By Hank Forester
How long did it take you to harvest your first deer successfully?
Some new hunters can take multiple seasons, while others may find luck on their first hunt. I often wonder about these timeline’s effects on a new hunter. Is early success a positive progression, or does it detract from future participation? We'll need a study to know the truth, but it's fun to ponder.
Vincent L. Jackson, 58, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is on a multiple-season conquest for his first deer. Vincent, born at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, has been a long-time Michigan resident and aspiring hunter. Vincent mentioned he has distant family members and friends who hunted "once every two years" but no hunters in his immediate peer group.
Vincent enjoys "spending time with family and friends outdoors and learning new skills, " and hunting seems natural. "I want to learn to hunt because I am interested in learning new, transferable skills that I can share with my children and grandchildren. The ability to harvest sustainable protein for healthy food options is an attractive idea."
Vincent and I met at the Sharonville Shooting Range in early December. I was in Michigan for a scheduled hunt around our "Back40" property graciously donated to the National Deer Association (NDA) by Meateater. We ran a community-based Field to Fork program, a season-long mentored hunting program for ten new hunters based around the property and our local Southeast Michigan Branch.
This was our late season organized hunt. The entire group of new hunters and mentors had met at the same shooting range before deer season for training and taken advantage of an early antlerless season in September, where seven of our ten new hunters harvested their first deer. After this initial organized event, we offered follow-up opportunities with both archery and rifle seasons when new hunters and mentors schedules aligned.
Vincent was not a participant in this year's "Back40 to Fork" program. He participated in a nearby program in the fall of 2020 and hunted with Josh Hillyard – now the Whitetail Community Manager for First Lite. They struck out in the 2020 deer season but stayed in touch and ended up going turkey hunting in the spring of 2021, where Vincent got his first animal. Josh recounted the hunt, "We had talked before the hunt about expectations and what Vincent wanted out of the experience. As soon as we were able to identify legal birds, Vincent was ready to take the shot. He showed great patience as we waited for the two birds to separate and then made a perfect shot! He was super appreciative of the opportunity. We had a great time together, and he headed home with some fantastic table fare."
Vincent reiterated, "My previous Field to Fork experience was very informative, and it was fun to meet other like-minded people. My turkey hunt was the best hunting experience I've had, in that my mentor put me in a position to harvest a turkey and showed me how to field-dress the animal for consumption."
With our early season success on and around the Back40 property, we had some availability and reached out to Vincent to join us on our late-season hunt. I brought along the Mossberg Patriot 450 Bushmaster with the German Precision Optic (GPO) Spectra 1-6x24 that we had used previously at our New York event. The 450 Bushmaster is a straight-wall cartridge that is required in the area we were hunting in Michigan. The Mossberg Patriot rifle, with its walnut stock and 20" barrel, made for a fine deer rifle that shouldn't be overlooked outside of the restricted areas, mainly if you hunt in the woods and prefer a compact rifle. Again, the Lightning triggers are fantastic.
Vincent and I set up on the 50-yard range to get him comfortable and proficient on the rifle. We set out a few sight-in targets, and after checking the zero, I proceeded to call out different spots on the target, and he'd promptly take a shot. I don't think Vincent missed a bullseye by more than an inch as we burned through a box or two of Remington ammunition. Vincent, who has prior shooting experience mainly with AR-style rifles, observed, "I thought that the Mossberg 450 Bushmaster was a very capable firearm for a novice to take the game. The optic was very easy to use and provided an excellent sight picture of the target."
As we were walking back to our vehicles, my phone rang, and it was Josh. He had tagged out on an out-of-state hunt and would be back in time to take Vincent afield the next day.
We all met at the Jerome County Market early the next afternoon to go for an evening sit. It was right around freezing and depending on where the ten mentor/mentee pairs were hunting; they experienced a wintery mix of freezing rain in some areas to big flakes of snow in others.
We sent Vincent and Josh to long-time NDA member John Knevel's property, where we thought they'd have the best chance to harvest a deer. Luck was not on their side that evening, but they enjoyed sitting while watching deer out of range. "Josh is the absolute best, very willing to share his knowledge and insight and encouragement. He and I talk a lot about what to look at and listen to. He is very patient and willing to answer all of my questions!"
On the other side of John's property that evening, John sat with Emily Barrett as she bagged her first deer. We also had another first deer taken off the Back40 property by Forrest Waggoner, seated with mentor Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt and Meateater, who made the Back40 famous.
All the hunters and mentors reconvened for a culinary social. One of our previously successful new hunters cooked a Mexican-themed venison meal for the group. It was cold outside, so we sat around the gas firepit, sharing some beverages and listening to the new hunters and mentors tell their stories of the program and hunts.
Vincent told the group what the experiences had meant to him and spoke of his future. "My plan moving forward is to continue learning and participate in hunting turkey and deer along with small game. I'd eventually like to go on the road and bag game in another state."
And I know it's a genuine sentiment because Vincent ended his latest email to me the same:
"I want to thank you'll for this truly great experience. I hope I can partake again and successfully harvest a deer! Willing to travel to make that happen!"
We're going to make that happen!
