It was early December, 2005, two days after my birthday. I had been hunting all week and I hadn't seen anything. It was really chilly, and I was sitting in our double treestand in the woods with my dad. We got there around 7:00 or so, and I was feeling pretty hopeless after a week of seeing nothing. My dad, uncle, and grandfather were set on having me at least see something.
   
It was around 8:00, and I heard a loud gunshot from across the field next to the woods. Then I saw this deer running into the woods behind the treestand and I heard my dad whisper, Katelyn, get ready." He was as excited as I was. My heart was beating fast. The deer started to slow down, and it started walking toward us. I was really shaking, and we were trying to get the deer to turn broadside and get a little closer. My dad kept telling me "Just wait." After four or five minutes, the deer did turn broadside and my dad whispered, "Ok, let her have it." I placed the crosshairs on the deer, closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. To my surprise when I opened my eyes, the deer was laying on the ground. It was still kicking though. I had expected it to run away like they always do on the hunting videos, or that I'd missed it. 

I'm not sure who was more excited; me or my dad. I mean, he looked like he was about ready to jump out of the treestand! He told me to stay put while he got down. He said we might have to shoot it again. But by the time he got to the deer it was dead, it was still kicking a little though. I was crying because I was so happy and proud. Then I saw my grandfather come out of the woods, he hugged me and we went over to look at my deer. Soon after, the landowner and my uncle came over. The landowner was the one who shot at the deer first, but missed. 

It's weird how I remember that moment so clearly, but it was just...amazing. It wasn't a big deer; a button buck, but I'm proud of it just the same. You can never really describe how it feels to be out there and see a deer, how you get so shaky and you get all excited, let alone shoot one. But I consider that deer my belated birthday present.