Good luck to everyone in the morning!
Good luck to everyone out with a smokepole!!! 
Temps are good in Bristow. NE wind that’s a little gusty. Bad thing is that I hear Thunder getting closer. I can sit in the rain but I don’t tempt fate when lightning is involved. I’ll head in if it gets very close.
The weekend after next, I'm taking my 13-year-old son on his first (youth) deer hunt. He has an any antlered deer tag for Fort Huachuca, AZ. My older boy and I have taken 4 Coues deer bucks there over the last few years, with all being about 50 yards away. All were taken with a 6.5 Creedmoor (Tikka or Ruger PR). Those deer ranged from about 50 to 80 lbs.
For his hunt, I'm likely going to have my boy use a Ruger American Ranch rifle in 5.56 NATO. He's shot it at the range once, never shot a 6.5 Creedmoor, and I just want to see how it works out. Plenty of OSA folks have proof that .223/5.66 is quite adequate for deer (especially little ones). It will be loaded with .223, 64 grain, Winchester Deer Season XP. If a buck shows up, I bet I'll have good news to report in a couple of weeks.
He's an excellent shot with an air-rifle and those translate very well to powder-burners in my experience.
We'll probably take our .45 caliber air rifle along too in case the best hunting areas are closed for military training, and we need to use the "limited weapons" area.
YouTube has a video of a local friend harvesting Virginia does with the same rifle we own:
For his hunt, I'm likely going to have my boy use a Ruger American Ranch rifle in 5.56 NATO. He's shot it at the range once, never shot a 6.5 Creedmoor, and I just want to see how it works out. Plenty of OSA folks have proof that .223/5.66 is quite adequate for deer (especially little ones). It will be loaded with .223, 64 grain, Winchester Deer Season XP. If a buck shows up, I bet I'll have good news to report in a couple of weeks.
He's an excellent shot with an air-rifle and those translate very well to powder-burners in my experience.
We'll probably take our .45 caliber air rifle along too in case the best hunting areas are closed for military training, and we need to use the "limited weapons" area.
YouTube has a video of a local friend harvesting Virginia does with the same rifle we own:
Considering your deer aren’t much bigger than a coyote, I feel confident your son will do fine with the 223. My kids both killed their first deer with a NEF single shot 223 using Winchester 64 gr Power Points, and there was no tracking required.
The air gun deal intrigues the heck out of me.
The air gun deal intrigues the heck out of me.
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I’ve always tried to set my kids up for success in hunting, and I had an text interaction this afternoon with my daughter that pretty well confirms I’ve ruined her as a real “hunter”.
I asked her about coming up next weekend to hunt with me, and I sent pictures of the two “shooter” bucks. She asked how consistently they’re coming in. I told her that they had been MIA for several days during the warm weather, but I think with the cooler weather they’ll get consistent again. She told me to let her know how movement is this week, and she’ll decide if she wants to hunt. Basically, if I can guarantee her a shot, she’ll get in the stand, but if not, she’ll stay in Norman.
I asked her about coming up next weekend to hunt with me, and I sent pictures of the two “shooter” bucks. She asked how consistently they’re coming in. I told her that they had been MIA for several days during the warm weather, but I think with the cooler weather they’ll get consistent again. She told me to let her know how movement is this week, and she’ll decide if she wants to hunt. Basically, if I can guarantee her a shot, she’ll get in the stand, but if not, she’ll stay in Norman.
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Today's youth. We never had a special season. You had to hunt with/ against the grownups. No special doe days as best I can remember. It was 1 buck only and had to have at least 3". One week black powder, 1 week gun and 1 month archery season. Archery was buck or doe.
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