watch me harvest a buck. We had been on hunts where he had watched me harvest some does and he had seen me pass on some bucks, but this time he really wanted to see me take a buck. We were in the early part of November so the permit bow season had just come in, I would have to go and buy my permits before our hunt so I planned for us to leave the house by noon. I figured this would give me enough of a time buffer to get the needed permits as well as to haul all my equipment plus our two stands into the woods and set up.

The weather had just broken here in New Jersey, the previous couple of days had been rainy, cold and miserable, but now the rain had stopped and it had warmed up slightly. The wet forest floor made sneaking in relatively easy and I had picked a location where we would be able to hunt within a hundred yards of the truck. The dual set up I use takes me a while to get situated so it was probably close to two o’clock when we finally settled into the stands to wait. Colin quietly whittled a small stick with a pocketknife that had been his grandfathers as I scanned the woods for movement.

 We had been sitting for about an hour when I spotted the first movement. A doe had appeared and was on a trail that would bring her past us at 15 yards. I cautiously tapped Colin on the head to alert him of the deer and by the time he had turned three more deer had come into view. The four does casually passed by us at fifteen yards and wandered off into the brush. A button buck trailing the does came in next and lingered in out area, as he explored near us he actually came to the bottom of our set up. At one point he looked up and noticed us, he was doing the head bob trick when I saw his attention suddenly shift to where Colin was sitting, in an instant he turned and hightailed it back the way he had come from.

No less than 20 minutes later, I caught more movement off in the direction where the button buck had headed. Another group of does was coming in, this time they would pass on the other side of our stand set up at about the same range. Colin watched the does pass in front of him and remained as still as could be. Later he would tell me he also saw a spike pass through further out past the does; I was facing the other way and did not see it. While I sat there enjoying the woods, enjoying all the deer activity, and sharing it all with my son, I couldn’t help but think it doesn’t get any better than this.

The next thought that ran through my head was with all this doe activity and with it being the first week of November, there must be a nice buck around here somewhere. I glanced back in the direction the first group of does had come from and saw a big-bodied deer coming through the underbrush. I spotted antlers and saw a nice spread out past the ears, I thought I saw a symmetrical eight with possibly a drop tine. I stopped looking at the antlers and cautiously tapped Colin on the head to point out the buck.

I could see the excitement in Colin’s eyes as he spotted the buck slowly moving our way. The buck was following the path the first group of does had come down and I anticipated he would give me a nice shot at fifteen yards. The underbrush was somewhat thick there and I was prepared for a shot into any one of several small openings in the brush. As a rule I generally hunt with a spitfire expandable but I always carry at least one fixed blade broadhead in case I set up in a brushy area. When I had settled into the stand I immediately choose an arrow with a Razorcap and nocked it into position. Now as the buck came closer I drew and waited for the right moment. I didn’t have long to wait, the buck stopped at fifteen yards quartering away with my pin already settled midway down his rib cage.

The arrow disappeared into the buck’s side with hardly a sound. Wildly he took three quick bounds, then paused for just a moment; he tucked his tail and then bolted straight off into some pines. I listened intently for him to go down but with the forest floor being wet it was virtually impossible.

Very excitedly Colin said “That was awesome. Great shot! Let’s go get him.”  The expression on his face was probably the most exciting part of the hunt. I told him we would wait for at least a half hour and then we could get down. A half hour later I was on the ground holding the arrow, it had passed through the buck and was sticking in the ground. The bright red coating of blood on the shaft told me that this deer was down. I helped Colin down from the tree and packed up our gear. Together Colin and I started to track the buck. I had a good blood trail from the start and we quickly covered the ground to where the buck disappeared into the pines. Our only problem was that the batteries in my light were weak and it was becoming difficult to see in the gathering darkness. I decided we would mark our progress, pull out and go home to get more flashlights. I also placed some calls for help while I was driving home; you just never know when you’ll need more eyes searching in the night woods.

We found the buck no more than 15 yards from where we had stopped looking and I surprised to find that while nice and wide, the buck sported six points not the eight or nine I initially thought I saw. While his rack was symmetrical he had no brow tines, nor a drop tine. I was still very pleased to have taken him on this special father and son time in the woods. I tagged him and then we drug him out and field dressed him. I was not initially thinking of mounting him, however, Bobby Mitchell one of the guys from our group who had come out to help with the recovery suggested that I mount him and give him to my son so he could hang him in his room as a memento of the hunt. After a little consideration I decided that was an excellent idea and would do just that.

 Sharing your hunting experiences with your children is one of the most rewarding aspects of the heritage our forefathers handed down to us. I will treasure any time I get to spend afield with son and this hunt will probably remain one of my most memorable.