First off, I gotta thank Tradgang for the opportunity to buy and sell stuff here.  My 13 year old daughter is carrying a Super Shrew Lil' Favorite that I got off the classifieds last spring and a Sleeping Indian 'shirt/jac that came off the classifieds a month ago.  Both fit her very well.  

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The above photo is taken in front of one of my parents cherry orchards. This is Morgan's second year of hunting.  You may have seen this picture from a post last December here on Tradgang.



Well, we've not had any luck on the previous three times out in the woods, although the last time in a natural ground blind behind our house,  I saw a doe, but Morgan did not before this doe decided it was not healthy for her to stick around. Morgan heard the deer, but still had not seen a deer in the woods while hunting in her career.  Yesterday morning I decided to forgo the Double Bull blind setup and sit in a natural ground blind I dug into the side of the hill of the valley that feeds up to the Double Bull blind.  Back in September I had set up a scent wick rope just off the trail that runs along the base of the hill.  There was a fallen log on one side/behind one side of the ground blind and an old oak tree stump on the other that's probably 3 feet in diameter, plus we're already dug into the side of the hill.  A little 1.5 inch cross member branch in front between two trees with a few sparse pine branches suspended with zip ties and we're there.

Morgan wears a fleece face cover and I paint my face (that used to be my face cover.........and bow). Anyone who saw Roger Norris article in the latest Trad Archers World should pay attention to the no camouflage article. I'm wearing a Classic Bowman Brim Hat and Double Rover Coat with Filson dark Gray wool pants.  

Morgan pulled down her mask for the selfie in the ground blind. First light temperature in the woods- a balmy 31 degrees

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Let's just say there's a little of this

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and this one under the scent rope involved in this story

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Good luck to both of you this fall!  Looks like you have a very happy hunting buddy!    

Bernie

Outstanding, you are one lucky dad and very proud I'm sure!  

God bless you and your precious daughter. Something no amount of money can buy. Time with your kids.

Cool.... boy she sure looks the part........  

So, a little more background.  Morgan (and her older sister) are both excellent bow shots. Her older sister is running cross country for her high school team six days a week, so Morgan has been my hunting buddy this fall. This is Morgan pointing out how she beat dear old dad on the long shot (42 yards for me, 28 for her)this summer on the local 3D course(sorry, cell phone quality picture)

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Saturday was a bust for hunting.  The Mrs. was away on her girls weekend and I had to take older daughter to the team bus at 8 am for a cross country meet.  Morgan and I then traveled to the meet at which she helped cheered her sister on---- 31st out of over 100 at the 15 team meet and she's only a freshman on the varsity team!!! Then her older sister had a dance that night and had to be at her friends house at 6:15. Morgan and I had a late dinner together, visited my Shrewhaven hunting camp buddy who had just got back from a week long trip to hunt birds at Shrewhaven and then finally pick up her older sister at 10 pm at the dance. In bed by 10:45 and then up at 5:30 to get ready to travel out to the farm.  Morgan likes her sleep, so she was VERY tired.  We slip in to the blind at first light. Usually I don't see deer until about 9:00 to 9:30 in this area and mentioned that to her on the way in. Since I had built this for me alone to hunt, the seating was a little crowed. We had to swap positions because my legs were in the way of her canted bow on the dry run draw. Finally we are settled in. The squirrels are now chasing each other around and a flight of geese got up off the bay and flew at tree top level right over us an you could hear the wing beats and see their eyes. All cool stuff. Morgan leaned her head against my chest, I put my arm around her and in 10 minutes there was heavy breathing and a little snore. I was a happy papa. After a hour or so of nap time for Morgan I see a deer about twenty five yards down the hill. It's a younger deer, and I squeeze Morgan's arm and whispered 'deer to the right, don't move'. I could feel her lift her head just a smidge in the direction of the deer. As it slowly picked along angling down the hill in front of us it stood broadside at about 15 yards with no cover in between us (this is our entrance in the blind and a shooting lane). At this point, we can see two little points on one side and a spike on the other.  Not a legal deer in our zone which requires 3 or more points on one side. Her head is now up next to mine, and I whispered 'not legal' to remind her of the rule.  After about 15-20 seconds he looks back. I knew what was going on and said 'something else is coming'. Sure enough, here comes a nice 120-125 inch eight point. He's walking along, picking up an acorn from time to time.  The little guy moves behind some trees in the middle of our view (but still at 20 yards) and now the big boy is broadside at 18. As the deer were moving I told Morgan to get her hand on the bow and get set. She was a champ at moving slowly and leaning forward imperceptibly. Morgan starts her draw but I stop her mid draw because I'm right behind looking down the arrow and there a branch from the blind right in the way (the only thing in the verticle plane). The buck keeps moving towards the scent rope about 7 yards to the left and Morgan moves with him (using the trees to screen her movement). He's now reaching to the ground and Morgan starts drawing for the second time.......and he turns quartering to us a little. She was at half draw, but let's down again. Still, undetected. Now for that experience factor, after about 10-15 seconds he turns again broadside/slight quarter and before she can get drawn he's stepped out of the lane.  Both deer move off up the ridge undisturbed. As they had just started to move off, Morgan started shaking. I think she knew her chance was up and they weren't coming back.  I looked at the time....9:30.

When we left I went to add some orbital scent to the scent rope (which he had rubbed). That's when we found 4 scrapes. One under the rope and three within 10 yards.  

Morgan has two homes, so she has limited chances to hunt with me. I know she's going to get it done, it's just a matter of when, but she's learning a ton and she got to be in a situation a lot of guys don't get (on the ground in sparse natural blind and two deer at less than 20 yards unaware you're even there). We ended the morning making another ground blind on a different section of the farm. It's an area where apples are harvested all October long, but they will be done picking on Tuesday, about one week early and the deer will move back into their normal patterns in that area when the daily all day long people presence is gone. Here's another shot of my little trooper late last December after a cold evening hunt.  

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Watch out Cade Cabrera, Morgan is coming along right behind you!!      

Awesome!

QuoteOriginally posted by A.S.:
   

Allen,

Her bow has that last string you made me last week on it!! Nice work.    

HA HA way to cool!  

That's awesome. Her time to take one is soon.

Oh, man, that's exciting! Can't wait to here a success story.
Although, I kind of consider that a success story in itself. Getting deer in range but having the self control to not take a bad shot.

Guys...I can tell you for sure Ray is working hard to get Morgan a deer. We talk frequently, and I haven't heard one story about his own hunts this year. He's got her out there building ground blinds, sharpening knives and broadheads, shooting,shooting,shooting....Nice job Ray. It will be VERY special when she finally puts her tag on one  

Awesome...it will all come together soon!

QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris:
Guys...I can tell you for sure Ray is working hard to get Morgan a deer. We talk frequently, and I haven't heard one story about his own hunts this year. He's got her out there building ground blinds, sharpening knives and broadheads, shooting,shooting,shooting....Nice job Ray. It will be VERY special when she finally puts her tag on one      

Hey buddy, I wouldn't trade it for a pope and young buck.  She's such a sponge out in the woods.  Of course her and her sister have been in training for a number of years (here's Mary at the Michigan Traditional Bowhunters shoot about 10 years ago).  Morgan's 'uncle' Greg said to her Saturday night when we were with him 'it may not be this year, or next but you'll get your chance'. Little did he know how close she'd be the next morning.
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Hey Ray, keep at it Buddy and She'll get a crack at one yet.

Remember your Girls have more than one uncle, tell Morgan Uncle Ron said Good Luck..  

QuoteOriginally posted by Ron LaClair:
Hey Ray, keep at it Buddy and She'll get a crack at one yet.

Remember your Girls have more than one uncle, tell Morgan Uncle Ron said Good Luck..      

Ron, she knows that!!!! She was proudly wearing her Art Vincent/LaClair Shrew Mantis quiver into the woods!
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Really cool story.  Good luck you guys..

Great stuff right there Ray!