Return the Favor: Take a dad hunting (Episode 8 Transcript)
This is the video transcript. To watch the video for this episode click here.
WOODS: Hey, sorry for the call-in versus video today, but I am actually out in Las Vegas, Nevada. The sight of the annual Shot Show. One of the largest trade shows in the world. And it is Christmas for guys like me and you that love to hunt. All the new guns and ammunition and camo and bullets and tree stands and boots and hand warmers and everything related to hunting is on display here. Just awesome.
While I’m here at the show, I’m gonna bring you a hunt that I was so honored to do with my father, Glen Woods, earlier this year. Our objective was, antlerless, to only harvest mature does. Thrilled that my dad can participate in that. Not only thrilled, he’s a vital part of our crew. He’s four for four the last couple of years and I think you will really enjoy this hunt, so hang with me and see how this plays out.
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WOODS: We’re inside an old hay barn. Up at Blackbird. I’m filming my dad. Then we’re out on Missouri’s antlerless season, trying to collect some does to help manage this property and put some meat in the freezer for the winter.
WOODS: My father is 79 years old and a very serious hunter and still a tremendous shot. Hopefully, we’ll witness that tonight.
WOODS: Did most of the deer come out that way last night?
GLEN: Come from right up yonder. And down at the bottom.
WOODS: Okay.
GLEN: Didn’t have any come off the hill. My name’s Glen Woods and I enjoy hunting. I’m 79 years old. I’ve always enjoyed hunting and I got a chance to come with my son. I like to hunt with him. I’m very proud to hunt with him. And time of my life. I appreciate him bringing me and tolerating me. And I enjoy every second of it.
WOODS: He was raised, of course, in the Depression days and post-Depression where squirrels and rabbits were the mainstay of the family dinner. He was raised in the Ozarks of Missouri on, down by Bull Creek, which is just north of Branson, now very popular. But in his day, it was nothing. Just a little train depot. And my dad has maintained that extreme shooting skill throughout his life. He’s been State MuzzleLoader Champion of several states as a younger man. And that’s how I was raised deer hunting is, of course, one shot, cap and ball. You learn to make that shot count literally. Today dad’s shooting a, an A-Bolt .280 Caliber. It’s one of my collection guns. Guns I used to collect deer with for research projects. And I’ve loaned it to my dad for more than a decade and he’s very comfortable with it. Has a unique shooting style in that he always turns the scope down to three power. That’s because he grew up shooting iron sights of course. So, telescopic sites are still “relatively new” to him and he likes it on three power.
WOODS: There she is. That’s a good doe. Got a pretty strong wind. And that’s close to 200 yards out there. So, my dad is getting ready. He’s getting ready to shoot.
[Shot]
WOODS: My dad is absolutely awesome. He is perfect. And then he turns around and asks if he got her. Of course, he dropped her in her tracks and that’s hard to see through the scope. Let’s scoot over here on him.
He’s very safe. He’s going to take his shell out. My dad is a very, very safe guy. I’m gonna refocus here real quick. Very safe with a gun.
GLEN: (Whispering) I’ve got to sit down some. Stretch my legs out.
WOODS: Here, put this up. Put that under you if you want, dad.
GLEN: Thank you, son.
WOODS: Tell me about your hunt down in Georgia, when you shot that big buck.
GLEN: Well, he was through the brush and I had to crawl, uh, I was in deer stand. He was about 200 yards. And I couldn’t find an opening through the trees right where I was at and I had to lay down in the bottom of the stand. He stood there and I shot him. And it was a nice 10 point. It really looked good. The only one my wife ever let me mount. I’ve got it hanging on the wall. And I really appreciate it.
WOODS: (Whispering) Which one do you want to shoot? My dad is glued on those deer. I mean he is glued on them.
He’s getting ready to shoot.
[Shot]
WOODS: My dad just made a huge shot.
Huh, let’s do it again, let’s do it again.
If I can get on her.
He’s gonna stop her and shoot again.
[Shot]
WOODS: And I’m betting that’s two for two. 79 years old; on his knees, wallowing around. Two for two, I’m more than willing to bet because I know my dad.
People ask me how I learned to shoot and hunt. And I can’t think of any better demonstration of how I learned to shoot and hunt than what you just saw.
WOODS: (Whispering) Okay. I’m back to the camera. And those deer, all those are bucks. Some small. Some bigger. Are going around the doe, my dad’s, a doe, my dad shot earlier. So, I often hear people talk about getting out of their stand and moving deer. And by far, you’re making more disturbance by you going out and dragging that deer and getting your scent everywhere.
So, this is a great lesson. When you shoot a doe, you don’t get out of your stand and go move it, thinking it’s gonna spook other deer. If anything, it’s an attraction. And usually, a neutral. But, here you can see this three and a half year-old buck just checking it out and checking it out. Other deer standing around checking it out. Obviously, it is not spooking the deer. A lot of good lessons here. This particular footage. There’s another buck and another smaller buck…and another smaller buck.
The lesson here is that: do not get down, walk across that field, let the wind blow your scent everywhere and move that deer you’ve already harvested, because a dead deer, freshly killed deer, is a good attraction.
WOODS: If you could say any one thing to all the other hunters out there listening, what advice would you give them?
GLEN: Hunt safe. Don’t get excited and get hurt. Enjoy the hunt. Take your children to hunt if you can or your wife. Whoever it is. But, always enjoy the hunt. Never make it a hard pressure. It’s something that bears on people, it makes them nervous and they don’t do good, but always help people. Help them hunt. Help them get their deer.
WOODS: I really hope you enjoyed that hunt as much as I did. I want you to remember a big trend across America. Big campaign to take a kid hunting or be a mentor. Let’s don’t forget the other side of that. Take your mentor hunting. Take those guys that poured their life into you and show some appreciation by taking them out hunting. It’s a fabulous experience to give back to someone. Especially someone who introduced you into hunting.
Okay. Coming to you live from the Shot Show in Las Vegas. Wishing I was out in the deer woods with you, growing deer somewhere. So, thanks so much for watching GrowingDeer.tv.
GLEN: I appreciate this ole’ cow shed. It’s really done a good job.