Saturday morning I'm reading "Traditional Bowhunter". James, my 2 year old son, is there as usual. He is asking , as only a 2 year old can, about the pictures. He's really familiar with all the animals and names them as we go through the magazine. "Deer" he says for anything that looks like a deer that isn't a "Moose" or an "Elk". Several African antelope are now deer according to James. Of course cougars are "Big Meows" and hogs are "Pig". So James decides we need to go "Deer Hunt", "Pig Hunt", "Elk Hunt", and "Big Meow Hunt". Well it just so happens that James has some camo clothing so I dressed him up in that and we spent the day deer hunting in the house. That really wasn't what he had in mind but since "Sissy" is laid up from a recent operation and "Mommy" was out capturing some bacon to bring home, we didn't really have an alternative.
Kentucky's deer season ends on the 17th so I've got the second to last deer hunt of the season planned for Sunday. It just didn't seem right that James not go so on Sunday we headed out for his first hunt. We went to some nearby public land with selfbows in hand. This place is teeming with deer and it didn't take long to find some tracks and droppings. It also didn't take James long to learn to recognize them. We made it fun as you need to do with young kids. We'd run for a bit (James decided not to carry his bow since he really hadn't established his effective range yet) and then stop suddenly at a "pile" and he'd say "Deer Poop". It was too cute. We found a grove of pine trees that had been rubbed to death, literally on many trees. I showed James how deer rub trees and any time we'd see one, he'd mock my antics. He walked for most of the time in the fields but I carried him through most of the woods.
On the way in we met 3 squirrel hunters and I proudly showed off "Daddy's Little Hunting Buddy". They were admiring both him and my osage bow. I beamed!
When we got in the woods, I told James that we needed to be quiet if
we wanted to see deer or squirrels (or "Elk", "Pigs", or "Big Meows").
He took this to heart and didn't utter another sound unless asked.
The kid's a natural!
So I'm holding him in my arms, cradling both him and my selfbow.
He takes to plucking the bow string and stares at me as it makes a noise.
I smile wryly and he does it again. I mock astonishment at the noise
and he understands the game so he does it again. Of course this turns
into a "pluck, smile and giggle" contest until I see a squirrel in a nearby
tree. I whisper "Squirrel" and point. He now understands that
the hunt is afoot and quiets back down without me ever uttering an admonishment.
I'm amazed. The squirrel scoots into a hollow tree, understanding
the game also.
We get down near a creek and I show him a few things I happen to know about the woods. He takes it all in as young sponges do. He starts getting tired and we head up to the car for a bite to eat and a nap. On the way back through the field we pick up litter and again I beam as the kid correctly identifies "Deer Poop". I'm so proud.
We didn't see a deer except one in the nearby state park (actually James was asleep by then) but the squirrel was all we needed for game. The "Elk", "Pigs", and "Big Meows" proved elusive as always but oh what a day!
