Post by TominOK on Nov 27, 2016 1:08:48 GMT -5
This morning it got my nephew, and it was classic from all the stories I have heard about it. Joe and Avery went hog hunting on the second part of the lease and I got the nephew, he has hunted in the past but not regularly. Joe traded for a 7mm Mauser and brought it to try out, the boy was supposed to use it but it has a peep site and he didn't know if he could hit anything with it. I didn't say anything but we have peeps on a couple of the black rifles and he shots them fine. I think he just didn't think the old rifle was good enough. So Joe let him use his 264RLB with some warnings about scratching it and all the other stuff that could happen.
We got to our stand, its a big one that can hold 4 hunters easy. He had one end and I had the other, we had just let the windows fold down and got set when the does started showing up. He got all jumpy and kept picking one then another then I told him to settle down and wait and see if a buck shows up. We had maybe 8 or 9 doe walk in and out of the field until about 10 when we heard shots form the second lease. I knew Joe or Avery had got a pig at least so we had meat. I had just got me a water and he wanted a Gatorade so I fished him one out. he didn't even pen it when he whispered buck and looked out the window. I was a nice 8 pointer, not a big deer but one of the picture bucks you see in magazines. 3 equal sized tines on each beam and the brow tines were same sized but smaller. He got the rifle up and just watched him for a long time through the scope. He took it off safety and I started watching the buck to watch for the hit. after way to much time watching he shot, the buck took off not looking like it had been hit. He was all lets go get it and not wanting to wait for a bit to let it die if he had hit it.
We got down walked over to where it had been standing when he shot. No blood, hair or anything that said he hit him. So we go in the direction it went looking for any signs of blood, none. The kicker is the buck was closer than the doe I took later in the same stand. after about an hour of looking I call it and we go back tot he stand. He is blaming the gun, the scope and everything else he can for the miss. I finally told him we all miss one sometimes that why its called hunting. So now he has a pity party going on in his head when the does show back up. I ask if he is going to take one and he just nods no. So I pick the biggest and she is out in the cooler. About 1 the radio light flashes telling us we have a page, so I answer it and tell them we need the four-wheeler and trailer I have a doe down. Joe and Avery get there and as we load my doe the boy goes into telling Joe the rifle is off. He knows he aimed right and he was not shaking or anything. Joe just looks at me and then him telling him no big deal just wasn't your time. He goes on and on about it had to be something wrong with the rifle. I am get angry listening to him and ask if we can go to the casino for lunch and we all start back, Joe and Avery on the four-wheeler and us on the trailer. About 2 hundred yards up the trail he is still going on. Joe stops takes the rifle and looks down where we just left and sees his Gatorade bottle setting on the step to the stand and blows a hole in it. Hands the rifle back and tells him nothing wrong with my rifle now hush.
So he was at least quiet. We eat and then go to the tribal offices and meet the police chief and he takes us to where the horns and meat are being kept for us. we get loaded and head back to the lease for my doe and Joe asks if we want to hunt anymore or just head in. Well the boy is pretty much done, he is bummed because he knows he got bit by the fever. So we aren't going to hunt and Joe gets out the old rifle and has the boy shoot it at our sight in target. the boys hits pretty much bull's-eye and Joe tells him everyone gets the fever at one time or another, most are to proud to admit it but it happens just the same. So then he asks if we can stay and hunt hogs again. Well Avery is all for that one. So off we go, we drive in and there are 4 pigs about 100 yards down the fence row and Joe tells him to get out and kill one or he's walking home. So he lays over the hood and shoots one with the old rifle. The pig went down but it was not a great shot, so Joe pulls his normal stuff and hands Avery the 300AAC and tells him lets go see if he has company. We get about 4 yards form it when a pig runs out and just looks at us, Avery didn't ask or wait to be told he just shot it 4 or 5 times scaring the fire out of the new boy. Joe tells him to make sure its on safety and we walk on down Joe lets Aaron (the boy) finish his with the 357 Joe carries. I go back for the truck while they gut them.
I get back and J would have thrown a wall eyed fit, Avery was red from top to his boots. Joe was smart enough to bring extra clothes for him. we put down plastic and toss some ice on them and wrap them. As we are leaving Avery tells Joe he wants to give his pig to Miss Edna so now we are going to the landowners. We pull up and She sends her sons out to see what we have brought and she brings out the standard stuff she calls coffee. You drink it with cream and sugar trust me, it can walk on its own. So Aaron decided he doesn't want to clean his hog so he gives it to her too.
Joe just smiles and they talk about the need for a gate between the leases, so it looks like we will be busy after season is over putting in a gate. She always supplies everything we just supply the man power. Avery gets his hug and kissed and we come home.
Miss Joyce asks how it went and Aaron tells her he got bit and missed his buck and she told him no one is exempt he would get one next time. J told him she had it before and it will be ok.
So far I have not been visited by the fever or at least not when hunting, I have had the shakes once when we were building fence and a big one walked up on us and just looked at us.