Grandson's First Buck with a Cast Boolit!

[Treetop]

In the last few minutes of legal shooting time, on the last day of our 4 day hunt, this small "goat horn" spike stepped out of the brush. I took one look through the binoculars to confirm that he was legal, then I handed Mason his brand new Rossi M-92 and watched that he did everything correctly, just like we had practiced dozens of times.

Then I waited and waited... and waited for the shot. Finally, Mason leaned over to me and whispered "Pa-Pa, I'm shaking so bad that I can't keep the crosshairs behind his shoulder."

So I took the rifle back and talked him into slowing down his breathing and to just try to relax into the rifle. After a minute or so, he was calmed down enough to make the shot! He placed the 240 gr. Keith boolit just a little high and little forward, but the deer was angled toward us, so the bullet got both lungs and the liver. The range was about 60 yards. The little buck ran about 35-40 feet back into a Yaupon (pronounced "Yo-pon") thicket, laid down and bled out.

The .44 Mag rifle was equipped with a Leupold IER scope in a Rossi forward (scout) position.

The load was a Lyman 429421 cast from #2 alloy with 21.5 gr. of IMR 4227 and a CCI LP primer behind it.

After the shot, while we were waiting on the buck, Mason asked why he couldn't stop shaking, he said that he had never in all of his 12 years, felt like that before. So I explained to him about the symptoms of buck fever and how they never seem to quite go completely away, no matter how many deer you shoot. Good thing it was dark in the stand by then or he would've noticed Pa-Pa shaking a little also! Tt.

Mason with his first buck



Mason and Pa-Pa



Entrance Wound



Exit Wound



"Me-Ma" Showing Mason How to Clean His Deer

[white eagle]

very nice buck
yeah that buck fever gets ahold of ya

[EMC45]

Well done and nice flat fender.

[BK7saum]

Great job.

[Hamish]

That he knew he shaking badly and held the shot says volumes about the young man. Please commend him and congratulate him!

[RugerFan]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[Wolfer]

They don't affect me as bad as the first few but when they stop exciting me ill quit hunting.
No end in sight so far!

[**oneshot**]

He is off to a wonderful start in his hunting career. Isn't great to play guide and still get the shakes when one comes walking in. Congrads!!

[RP]

Its not only buck fever I get the same feeling with does. I think when I stop getting that heart racing feeling the hunt will be over. I have thought of it a few times is it the fact the wrong move will blow the shot while they run off. Or is it the feeling that all your work has came down to a single shot. I also think its the fact that your taking a animal that is going to feed you and your family which is a mix between happy and sadness. I guess that answer will come when that feeling is gone. Thanks for sharing with us and passing on hunting to our replacements. I love taking one of the young ones in the family hunting to share what GOD has blessed us with.

[sharpsguy]

Good job all the way around. It's good that the young man had the judgment to hold his shot until he was able to control the placement of the crosshairs. Nice job on the load as well.

[TXGunNut]

Great job, all three of you! It's great to hear about good kids like Mason, thanks for sharing.

[Treetop]

Well done and nice flat fender.

That's my pride and joy, EMC! It's a 1951 Willys M-38. It's been in the family and barn kept, since the early 70s. Mason's mom, her sister, and all of their cousins and friends learned how to drive a "stick shift" in that old Willys. It's hauled many a central Texas buck, squirrel, rabbit, duck, dove, and catfish through the years.

Mrs. Treetop and I have 5 grand kids and now they are starting to learn how to drive in the same old Jeep that their mom's learned in! Tt.

[Treetop]

He is off to a wonderful start in his hunting career. Isn't great to play guide and still get the shakes when one comes walking in. Congrads!!

It really is, oneshot! I didn't think it would excite me that much, but my heart was really pounding when he finally pulled the trigger on that little buck! Tt.

[smokeywolf]

Treetop, you are exactly the kind of Grandpa every kid needs.

Nice goin'!

smokeywolf

[Blammer]

That was a PERFECT SHOT!

Loved the story!

[Screwbolts]

Congratulations and I to think it was a perfect shot, looks like great eaten.

Great story and photos.

[Boondocker]

Well done Mason and Papa. I am taking my oldest grandson mentor hunting this year with his 3030 his great popop gave him with RD meatgetters. We all process our deer as a family thing also.

[Jal5]

Nice going and thanks for sharing that story!

[x101airborne]

Excellent job both of ya. Well done. When my boy was trying to learn to control his fever, I just took him out to shoot pigs a couple times. I don't want to lose any shot animal and I don't want one wounded to run off, but if it does happen (and it has happened to all of us) I would rather lose a pig rather than a deer. A little coaching and good advice will go a long way as you have proven. Again, well done. Tell him how proud we all are over a plate of fried backstrap.

[Treetop]

Its not only buck fever I get the same feeling with does. I think when I stop getting that heart racing feeling the hunt will be over. I have thought of it a few times is it the fact the wrong move will blow the shot while they run off. Or is it the feeling that all your work has came down to a single shot. I also think its the fact that your taking a animal that is going to feed you and your family which is a mix between happy and sadness. I guess that answer will come when that feeling is gone. Thanks for sharing with us and passing on hunting to our replacements. I love taking one of the young ones in the family hunting to share what GOD has blessed us with.

RP, I think you have summed up "The Fever" pretty well. It's all of those things. When Mason and I found the deer, we said a short prayer over him, giving thanks to the Lord for providing the venison. I told Mason that praying over a deer kill is a Treetop family tradition and he thought that was neat! We are truly blessed with 5 wonderful, happy, healthy grand kids! Tt.