Lil_Fish
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This story started this year when my little girl didn't draw a deer tag this year but I did and signed up in the mentor program. We went to the range 4 times and shot two boxes of shells before the hunt. She was nervous and frustrated at times but she pushed through. Then the day before the Utah General deer hunt came. We woke up Friday morning packed the truck and drove to where i grew up hunting and camping. We set up camp in the usual spot and made lunch. While making lunch some ruffed grouse came into camp and we decided to invite them for dinner. Once lunch was cleaned up and grouse cleaned we went up the road where i could get service to tell my dad where we were camped so he could join us on Saturday. We then gathered wood and did other camp chores that would make us comfortable because we were staying until Monday afternoon. Once the chores were all done we decided to go spot at the regular spots where we usually find a few bucks. We didn't find as many as i found during the muzzleloader hunt but we found three bucks and made a plan on a four point we saw right before dark. It was a harsh night with the wind blowing all night and between the excitement of my daughters first hunt and the wind we did not get much sleep. We woke up at 6am got dressed and i made some coffee. We got in the truck about 6:45 and drove to our destination. During the drive she told me that she was nervous and i told her that made two of us because I wanted her to get a chance and that i wanted her to be successful. We arrived to out the spot where the 4 point was and we were drinking coffee in the front seat of the truck and two does ran right in front of the truck. I was looking up the hill and something didnt look right and pulled up my glasses and there was the buck about 300 yards from us. Knowing my daughter couldnt make that shot we made a plan got our gear and started the plan stocking this buck. We got the wind in our favor and started to follow the tree line up the hill and stopping numerous times to make sure we were not huffing and puffing when we got to the top. Right before we crested the hill we stopped for a while to catch our breath while I am tell her that when we get in top we are going to wait and glass to see where he is. We moved forward stopped to catch our breath while i am glassing and i cant find him. We get more on top where it is flattening out along a tree line and i catch movement and i pull up glasses and there he is walking right to us at around 100 yards. My daughter can shoot well at that range. We take a knee i adjust the shooting sticks so she can take a standing shot because the brush is to tall for her to take any other shot. We sat there for a little bit calmed our nerves and stood up and i can see the buck perfectly broadside at now 90 yards but she couldnt because how short she is. She could only see his back. So we moved forward very slowly watching the buck. We moved about 10 yards closer and she could see him but it was through some brushy aspen and so we side stepped until she had an opening to shoot through. I asked her if she could take that shot and she said i think so. I said when you are comfortable take the shot and right after i finshed saying that she pulled the trigger and that buck fell. We were both so excited we were both embracing each other and crying. We were done with our hunt at 7:50 on Saturday morning. The hugging and high fives have not stopped. On the way back to camp i told her see what happens when you stick with it through the frustration and nervousness and emotions, you get rewarded. We said a prayer and thanked God for thw opportunity take a good buck in his creation that he made fire us. My dad was not able to join us for the morning hunt but he was there to help us break down camp and get off the mountain before the storm came. There is nothing that makes me happier than watching kids take their first animal. I tell people all the time i have more fun watching other people harvest than me harvesting.
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