one good shot, then another

Last fall, Ammon completed the Hunter's Ed. Safety course in preparation for his first hunting season this year, since he turned 12 in January. Josh was looking forward to finally having a hunting buddy--he hasn't gone hunting himself since 2008. One evening in mid-October, Josh took Ammon, and they went looking for deer on the ranch--there's always ample amounts of deer grazing the surrounding hay fields. The boys were gone several hours scoping out their targets. Ammon made a few shots at a buck that night, but due to the twilight, it was difficult to see, and the shots were unsuccessful.

 

A few days later, Josh was on his way home from work in the afternoon, and spotted a buck in one of the ranch fields. Thankfully, he had his rifle with him, and he took 2 shots at it, and it did the job. His 2nd shot went right through the deer's neck, and Josh was so glad since that meant there wouldn't be any wasted meat. Unfortunately, his phone was dead (because Kanyon had been playing on it), and that was the only camera he had with him, so he didn't get a photo. He got to work gutting it, and lifted the body into his truck to take it home. When I drove home after work, I passed by Josh, who was shutting the gate to that field, and he had a giant smile plastered to his face. It's unusual for him to look so happy, so I knew something was up. After we both got home, he gleefully told me about his successful hunt. Then he got his dad's tractor, hooked the deer onto it, raised it up, and started the job of skinning it. That's when I finally got a picture of his prize meat (bloody and half-skinned, and raised in the air like a pinata!).

The very next evening, Josh took Ammon up to the field just above our house. They had been observing the deer patterns for a few days, and figured this would be the best time/place for Ammon to make a kill. And their observations turned out to be right! Within a half hour, Ammon spotted a buck, took just 1 shot, and the buck was down! The bullet went through its spine. Ammon was so happy, and we felt so lucky to get 2 deer within 2 days!

Josh gutted it for Ammon in the field before the sun went down, brought it back to the house on the 4-wheeler, and skinned it the same way he did his own the day before. 

Josh took both bucks to the meat packing shop in Salmon, and we are anxiously anticipating when we can start eating lots of yummy deer jerky and deer burger! I am so proud of both of them and their successful first hunting season together!