FIRST HUNTS: WINNI

Written by Winni, Age 10: Idaho

My family, including me, LOVES to hunt,

so that’s why I’m going to tell you about

my first deer harvest... 

My family and I scouted and hunted for many days before the harvest day. I was trying to remember how many days it was, but I eventually lost count.  Sometimes we would get so close that the buck would be in the scope, but each of those times it either wasn’t the right one, it got spooked, or shooting light ran out on us.

It was often just my dad and I hunting (so that we could have some special time together.) Sometimes my brother would tag along to help us look and this time my sister decided she wanted to come with us, too. My mom stayed back this time (but later you will realize she was quite some help.) 
It was later in the evening and we hiked for a very long time. It was hot and steep, but fun. On the way back, it was pitch black out. The moon was beautiful and gave us quite a bit of light.  
God’s creation is so beautiful and I knew that any time we didn’t get a chance of getting anything, GOD had a better plan than my own. 

So, my siblings, my dad , and I took off again. We saw many groups of deer. One was pretty far and my dad didn’t think that it would work out. My brother was set on seeing how close he could get to them, so he and my sister went off while my dad and I stayed back to see what else we could find. Then, just as my dad turned his head, he saw a nice buck! He made the “signal” to my siblings (which meant ‘come this way I found something.’) The buck was kind of far, it would be quite a bit of hiking.  I was so excited and knew this should be the time but I trusted GOD.   
 
Just as we settled in to get comfortable and wait, dad said we needed to get closer. We had to depart from my siblings so that we could go ahead while they stayed back a bit.   
 
It was time to make the real move.  
 
It took quite a while to get it in the scope but when I was ready, I just waited for my dad to tell me “ok.”  
Then dad had a feeling we needed to get even closer.  
 
We snuck as quiet as possible to get to the perfect spot. I got it in the scope again. I sneakily tilted my daddy’s old hat, the one that he wore when he was my age, so that I could see.  
My dad gave my siblings the ‘when you’re ready’ nod, just like he did before, and they started to make noise to  get the buck up from his bed in the thick tall sage.  

When it got up, it was broadside, perfectly, and I was ready!!  
The antlers sparkled in the sunlight, and my heart was racing.  

Finally, the bold sound of the shot filled the canyon!  

“He’s down!!!!” My dad whispered with joy!  
My siblings came tumbling down from above with big smiles.  

Of course pictures were taken with the beautiful mountains in the background.

God had done something wonderful! He blessed our whole family with meat and me with my first big-game animal!

The pack out was actually more of a drag out.

It was a blast!  

We came down to a little creek and that’s where we took a break in the shade and gutted the animal. There were beautiful flowers by the creek, and we all got out our snacks to eat before moving on.

Once we got to the bottom, where many fun memories were made, my mom met us with news that a warm dinner was waiting for us at home.  
We all smiled at the thought of this, because it was already dark by then.  
Stories were told at family dinner and I was so relieved that I finally could sleep in the next the morning! 

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.
And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 
Genisis 9:3