Taking it down to the wire!
Posted by
Vince Crawford
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Posted in
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Posted on
Sunday, January 02, 2011
First, please allow me to introduce my son and I in a more formal fashion a little later this month. My name is Vince Crawford, and my oldest son's name is Tristen. Tristen's younger brother Kable and their mother Holly, will be along for our outdoor adventures quite often also. Tristen and I have been invited by Bo and Scott to be contributors to MIDWEST BOWHUNTER, and couldn't be happier about joining up! Many of our posts here will venture outside of strictly bowhunting, but I promise, we are some stick-and-string nuts when fall comes around!
Our first story of success came quickly after being invited to join in here, so Tristen's straight shooting has allowed us to jump right in with both feet!
This weekend was Missouri's late youth deer season. Friday afternoon, we loaded everyone in the truck and drove to our friend Bob's hunting grounds in Northeast Missouri. This was Tristen's last youth deer season, since he will be turning 16 early next fall. He had not seen many bucks this last fall, so his any-deer tag was still burning a hole in his pocket.
Bob showed Kable and I to our blind early on Saturday afternoon, and he and Tristen headed to another blind on the property. Kable and I didn't have much luck. As you know, deer hunting in the late season can be feast or famine. We did enjoy the antics of several local squirrels though.
We got a call on the radio from Bob about 4PM saying they were seeing quite a few deer. Less than an hour after that call, a loud 30-06 Ka-BOOM sounded off from their direction.
Bob came on the radio, saying Tristen had shot the buck he was after! He said the deer was carrying a front leg as it ran off into the woods. A few minutes later, they reported back, and said they had not been able to find any blood, but were confident in the shot.
After dark, Kable and I joined them at their blind, and Kable headed to the truck to warm up, as the windchills were nearing 0. I had a bright light with me, so Tristen and I continued to look for blood while Bob carried gear back to the truck.
We walked the edge of the green foodplot for blood back and forth with no luck. Tristen said he wanted to just go look in the area where the deer had ran to, since he felt he had made a good shot.
I asked him about the shot, and THAT was when the story started! He said the first time he leveled off on the buck, his gun had gone "CLICK". He quickly realized he had forgotten to load a round in the chamber! As he worked the bolt, the buck just stood at 60 yards looking at the blind. He said Bob told him it was good PRACTICE and a good CHANCE for the buck for him to click on the PRACTICE SHOT. Once the round was fed into the chamber, the bullet quickly exited the gun, and hit its mark.
We walked into the woods, in the area Tristen saw the buck run. Immediately after we entered the woods, I thought I could see the belly of the deer about 60 yards infront of us. I lowered my light, and closed the gap to 30 yards, so Tristen would not see it until we got closer. I lifted my light, and confirmed the white form I had seen to be his deer! I said, "There's your deer buddy!" He took off in a dead sprint screaming the whole way! I could see the main beams sticking up above the deer's body.
As Bob began walking back to us from the truck, we yelled out to him to let him know we had the deer. He gladly brought the deer cart from the truck to help load the nice buck!
What an ending to the fall of 2010! A 2011 New Years Day 9 pointer!
A BIG congrats to Tristen for making such a great shot on a nice buck! Right behind the shoulder, taking out both lungs. I can't wait to get this deer on the wall!
A HUGE thanks to Bob and his wife Linda for their wonderful hospitality, making this past weekend one to remember for a long time! I can't thank them enough! I hope we get to join up with them again SOON!
Vince
First of all, welcome to the blog, Vince and Tristen! Great first post, Vince!
That is a beauty of a buck, Tristen! Congratulations, buddy! - Bo