274 Louisiana Sportsman^ | April 2015
reader report
Young hunter gets wish
M
y litle boy’s name is Tyler Quirk. He is 6 year old,
and is obsessed with hunting. I guess that’s my
fault.
He has been in love with your magazine since
he was old enough to look at pictures and realize what he was
looking at. As soon as he could talk, he asked me when he
would be able to be in your magazine.
So I promised that when he would get his first kill I would do
my best to get him in one of your issues.
I made a promise to myself that I would dedicate my season
this year to get him a deer. We have a lease in Area 6 off of
Highway 71 between Port Barre and Krotz Springs; it’s a small
lease, but we have a few deer. We never kill any giants but we
do pretty well considering.
Tyler and I made many hints this year but no luck: The area
was dry for the most part of the year and I think that affected
our deer sightings. We would bait his favorite stand with rice
bran and hope something would show up.
One day we were sitting there and, shortly before dark, a wild
pig showed up. He looked as if would walk across our shooting
too quick for Tyler to get a shot, so I picked up my rifle and
proceeded to shoot, but just like that the hog turns as if he were
coming to the bran.
I told Tyler to get his gun ready. Well the hog had other plans,
and we unable to get a shot off before he got away. After hunt-
ing this stand multiple
times, Tyler asked if we
could try another stand
and I was more than
happy to agree.
He chose a stand we
call “T’s old box.” On the
day after Christmas we
decide to set out on our
trip. We get to the stand
that afternoon and set
up around 3 p.m.
Not long after get-
ting into the stand, a
spike showed up at 30
yards. Tyler wanted to
shoot, but our club has
antler restrictions and
wouldn’t allow it.
I talked him down and,
against his better judg-
ment, he agreed we need to let him grow to a big buck.
I guess it was around 4:30 p.m. when we saw another deer
and this time it’s a mature doe.We were pumped and ready to bag his first deer, but again she
didn’t cooperate.
Not much longer thereafter, we spotted another doe in the
shooting lane, coming straight for us. I knew better, but we
hadn’t had many opportunities and the few we had didn’t work
out.So I told him to get his gun ready and put the crosshairs on
her chest. He told me he had her in his sights, so I gave him the
OK.
Boom! He missed.
The deer ran off, and my son was left with the empty feeling. I
grab the gun from him and proceed to lift his spirits by telling
him it happens to all of us. It’s part of hunting.
Just as I’m consoling him and putting another bullet in the
chamber, we look up and another deer was in the shooting lane
100 yards away.
“OK T, get ready.” I said. “Here’s your chance, and she’s broad-
s i d e .”
With the crosshairs on the deer he said, “I’m ready, Daddy!”
I clickd the gun off safety and gave him the OK. As I coached
him, he squeezed off and BOOM!
The doe fell in her tracks.
“ I got her!” Tyler said.
From that moment on I knew I just made a hunting buddy for
life. ■By Nick QuirkSix-year-old Tyler Quirk has
dreamed of being in Louisiana
Sportsman, and he got his chance
when he shot this nice doe.* Please try to limit stories to 500 words & send photos when possible. Email: [email protected]Got an interesting story to share?
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