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Father & son glean memories: a young man's first buck

By JIM NIGRO

The first hint of dawn was on the Eastern horizon when Jeff Bartz pulled off the highway and onto the dirt lane that wound its way through a farm field. In the passenger seat was my grandson, 14-year-old Sammy Bartz who has accompanied his father on numerous hunts in recent years, but only in the role of an observer. On this day the roles would be reversed.

It was the first day of New York State's Youth Firearms Deer Hunt. In only its second year, the program allows junior hunters aged 14 and 15, and accompanied by a mentor who possesses a valid big game hunting license, to hunt deer. Under the terms of the hunt, the mentor is not allowed to carry a firearm, he/she is there for guidance only.

Despite the low light, as the Bartz' vehicle moved slowly along the dirt lane they were able to see several does feeding in the field beside them. On a nearby knoll, silhouetted by the first light of day, was a buck that the father and son estimated to be a six-point. Moments later Jeff and Sammy began the slow walk to their tree stand a quarter mile away through a hardwoods.

"On the way to our stand I could hear deer running off, just kicking up the leaves in their haste," said Jeff. "I figured we botched our hunt."

Not to worry. Not only would the elder Bartz' original plan for the morning pay off, there would be plenty of action forthcoming. Theirs was a strategy that began during midsummer when Jeff and Sammy first scouted a variety of locations before the actual placement of their tree stands. One such location was a large woodlot with an abundance of shagbark hickory and a smattering of beech trees. Last Saturday morning found the pair in those same woods, situated 12 feet off the ground in a buddy stand, a pre-fab ladder stand built for two hunters. Cradled in Sammy's arms was an Ithaca Featherlite 20-gauge, the same shotgun used by his great-grandfather.

The father and son tandem weren't seated very long when the action began.

"Four does came in first," said Sammy. No doubt they were intent on feeding on the bumper crop of hickory nuts that now littered the forest floor.

"A six-point came in right after that," he continued, "and then another buck right behind him. That one was a six-point, too." That's when a skirmish ensued as the two combatants squared off and began shoving back and forth. When asked what the does did at this time, Sammy said, "they all stopped eating to watch." 

At this point Sammy turned to his father and asked, "What should I do?", to which Jeff replied that it was his son's own decision to make. Sammy didn't know it yet, but he was about to have his decision made for him.

The two bucks were still going at it when a newcomer arrived on the scene. Both bucks stopped battling as another buck, an eight-point, strutted onto the scene. Sammy raised the Ithaca 20, but with the big buck walking broadside behind leafy growth at 75 yards, he wasn't afforded a clear shot. Noting the direction the buck was headed, Sammy picked an opening between two tree trunks and waited. The opening was slight so once the deer moved into it Sammy had little time. With the buck still on the move, the young hunter took the shot and the buck went down, flailing on the forest floor only briefly before it was up and bounding away.

Both father and son got a good look at the directon in which the deer ran off and decided to wait 45 minutes before climbing down out of their stand. After what must have been an incredibly long wait for Sammy -- no doubt his adrenaline pumping to beat the band- - they began the tracking process. After 20 minutes and 150 yards, Sammy let out a loud whoop after spotting the antlers.

His cheeks flush, a broad smile on his face said it all. Certainly the events that unfolded on this morning will be forever embedded in his mind. And as for Jeff, who has put a great deal of venison in the family freezer over the years, how did this outing rank among all the others? Savoring the moment he said, "This was by far the best hunt I've ever experienced."

Jami Bartz

The excitement is still pretty high in this house! You should have seen the smile on his face when we served up the tenderloins.
Great write up, Dad...probably one of my favorites. :)

Oct 17, 2013, 7:13am Permalink
Jeffrey R. Bartz

After having a few more days to reflect on our time in the woods, it's become clear that the experience was about so much more than hunting. It was about us - the bond of a father and son. It was about the Lord and the good things He has given to us. Just to be out in the woods experiencing God's creation together was a gift in itself.

After guiding Sam on his shot at this 8-pointer, we prayed together hoping we would be able to recover the deer. Five days later, we are still both flying high! Not just because Sam bagged a beauty, but because as father and son we invested in this pursuit together and it was about so much more than a deer or a rack.

I've learned some valuable lessons from this youth hunt. Even though the objective is to mentor younger hunters, I feel as though I've been mentored myself. Sam and I strategized together, planned together, pursued together, and conquered together. As a husband and dad, I am learning that it should be true not just of deer hunting but in life.

Thanks for the great article, Jim, and more importantly for being there to not only recover and document the recovery of the deer, but for being there for us as a father-in-law and Grampy!

Oct 17, 2013, 9:21am Permalink
JIM NIGRO

Jeff - you've summed things up very nicely. The natural world bears the handprint of an awesome Creator. Whether it be whitetails or waterfowl, sunsets or starlit skies, there is much to enjoy in the outdoors, much to appreciate in a loving and forgiving God who provided it all.

Oct 17, 2013, 10:40am Permalink
Jason Crater

I wish I didn't have to wait another 4 years for my boy to hunt. I did get him out in a tree stand with me the other day...it was fun besides my fears that he'd fall (he WAS harnessed) and that he couldn't stop talking or sit still for more than about 8 seconds at a time.

Oct 18, 2013, 10:36am Permalink
JIM NIGRO

Jason - it sounds like you have a normal, healthy and inquisitive young man on your hands, one who enjoyed being afield with his dad.....relish the time, cherish the moments!

Oct 18, 2013, 12:25pm Permalink

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