USA: Eight Year Old First Thing Bigger Than A Squirrel

[Ty W Hart]

At last years Outdoor Experience 4 All banquet my lucky 8 year old boy won a hunt to Dutton Ranch here in Arizona. “Right after he won our Africa hunt!” We were able to go on the hunt last Tuesday. They were great people and the guide was really good with Alex. We blessed to looked over many different animals. I never knew there was place like this in Arizona. I was a little apprehensive at first not knowing anything about this type of hunting.

It was a rainy day and mild temperatures and was looking to be a fun day playing in the mud. We were really after a pig of 300 pounds or less just for the meat. That was what Alex had won. When Alex seen this ram he really wanted to shoot it. I really liked the look of the ram myself. My number one hunt I always dreamed of was a Dall sheep hunt. With the current prices of a Dall sheep I really do not believe I could ever justify one. Especially after three failed attempts to even go on a Dall sheep hunt. “That a whole different story for sure.”
Since we are going to Africa “hopefully” at the end of July I really wanted to try to save money for that hunt so I thought the ram would be to expensive. We kinda kept looking for a pig but returning to looking at this beautiful ram.
I finally asked Alex’s guide how much that ram would cost? When he told me I thought might as well get something we could have to remember Alex’s first hunt. After all I had been through trying to get a Dall sheep we might as well let Alex get a Texas Dall.

After deciding that we would try to get this ram we needed to move around him for a shot. Once we got over to where Alex could shoot. The ram turned facing away from us. I think that actually helped out and get Alex a little more comfortable for the shot. When the ram gave Alex the shot he did not hesitate and made a perfect shot taking out the top of the Rams heart. Thankfully the guide was able to film the shot.
I hope you enjoyed the read. Thank you.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Congrats on getting such a grand first big game animal at such a young age.

Hhhmm....won 2 hunts.....think I could borrow him when the next hunt give away comes along?

Did he get the meat pig, also?

 

[BRICKBURN]

Congrats on getting such a grand first big game animal at such a young age.

Hhhmm....won 2 hunts.....think I could borrow him when the next hunt give away comes along?

Did he get the meat pig, also?

Sign him up today. There's a contest running right now.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Congratulations to you and your son.

 

[wesheltonj]

Great start to a lifetime of hunting.

 

[gillettehunter]

Good job. Congrats
Bruce

 

[Bullthrower338]

Congratulations to the young man, he will always remember those trips with Dad!

 

[spike.t]

Nice

 

[Shootist43]

Great decision Dad, "hogs" you can hunt just about any time. What rifle and caliber did Alex use? What was the distance?

 

[Ridgewalker]

What a grand start to a hunting life! Congratulations young man!

 

[huntermn15]

Fantastic! Congratulations to the young man!!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Congrats to the young man! Where in AZ is this ranch?

 

[Ty W Hart]

Great decision Dad, "hogs" you can hunt just about any time. What rifle and caliber did Alex use? What was the distance?

He was using one of the 6.5 Creedmores he won. It is cheap savage Axis youth but it fit him the best. The shot was about 50 yards. He was shooting factory 140 grain Nosler Accubonds. We have a built 30-06 that he shoots really well but he started having issues I thought he was jerking the trigger and went to the 6.5 and was a great shot again. I should have shot the old 30-06 when he started shooting all over. It was completely shot out! Not sure how many tens of thousands of rounds went through that old rifle but bet it was well over 50,000! I am having a new barrel put on that rifle.
I am also building another 6.5 Creedmore Christensen Arms Ridgeline that I actually won as well. Yes we had a lucky year last year! I am restocking it in the Outdoorsman’s chassis that will lock on my tripods. I just put a Leupold vx5hd 3-15 fire dot on it today. But am still awaiting the fourth butt stock to come in. I want it just right. We will be taking both the 30-06 and the 6.5 with us when we go to Africa in the end of July. Yes I am keeping faith that we will still be able to go. Thank you

 

[Ty W Hart]

Congrats to the young man! Where in AZ is this ranch?

It is between Seligman and Kingman. Off I-40 on the Fort rock road.

 

[Ty W Hart]

Great start to a lifetime of hunting.

He has been out hunting with me since he was 4 months old! Lol I killed a 190” archery muledeer with him on my back. I rather be lucky than good any day! I actually killed a 85” coues with my self longbow when he was 2 years old and his little sister was 6 months old. It didn’t hit me till after we were standing over the buck how I was going to get the both kids and the deer the about mile to the truck! I stashed all my gear including my bow put Alex in the kid pack tied the head and front feet of the deer to the bottom of the pack and carried my little girl in my arms! Man would I love to had a picture of that!! I think that buck actually was curious about the sounds of the kids. He walked right to me as I was feeding my little girl and Alex was kicking rock.

 

[Shootist43]

Ty, I had a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser cut down for a youngster's use. I call it the "grandkid's" rifle. My youngest grandson took a nice doe with it 2 weeks after his ninth birthday. Kids are small the recoil from a 6.5 is a lot less than that of an '06. "Food for thought."

 

[Ty W Hart]

Ty, I had a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser cut down for a youngster's use. I call it the "grandkid's" rifle. My youngest grandson took a nice doe with it 2 weeks after his ninth birthday. Kids are small the recoil from a 6.5 is a lot less than that of an '06. "Food for thought."

That’s very true. This is my setup it has very little recoil. It still has enough that I gave the recoil thought for sure. Actually being attached to the tripod with the suppressor really helps but I realize they only have about 3 square inches of contact to their shoulder! I actually have a remote trigger pull for this setup where you don’t even have to have it against anything. I built it for kids with disabilities to use. My phone is setup to go onto the scope so everyone can see through and I could get it aimed and lock it on target. The picture of the cow elk is when as he shot it. Thank you I do believe that way to many people let kids shoot to big of a rifle and get them to flinch.