Back in August we loaded up and headed north to New York with Black Creek Sports to set a 360 on the home farm at Genesis Wildlife Group. Five-foot tower, trailer kit, archery windows all the way around. We said at the time we were looking forward to seeing Ray Reeves and his family hunt out of it this fall.
Well, here it is. And it's better than we hoped.
Ray sent this over, and we're going to get out of the way and let him tell it.
Setting the stage
"Earlier this year we set our very first 360 blind on the home farm, with the anticipation of the archery season. This year, it wasn't about myself or my sons as much as it was for the third generation to be able to finally pick up a bow and hunt. The Lord has been very gracious to myself and my family, and one of the blessings he's allowed me is to be able to see my family, generation after generation, adopt the hunting heritage."
That's the part that gets us. The blind went in with a purpose, and the purpose was a kid.
October, and a lot of close calls
"Finally October is here, and evening after evening, sometimes three even four of us huddled up in the 360 with the anticipation of Bub, my oldest grandson, being able to harvest his first bow buck. And it seemed as they would always elude us, just out of range."
Three and four people in the blind, night after night. That's a lot of sits for a young hunter to stay patient through, and a lot of bodies to keep quiet and out of sight. That's exactly the job the blind was there to do.
November 3
On the night it finally came together, Bub had his dad Ben right behind him in the blind. Here's Ray:
"Then the night of November 3, with a couple of doe and a small buck feeding through the food plot, here he comes, the eight point he's been waiting for, and he's walking straight to us. What seemed like a forever walk, he finally stopped, but he stopped just outside of Bub's comfort zone of 30 yards and started feeding along with the others.
"With every click of the rangefinder it seemed as the daylight hours were beginning to wane. Then suddenly, with a heavy shaking whisper, Bub says 'he's at 30,' and now the moment of truth is upon us.
"With his father over his shoulder coaching every move, Bub drew and settled the pin, with the rest of us holding our breath. The next thing we see is a blaze of green as the lighted nock streaks away from the blind. The broadhead finds its mark just behind his right shoulder, and at that point the energy and volume gets turned up as his father confidently yells 'you smoked him, you smoked him Bub, you did it!'"
What it all added up to
"At this point all the work and preparation throughout the spring, summer, and fall, the countless mornings and evenings watching Bubby target practice, all the efforts of setting blinds and tree stands, have culminated to this one instance and has made everything, as a father and grandfather, worth it all.
"We continue to give the Lord the credit for the blessings he brings into our lives and every moment we can spend with family. We're very grateful and blessed for the relationship that we have with the 360 family and their continued commitment to quality. Thank you, 360 Hunting Blinds."
Ray Reeves, Genesis Wildlife Group
From all of us at 360
Three generations in one blind. A grandfather who built the whole thing around giving a kid a chance, Ben coaching over his son's shoulder, and a young man who kept his head when an eight point stopped at 29 and change.
Congratulations, Bub. And thank you, Ray, for letting us be a small part of it. This is the stuff we build these things for.
Got a #Hunt360 story of your own? We want to hear it. And if you've been thinking about getting the next generation in the woods with you, head to our Find a Dealer page, punch in your zip code, and somebody near you can get you squared away.