.....Well, maybe not money-wise but in experiences with my 7yo daughter.

Having just returned from 3 weeks of salmon fishing in Alaska (trip report) I rushed around to get ready for school and managed to squeeze in an antelope hunt with my daughter Renee and our springer Zeke.


This was Renee's first stalk and I can't believe how well it went. Within 5 minutes of the start of the season we had our antelope on the ground.

The shot was a bit over 400 yards(457 paces, but my paces are a bit less than a yard). This is longer than I have ever shot but there was no way to get closer. I was prone over my backpack and the antelope were feeding. He was DRT. I did miss 2 shots at a doe right after this just to prove that I am human. Regardless, Renee was impressed.



Renee was all smiles. Zeke is a timid but curious so he darted in for a closer look. Stick and move Zeke!



Zeke was getting braver so he came in for a closer look.



But he left in a cloud of dust as Renee brought the antelope back to life.


I'll add more later as my computer is dying.
The rest of the story.....

I was in a rush to get this posted so I missed some important details.

I had been putting in for this early hunt for years and I finally got a tag. As a teacher I was really looking forward to being able to spend a week or 10 days hunting before school started. I finally drew the tag this year and they decided to start school 2 weeks earlier than normal! This meant that I would only have 2 days to hunt before I had to report to school for our beginning of the year meetings.


If I didn't get my antelope in the first two days of the season I would be driving 10 hours round trip to on the weekends to try to fill my tag. I am used to this during dear and elk seasons. This year the tag gods smiled on me with multiple deer and elk tags so I figured that I had better wrap this antelope hunt up pretty quick. I told myself that I would take the first representative buck we found.

Now about Renee's part.... She has been there for lots of field dressing and meat recovery trips but she had not had a chance to really participate in an actual stalk. She has seen a few kills from her seat in the truck(including Scruffy's antelope 2 years ago) and she has even been there for the tracking and finishing of a wounded animal. For the past 8 months she has been reminding me that she wanted to get out and do some actual "walking" instead of just hanging out in the truck. This antelope hunt provided the perfect opportunity. We had hunted this ranch several times in the past so we were pretty familiar with the many paths leading to the beet fields.

A week before the hunt my girlfriend asked if Renee would be going on this hunt and offered to have Renee stay with her while I was hunting. It have never occurred to me to leave Renee behind but I thought I should give her the option of staying home. When I explained my plans and asked if she wanted to come along she replied, "Of course! And this year I get to hunt with your, remember?"

We woke before 5am and headed into the area before first light. Renee did a great job keeping up with me and staying quiet on the march in. We walked less than a mile and found a small group of antelope feeding before legal shooting time. I was pretty sure that this was a group we had seen two days before so we set-up and waited for the sun to brighten the skies a bit more.

Renee sat about 10 feet behind me with her ears covered as I settled in for the shot.

following the shot, but before I had a chance to find the antelope in my scope again, I heard Renee whisper, "That was a great shot Daddy! You got him."

Perfect ending to a perfect hunt.

That is PRICELESS. No matter what else happens in your and her lives, that will live with both of you forever.

You are truly blessed.

Congratulations to Renee on such a great trophy.

Tell Renee "Great Job" guiding you to
a smokin antelope!

Very well done!

Nothing in this world better than that!

Good job!
Hunting with your kids will make lasting memories for you both, you are a lucky man.

Absolutely fantastic!

A true treasure for life.

Thanks for sharing a slice of your heaven.

Nothing like getting ones children involved early in life to make them into hunters.

That is a beautiful and happy little girl right there!
Congratulations.
That will be a great memory for both of you

Behind the camera, a man who knows true wealth.
Best regards Sir.

Jason,

Well done! Is that a new SHE SAFARI camo pattern Renee is wearing?

Mark

Well Done!!!!

That's what it's all about right there.

I still recall when my son killed his first big game animal with a fantastic shot on a pronghorn here in AZ at age 10.

We had stalked to about 275 yards -- too far for his stock-shortened lever action M99 300 Sav. I told him the only way he had a chance was to use my M70 .264 at that distance. He had never shot it before and was quite apprehensive about the recoil. He finally said he would use it, however.

I laid my backpack on the ground for a rest so he could shoot from a prone position and got him set up. At that point, the buck was facing away from us, so I told Keith to wait until the buck turned broadside before shooting.

I continued to watch the buck through my binoculars for a couple minutes and saw him start to turn. Just as I said,"Get ready to..." the .264 boomed in my ear. I heard the bullet whack the buck. He dropped like someone had cut off all four of his legs. The 140. gr. had punched right through the heart.

I turned to Keith to say something, but he beat me to the punch with, "That didn't kick as hard as I thought it would."


He's on the right with my buddy, Roger. Note the effective camo of the early 1960s.

Good to see FAMILY hunting fishing!

Rich indeed! Thanks for sharing. I think my daughter and I have enough preference points built up to make a good run at some Wyoming pronghorns next year.

That fantastic smile says it all!
Thanks for sharing

That is just great! You have memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you for sharing with us,

Tom

The richest man in the world isn't the one that has the most, but the one who needs the least to be happy with who he is.

Well done my wealthy friend!

Well done, amigo ! I am glad that you shot your antelope better than I did in Wyoming with the same young lady as a witness ! Margaret and I are big fans of you and the lovely Renee ..

Guys, thanks for all the kind replies!

Ravenr, Renee was tickled that you enjoyed this post and that you are impressed with her guiding skills.

Mark, that is actually a hand-me-down GAP Safari shirt.


Tony, I really enjoyed your post and photos.

Scruffy, I missed an doe later in the day from about 80 yards. When I asked aloud, "how did I miss that shot?!" Renee replied, "maybe it was TOO close daddy...."

Great job, Dad! That's a fantastic way to raise a daughter. My girls varmint hunt with me but I could never get them into bigger game.

The look on her face is incredible!!

Cherish every minute with her...they grow up FAST!

You have wealth beyond measure

Congrats to your guide!!!

Awesome pictures!

However, you'll be the brokest man in the world when she decides she needs to hunt everything dad does. Good thing youth tags are usually cheap.

Great report! Can't top it at all!

That's a beautiful thing!
Congratulations are in order and well deserved!

...but why does the dog have to be named Zeke? LMAO

Zeke

quote:

Originally posted by ZekeShikar:

...but why does the dog have to be named Zeke? LMAO

Zeke

Zeke is a great name.... for a dog.


I thought that you would feel honored that I named my dog after you.

Awesome - the best example I have seen of why we hunt.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by ZekeShikar:

...but why does the dog have to be named Zeke? LMAO

Zeke

Zeke is a great name.... for a dog.


I thought that you would feel honored that I named my dog after you.


Zeke IS a great name for a dog or an old dawg like me!

Well done, again, on the family hunt!

I've been through that very experience with 4 daughters and they're all now married adults and accomplished hunters. The oldest daughter has taken desert sheep, dall sheep, bears, deer, elk pronghorn etc...and the others are not far behind her.

Best, Zeke (the dawg)

Look at that SMILE!! Excellent job, Sir! and a nice pronghorn, to boot!

Fantastic report!!... I'm always glad when a youngster has a positive role model to share with them!!....