As I will not be hunting Africa this year I decided decided to take my daughters, Ariel, age 11 and Bailey, age 9, on their first big game hunt as shooters and not observers. Along with a good friend and his son we hunted the Whitt Ranch near Mertzon, Texas last Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning. The girls have been around hunting and firearms all their lives and have posed with numerous dead critters over the years. The past 4 or 5 years they have been hunting with me during early fall deer hunts, spring turkey hunts and dove shoots and have been shooting air rifles and rimfires 22s and magnums. They had never fired a centerfire rifle prior to sighting in the afternoon we arrived at the ranch. They both hit the bullseye on the first shot and we went hunting. The first photo above is Ariel and the buck she spotted herself, set up for the shot on her own and made a perfect 50 yard heart shot. She hunted hard for 2.5 days and nearly all of one day in a stand to take a buck after her younger sister made it look easy the first evening. Ariel had to contend with bad luck, darkness, bad animal position and blown chances. She refused to take bad shot opportunities and past on animals that didn't come up to her standards even late in the hunt as she would not shoot a buck that didn't have 3 curls. She was very cool and collected until after the animal dropped. Then I don't think she left any tracks walking over to inspect her first trophy. The next photo is Bailey and her great buck. She made a shot nearer to 150 yards than 100 as I misjudged the distance on this small critter, but she put it down and hasn't stopped talking about it yet. After Ariel shot her buck, I could finally hunt about an hour for some Scimitar Oryx that had been seen in the area, but they never appeared before last light. However, the buck I am posing with did show up just as the last light faded and at the request of the girls I shot him so we could have all 3 mounted together as a memory of the hunt. I knew Bailey's buck was a good one, but had no idea the amount of abuse she was going to heap on me and her older sister about killing a better one than us. I almost had to put her in the back of the truck on the way home. The girls were shooting a 6mm Remington Mohawk rifle we borrowed from the ranch owner, Ronnie Whitt. It was his wife's first rifle and she and their kids and grandkids has used it for years to take deer and exotics from the ranch. It was a great little rifle that fit both my daughters and the recoil didn't seem to bother them, especially when they were shooting at game.



The Whitt ranch is a 3200 brushy, west Texas high fence whitetail and exotic hunting ranch. It is a first class operation with great guest rooms, dining hall and facilities. Ronnie and Rita Whitt feed you 3 big meals a day, a mid day snack if you want, all the soft drink and beer you want to drink and look after you ever need. They even provide coolers with snacks and drinks for the blinds morning and evening and skin, quarter, cape and cold store you animals. All this service at a rate of $100.00/day for adults and $50.00/day for children. I can't think of a better place to take beginners during the off season as the blinds are big and comfortable and hunting can also be done from a safari truck or on foot spot and stalk. The ranch is filled with quality deer, including some huge bucks, and a good assortment of naturally born exotics and a fledgling herd of Sable. If you would be interested in more information please look up the web site at www.Whittranch.com



Perry

Awesome!

Congratulations!

Hmmm. It looks like your daughter in the second picture whipped up on ol' Dad in the trophy size category!


If there is one thing more satisfying than shooting a great trophy, it's watching your kid do it!


Rick.

Pawn,
Shame on you, you got snookered by the offspring in the trophy dept. That only happens to the best of dads and grandads...

Your a wise man, they will grow up and be gone before you know it, so enjoy every last minute of their time with you..there is a horrible laps between them leaving home and haveing grandkids, then the circle returns better n ever..

Very nice-looking young ladies and trophies! It's nice to see the lasses are learning at an early age that meat doesn't just come from the grocery store.

Congratulations on a nice hunt to all three of you!

Take care.

Russ

Now gentelmen, here is a man who knows how to raise kids!

Congratualtions Perry, and ladies! It's sure a good thing those girls look like their mother, but nice that they shoot like the old man!

Two greatest words in the english language "Hi Grandpa"

Perry,

That's wonderful. Please pass my congratulations along to your girls.

Regards,

Terry

P.S.
Still with that hat!!! Must we suffer everytime you post a picture?

You are a good man!!! Go hunting with your kids and when they are teenagers, you will not have to go hunting for them!!!
Jeff

Would you look at those smiles!!!!
Now that warms my heart, OUTSTANDING GIRLS!!!

You know, of course, when you finally go to Africa, you'll be spending lots of green to take everybody along. At least you'll have your hunting partners along. Nice going. I think the little one has the biggest grin of the two, looks like it is from ear to ear.

Congrats Perry

Don't be too sure you are not comming to Africa this year. I have four sable awaiting you, Brian and the girls before baboon bob turns them all into ration meat, and that Lion in November looks more hopefull. Client didn't get one - left yesterday after missing twice - you are on standby!!!

Congratulatins Ariel, and Bailey! You both did well!

Lucky man!

A good hunting trip is something phenomenal in itself - one where your children show you how much they have learned from you is bound to be the icing on the cake!

when you said Texas Safari I at first thought you where talking about the place located in clifton Tx, I think that guy went to jail for burning down his own place

Wow! Thank you guys for the nice comments. I let the girls read the thread last night and they ask me thank all of you for the kind words. The youngest still hasn't let me or
Ariel forget she shot the biggest trophy at the longest distance. Which is great because she doesn't beat her older sister at anything and this trip was good for a bit of self-esteem. For the members who haven't hunted with your children yet, you will not believe how it brings back the emotions from your first big game hunt, only more intense. My friend and his son were in a blind about 600 yards away and behind a hill and they heard my yell when Bailey killed her buck. I didn't think I was that loud.

Perry