Hunter: Mastin Rigdon
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Irwin
Season: 2021-2022
Hunt Story
I had set up a ground blind about 70 yards from a feeder that hogs and deer had both been coming to. It was another place for me to take my son in hopes of him getting his first deer. He had been with me some this year, but we didn't see anything and he was starting to lose interest. I had checked camera prior to this hunt and had this buck plus two bigger 8-points in daylight hours. He got excited after seeing pictures and said he was going to get one of those bucks. I got off work Friday afternoon and rushed home to pick him up and try to get in woods for a little bit. We got in blind around 6:10 and feeder had already gone off. It had rained the night before and the temperature had dropped from the cool front moving in. I was sitting there praying we would see a deer or at least a hog for him to shoot. Well about 6:30 I noticed a buck coming out of the woods toward the feeder and whispered to my son there was a deer coming out. He immediately saw it was a buck and grabbed his rifle and started easing it out the window of the blind. In the midst of all this it dawned on me that I should be videoing it. I scrambled to get my phone out and start recording. I ended up getting about 3 seconds worth before he pulled the trigger, but I did get some really good videos after the shot. As I watched my son I thought to myself it is amazing how excited you get killing your first deer and it is that much more when it's a buck. It is just as amazing when you get to witness your child doing this and it is something neither one of you will ever forget. After about 20-25 minutes (which to him seemed like days) we went and tracked his buck. He ran about 60 yards but, had a good blood trail so made it easy.
