Samantha’s 2012 Youth Season 10 pointer

My Daughter Samantha is a 11 year old that has been deer hunting the past 2 year with Grandpa and I. Last year she took her 1st Deer a nice button buck during the youth season. This year she told her big brother Dylan, that is now serving in the ARMY at Fort Bragg, NC. she would take one bigger than his 1st buck(8 points).
We woke up early at deer camp 5:15am to 35 degree temp. We ate donuts and got dressed. At 5:45 Grandpa arrived to ride up the bluff on our 4 wheeler. It was Youth Season opening morning a perfect cool calm start and the deer where moving all around our blind. At first light two six point bucks fed in the food plots under our blind to within 10 yards. Eventually they walked about 300 yards away and met up with another small buck and did some sparring. We then noticed a bigger buck step out of the woods starring at these small bucks. We watched and waiting several minutes to see if the big buck would come our way. Just when they all started to slowly walk farther away they turned and ran right at us. We believed a coyote may have pushed them to us. The big buck was leading the way as Samantha steadied the 50 Cal TC Bone collector Muzzleloader out the window. The Buck stopped 30 yards in front looking our way. Then he stepped full broad side and she then shot. I looked around the smoke to see the Buck standing looking around, a clean miss. She handed me the Muzzleloader to reload. As I knelt down and opened the breach to pull the primer it fell into the trigger and jammed. The next 5 minutes seemed to take forever to free the primer but I heard Grandpa taking pictures of what I wondered. Surly the big buck and others must have ran off. I then got the gun reloaded and looked out to my amazement; the Big Buck was feeding in the food plot not 15 yards away. I slowly handed the muzzleloader to Samantha and she again steadied it for a 2nd shot. This time she put the scope cross hairs on the bucks shoulder and POW. She dropped the buck in its tracks. The smaller bucks were all still standing there looking around and didn’t run until we got down from the blind. We reloaded the gun and slowly approached the buck which was still breathing. A Teaching moment now for Samantha on safety that a wounded deer could jump up and possible hurt you, plus you don’t want it to suffer. We explained where to place a finishing shot on the buck, which she did.
Now 7:20am the celebratory hugs began with Grandpa, Samantha and I. The big buck was a perfect typical 10 pointer of Pike County. After many photos to document the memory we got the 4 Wheeler and loaded up the prize. The next few hours were spent enjoying the beautiful outdoors with Grandpa. We then drove to Quincy’s Butcher Block and Samantha elected to donate the deer to the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program. We had the deer caped out and of course it is being mounted by Fred’s Taxidermy in Quincy. She is in current negotiations with her mom to hang the mount in her room to enjoy everyday. She’ll at least have 9 months until the mount is completed to win that battle. What a great start to the 2012 Deer hunting season we are so proud of her. Girls ruled this Youth season as her 2 best friends also took deer, a button buck and 6 point buck.