My 12 yo had his first deer tag. It was a youth tag so he could shoot either sex. We were hunting in a shotgun only area that is heavily agricultural.
A relative if ours let us set up in one of his fields to hunt on Saturday morning.
As we were moving toward a hay bale blind he set up for us there was a buck in the field already and he spotted us and bounced out pretty quickly.
15 minutes later a big buck came into the field chasing a doe. They were on the move and not interested in feeding. I told him to get ready and I got him to stop broadside at 35 yards. I told him to shoot, nothing happened. They left the field without stopping again. I asked him why he didn't shoot, he forgot to take his safety off.
It happens I told him. At this point the buck fever was running rampant in his veins. I had to tell him to breathe deep before he passed out! He was shaking so bad.
Ten minutes later a third buck with a doe head toward the field. This guy was wary. He sent the doe in and watched her. It wasn't until she was 15 yards from us that he decided to come in. He pulled the step, look game for a couple of minutes. Finally I timed it and just as he turned to look away I told him to get up and shoot.
He did and the buck hardly reacted. The doe crow hopped a couple of times and went back to eating.
The buck trotted off into the next field and disappeared into the grass.
He said it felt like a good shot so I gave him a half hour if it was a lung shot.
Went to where he was standing and found blood. Good sign. We crossed the fence and found a blood trail that was big. He was piled up 50 yards from where he shot from a liver shot. Great first deer! I'm taking him to the taxidermist this afternoon to get him mounted.
His feet still haven't touched the ground.