Hunter: Mason Kayser
Points: 6 (3L, 3R)
County: Wayne
Season: 2016-2017
Hunt Story
My son (Mason Kayser) was hunting with my father in law (Danny Griffin) on the evening of 12/17/16. They were in a box stand that was elevated about 12-13 feet off of the ground. The box stand overlooked a large food plot (approximately 120+ yards long). About 70 yards into the food plot was some corn kernels that had been scattered around. At around 5:50 p.m., Mason Kayser noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye on the left hand side of the food plot. He excitedly let his grandfather know that he saw a deer... and that it was a buck! Danny Griffin picked up his binoculars and took a closer look. The buck was at the very least a 6-point and had a long body on it. Danny Griffin informed Mason Kayser to wait and see if the buck would come toward the corn, and Mason Kayser did as instructed. To his luck, the buck slowly walked toward the corn and turned almost broadside to the stand. Mason Kayser already had his 30.06 rifle set up and made a couple of last minute seat adjustments (quietly) due to his small stature. Once he informed his grandfather that he had the scope zeroed in on the deer's shoulder, his grandfather told him to squeeze the trigger when he was ready to shoot. Mason Kayser gently squeezed the trigger letting out a deafening blast. Through the binoculars, his grandfather watched as the deer hunched backwards about a half a step, and then tore off towards the back/right side of the food plot where an existing deer trail existed. Mason Kayser and his grandfather exited the stand and went to the spot where the buck was standing when Mason Kayser shot. Mason Kayser's grandfather did not immediately see any blood, but Mason Kayser excitedly pointed to the ground saying "I see blood Pa, I see blood!" There was a lot of blood (always a good sign) that led out of the food plot, and into a dense thicket of bushes and trees. Not wanting to let this moment be missed, Mason Kayser asked if his grandfather could get Gus (Chocolate Lab) to find the deer being that dark was now upon them. Mason Kayser and his grandfather traveled back to camp to get Gus, myself and Mason Kayser's sister (Logan Kayser). The grin on Mason Kayser's face will be permanently etched into my memory, as it was as happy as I'd ever seen him. We rounded up Gus, put some bells on him, and turned on his collar lights. We traveled back to food plot, let Gus out, and he immediately found the buck in the thicket. It was dead as a door nail. Mason Kayser's grandfather drug it out of the thicket, and he and I hoisted it up onto a buggy to carry back to the skinning rack.
