Youth Hunters Deer Tale

Aleya Luce, age 11

My Daughters First Deer by Kirt Luce 

We were watching 2 does all the way across the field which is 300 yds. Too far for an eleven year old to try to send a .243 bullet across the field. Although she did stop shivering and complaining that she was cold once she saw the deer. She had fun playing with the video camera zooming up and watching them. We put that away and just watched them for a while. I watched impatiently hoping they would come closer when Aleya said "Dad there's a deer right here" As she pointed to the right of the field. I responded with "what?" I turned and looked. Sure enough as I was so concentrated on deer at end of field I never bothered to continue to scan the field for other deer. The deer was already 15 yards into field. I picked up the gun put in her arms pointing out at the field and said "Get on it. Get ready!"

She looks through the scope and I can see she's no where near the deer. I grabbed her by the shoulders and twisted her and the gun to the right. And said "it's over here" she starts looking again and with me behind her I can see she's way off again. So I twisted her to the right again. She repeated settling into the stock of the gun only to be too far to the left again. For the third time, I twisted her into the right direction. She says "I can't find it" then I realize the scope is on 10 power and she couldn't find it in the scope.

I reach over crank the power down some and she immediately blurted out " I can see it now" I didn't want her shooting at a brown dot so I started to turn it back up. Aleya then says"Just right!" I cocked the hammer for her said "Your ready to fire. Shoot when your on it." I'd no more an said that and she pulled the trigger the deer went flat. Kicked a bit and got up and ran 40 yards down the field and leaped into the woods. Aleya said "Did I hit it?" I said "Yes and we will find it!"

She immediately wanted to go look. I told her we would wait a bit. I thought and said "Well we can look in field but not the woods don't want to jump it up if it's wounded". We then went and walked the woods line. We didn't get very far and we could see it laying just out of the field. We both walked over and congratulated her on her first deer!! I picked up the head and she held it with the biggest smile. So I pulled out my phone and got a few pics it was great!!! The deer was a 146lb 6 pt. she shot in a field at 110 yds!