"Patience is the key to success" I kept trying to remind myself as I sat in my ground blind anxiously waiting for a buck to step in my cross hairs. It was a cold day September 24 and I was hunting in Atlanta, Michigan with Grandpa Webb because unfortunately my dad was working and wasn’t able to come up. I was very disappointed that once again, I wouldn’t be hunting with my dad kid’s weekend, but then again I was with someone who was the only other person that was as close as my dad actually being there, and that was my Grandpa Webb. I was, on the other hand really happy my mom was able to go hunting with me. She seems to always keep me entertained, and keeps my spirits high when I feel like giving up.

Earlier in September, Webb and my dad were scouting out good spots for us to hunt when the season finally came around. Three different bucks were said to be in the area I was going to be hunting and I was getting really excited. I knew that this kids’ weekend was going to be different because I was doing something I have never done before. I was hunting for a buck. See the thing is, usually when I was hunting, buck or doe it didn’t matter and I would shoot it. I thought I’d go for more of a challenge and hunt buck only.

So at the crack of dawn, before the roosters even thought about waking up, I was getting dressed and almost ready to head out and go hunting. Grandpa Webb came and picked me up, and we headed off to my blind. When we got in the blind and got situated, I sat there and thought about everything my dad told me before I left home he told me to take my time with my shot, and as always, shoot straight. I began to doze off as I sat there and waited for daylight. As the sun slowly began to rise, I could hear some of the animals wake up and finally it wasn’t as boring. About three hours later a bird hunter came through the area with his dog. So with us knowing that no deer would show up in the area we left and went over one hill which was about 50-60 yards away and sat up against a tree. We had no cover really at all and had to sit even quieter then before while not moving a muscle. After about a half-hour, I heard a loud rustling of leaves from behind us. As it got louder I slowly started to turn around so I could see what was there. It was a small four pointer who was kind of running/galloping around, he had no idea Gramps and I were there. At about twenty minutes after the four pointer left, Gramps tapped me on the shoulder and said " Jylyna slowly turn around and your buck is walking right in front of you."

I slowly looked in front of me because I was still turned the other way and I saw him. I didn’t really realize how many points he was because it was kind of a blur since I was so nervous. Grandpa told me it was an eight point and that’s all I needed to know. I tried to slowly adjust my legs to the side so I could grab my shooting sticks and get situated. As I moved my legs over and set my shooting sticks up, it slipped a little and made the leaves rustle a little more loud then it should have. I quickly looked to see if he was still there because I thought the noise would startle him, but luckily it didn’t. I set my stock on the sticks and looked for the deer through my sight. When I looked, I realized his front shoulder was covered up by a stump just tall enough to cover up the kill zone and I knew he was not going to move. I quickly remembered a conversation my dad and I had a few days before I left to go hunting. It was a coincidence because he told me if for some reason I didn’t have a shot at the front shoulder, aim for the neck. So, remembering what my dad had told me, I aimed a little lower than the front white fur on his neck and slowly pulled the trigger. He immediately dropped in his tracks and a huge smile came across my face. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and just sat there for a few minutes because I was so nervous. I looked over at Pops and a surprised smile came upon his face. I knew he didn’t know I was going to shoot, he probably figured I was going to wait a little bit until he took a few steps forward, but I surprised him as much as I surprised myself.

After waiting about 25-30 minutes we walked up to my buck and the first thing I wanted to do was call my dad. Now since ya’ll may not really know my dad that well he is a very energetic individual when he’s happy or excited. I knew he would be on his toes all afternoon at work since it was my last day of hunting and he knew there were bucks in the area. The phone rang about once because I’m sure he recognized the number and knew we had some kind of news for him. " Hey Dad, I got him!" I said as soon as he picked up the phone. And on the other line all you could hear was a very loud "YES!" he yelled at little bit more and told just about every person in the shop that he was really excited because his daughter just shot her first buck. After calming him down a little bit I told him what happened and where I had to end up shooting it. He said for some reason before I left to go hunting, he felt that he needed to tell me about where to shoot it just in case a shoulder shot was not available. We hung up with him after a little bit and I called my mom and aunt who were around in the area, to come and see what I had got because just as excited my dad was, I knew my mom would be just as happy.

After the big trip up north we came home and took it to the DNR to get it aged and scored. My buck was about two and a half years old and scored 117 5/8. I was so proud of myself for sticking with my buck-only rule, sitting out in my blind for fifteen hours the day before I actually shot my buck, and I was proud of the daring shot I took. My dad, mom, and Grandpa Webb really make me the hunter I am today, from all the compliments I get from them and other people I just feel like the compliments should be going to those three people. I know I’m the one that takes the shots and goes out there to hunt, but without them teaching me what I know now, I wouldn’t know anything.

I want to thank my dad and pops for taking their hunting time to find the spot for me, taking the time to scout it right and learn the activities of the bucks in that area. I want to thank my mom for going out there with me in the blind. She really kept me entertained, and kept my hopes and spirits high. I also want to thank Pops for being more than willing to take me hunting since my dad was not able to. I have just as much fun hunting with Pops as I do hunting with my dad. Last but not least I want to thank my mom and dad again for supporting me with hunting, teaching me everything they know, and always encouraging me to do my best not in just hunting but in everything I do.

Shooting my first buck really meant a lot to me. I learned about myself as well, things I never knew before. My dad tells me I have nerves of steel because I can be really nervous when the deer first comes in and then completely stop when I am about to shoot. I was so happy when I shot that buck because I proved to myself that yes I know you can’t eat the horns on a buck, but it sure does give you a feeling of confidence when you shoot one, its fine to get just excited about shooting a doe as well because once you don’t get that exciting chill and get the shakes when seeing a deer either in a tree-stand or in a ground-blind, it’s time to give up hunting. If your not happy with doing it… What is the point?