Youth Hunter
by: Mitch Schumacher
Front Sight, Issue 6, Page 4

It was my 3rd year hunting as I sat there on that foggy morning on September 27, 2008. A little after 8:00 am a doe and a fawn came walking out of a woods to my right. They weren’t there long and then they took off through some pine trees straight ahead.

At about 8:50 another doe walked out of the same woods, only this time there was a buck with it. My guide, Tim Schafer, said it was a nice six point that he had seen before. I didn’t think I was going to get a shot at it, because it was headed away from us.

But then for some reason it stopped. I aimed the gun and pulled the trigger. BANG! I dropped him right on the spot. He laid there for a couple of seconds, then he jumped up and ran off.

We gave him a couple of minutes and then started tracking him. He tracked him for half an hour and then found him. He turned out to be a seven point. Besides shooting the deer, I got to learn what deer camp was like, playing cards…watching T.V. and doing dishes. I was very lucky to be able to go hunting with a great guide and very nice people, Don and Mary Harter.

Thank you
~Mitch Schumacher
13 years old. 8th grade Beal City High School Student.

Our Hunting Future
Front Sight, Issue 4, Page 5

One of the most rewarding events at Card’s Draw Trophy Whitetail Deer Ranch is the time we spend with our young hunting friends. In 2007 we were privileged to have three youth hunters and their parents as guests at Card’s Draw, below are their pictures with their trophies

My dad proceeded to tell me we don’t just get to pick our deer out of a photo album. He said you can hope for that deer but don’t expect to shoot it. We continued to get pictures of deer. My 9-point seemed to be quite photogenic.

The time finally came for us to spend the night at the camper and go out for the first day of the Youth Hunt. I thought it was pretty warm so I didn’t need to wear all the hunting attire my dad had purchased for me. I was thinking it was more like a flip-flop and T-shirt day. My dad went along with it because it was my hunt.

We got out to the blind early to get set up. Surely enough, a buck and three does snuck passed us before daylight. Then a few minutes later a 7-point walked in front of our blind ten yards in front of us. My dad asked me what I thought. I told him I thought it was kind of early. Only a few minutes more had passed and more deer were walking passed but nothing shootable. Out of my dad’s window he spots a lone deer coming up out of the swamp heading our way. We had a chance to get the binoculars on it and my dad all excited says, “Leslie, it’s your deer!”

The buck gets out in front of our blind and stops to nibble on some grasses. I get the gun rested on the window and click the safety off. And my dad said, “Wait, I don’t have the video camera.” Then he said, “Ok, if you have a clear shot and you’re aiming at his shoulder area, take the shot when you are ready.” I got the gun steady and aimed where I wanted and pulled the trigger. I said, “Did I hit him?” He said, “I don’t know but I don’t see him anymore.” My dad had me rack in another shell in case he got up to run away. But after a couple minutes we decided to go look where we last saw him. I secured my weapon and off we went to find my deer.

I ran while my dad followed. When I first spotted him I could hardly control my excitement. My dad ran over and gave me a big hug and congratulated me as I teared up with joy. This had to be one of the happiest moments of my life. I turned to my dad still teary eyed and said, “If this is how hunting makes you feel, I guess I’m a hunter!”

Our Special Youth Hunters
Front Sight, Issue 3, Page 6 & 7

Jonathan Kirschner from Powers, Michigan, has been hunting with his father, Dan, owner of Wild Spirit Guide Service, since he was three years old and went bear hunting in Maine. Since then besides hunting in Michigan and Maine, he has hunted in Wisconsin, Virginia, Ontario, and Quebec.

Jonathan's bobcat treed close to three miles from the nearest road in 24 inches of snow. He took the animal with one shot from his own 20 gauge and it was treed by his very own English hound, Stormy.

Jonathan decided to try spot and stalk for his boar hunt. They kept to within 30 yards of the 300 pound Russian boar with 3 inch cutters and the animal turned and faced them for several minutes. finally Jonathan said, "Dad, I can make that shot easy." The boar dropped in his tracks with a shot right between the eyes. His father said he would have been nervous with most adults taking that shot but his 'little man' has really got it together.