Since his first day of deer season in 2005 when he was 3 months old....hunting has been a BIG part of his life. B started taking T when he was about 18 months or 2 years old out into the woods with coloring books, candy etc. to keep his attention while he sat in the deer stand with daddy. The same way over 30 years ago he was taught to hunt. Patiently waiting for the Big Buck to come along for the harvest!  |
| ~2 years old~ |
Even though they could not possible hold a rifle or shoot the gun....they were taught the sport. Just as you would teach your child to obey and be respectful....so you should teach them to be able to be independent and self sufficient. We have reached the time in our lives when our boys are growing and learning things as they always have....but the trust factor and independence is becoming more real!!
I recently purchased a GREAT book at DVD from vision forum about our 2nd Amendment and hunting a sport with dads and their sons. Great gift idea for your little hunters!!
B has been hunting with his father and grandfather....his whole life! Two men who have taken him into the woods and taught him gun safety, taught him about dangers in the woods and any survival things that could help him as he hunted and learned the sport of hunting. They hunt most animals that live in the wood here in South Arkansas- deer, raccoons, squirrels, hogs, turkeys, even on a occasion snakes! yikes!
T won his first ever gun at the local NRA banquet. When he was 4 he picked it up with his daddy at our local gun shop. You can tell by the picture below he already knew how to hold it properly, yet was not hardly able to hold the gun with his little four year old arms!
We are so super proud of T and his accomplishment this year. He went for 3 weeks hunting week after week saw a few deer but waited for the right moment and right deer to come along that way he knew he could harvest the right deer. He told me "Mama I keep praying to kill a deer. Is God listening?" I told him as I stroked his sweet small seven year old head. "T God hears every prayer we pray- but only God knows the day and time you will harvest your first deer, why don't you pray- 'God please help me enjoy hunting even if I don't kill a deer and show me God how and when the right time will be by teaching me to be patient and still and wait on your time God'" He then prayed a sweet prayer.
Then the next day I got the phone call from the woods...."MAMA I KILLED A FOUR POINT BUCK!!" I will never forget the excitement and thrill he had in his voice. The prayers he had prayed God did hear- but many times we pray for what WE WANT....when God may have other plans for our days & times! 
So from 70 yards with his 243 he shot this four point deer straight in the heart and the deer fell right where he was. Perfect shot for anyone let alone a 7 year old boy and his first harvest!! (and yes that is blood on his face.....tradition for the new hunter! I am just glad they don't make him take a bite of the heart!)
The little hunter has come a long ways from his very first deer season back in 2005 when he was not happy sitting next to the deer that daddy killed! He actually was hungry and dirty and didn't want anything to do with a deer at that time.....these past 7 years have flown by and I pray that he enjoys the sport for years to come.
I am so very proud of B and his patiently teaching both our boys the sport and as I told B the night T killed his first deer " It is almost like you have given birth to a new baby- now this is a whole new generation of young boys who are independent and can rely on their own skill to feed their family!" So with a freezer a little more full of deer meat to feed our little family and growing boys we are joyful our 7 year old boy is growing up and learning all kinds of new things!!
Do I hunt? I am learning....B is teaching me- I have only gone twice in 13 years. But if it came down to it and feeding my family I would probably do it more! I usually stay home and have a warm meal ready for my hunters when they arrive home!!
Mollie
