Member's Hunt: Proud of Her First

by
posted on July 17, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
mh_proud_of_her_first.jpg

By Arthur E. Tome, Bowdoinham, Maine

I have been deer hunting for more than 70 years and I’ve got to say that one November, I had the pleasure of experiencing one of the most exciting hunts of my life. It was Nov. 4, and we were hunting out of my son’s camp in Embden, Maine. My two sons and I arrived at camp on Thursday evening and were in our stands before daylight the next morning. At about 8 a.m. I had a massive buck walk by my stand, but was unable to get a clear shot at him.

That afternoon, my grandson’s girlfriend, Ashley, arrived at camp and was very anxious to go deer hunting. She stayed out until quitting time and had a doe come by, but with a buck-only permit, she had to pass on the deer. That evening, my grandson, Evan, who was working in northern Maine, called Ashley, and said he was going to be passing close by with a piece of heavy equipment. He wanted Ashley to meet him and travel home with him to drop off the equipment, which she did. They didn’t arrive back at the camp until 1 o’clock the next morning.

Although she was running on little sleep, Ashley was the first one up in the morning, making her the first one out the door to her stand. My two sons and I were all sitting in different locations, and at about 8 o’clock that morning I heard a single shot come from the direction that Ashley was sitting. Within the next 10 minutes, I heard four shots come from the direction that one of my sons was sitting. I got a text from my son saying he had shot a nice 8-point buck and that he had talked to Ashley who had shot at a buck, but was unsure if she hit it.

My two sons and I dragged the 8-pointer back to camp. In the meantime, Ashley had gone back to camp to get Evan to help her look for the deer she thought she had shot. They soon discovered that she had hit the deer and began following a scant blood trail. We caught up with them, and assisted with the tracking for another hour. We realized that we were getting near a main road and didn’t want to push the deer across the road if the buck was still alive. We sat Ashley and Evan down, and my son and I circled down toward the road and headed back toward them.

We hadn’t gone 100 yards when my son called me over, and there was Ashley’s deer, a nice 6-point buck! I went to get Ashley and told her we had found some new sign and wanted her to come help us. When she got to where the deer was and saw her buck, she was beyond thrilled. I have never seen anyone get that excited about finding a deer. She has been deer hunting since she was a teenager, and this was the first deer she had ever shot. I asked her if it was going to bother her to watch us field-dress the deer, to which she replied, “No, I got on YouTube and learned how to dress one earlier.” The excitement of that first kill still shows on her face to this day whenever someone talks to her about her hunt.

Hearing her tell her version of her hunt is even more heart-pounding. She was sitting in her stand when a big buck came across the opening. She was ready to shoot him but he disappeared behind a ravine out of sight. When he came out of the ravine, he was almost into the woods and she was unable to get a shot at him. Trying to shake off the buck fever that had taken over, she took out her phone and pulled up a deer app that had deer calls on it and tried to call the buck back out. Another buck popped his head up and came running toward her and stopped. He was 130 yards away and Ashley ended her hunt with a single, fabulous shot from her .243 Winchester.

I couldn’t be more proud that I was there to witness her first deer kill. Ashley got her bowhunting safety certification this year and is looking forward to hunting with a bow. She has a lifetime hunting license, and with her enthusiasm for hunting she will be a wonderful role model for other women interested in the sport.

Do you have an exciting, unusual or humorous hunting experience to share? 
Send your story (800 words or less) to [email protected] or to American Hunter, Dept. MH, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA. 22030-9400. Please include your NRA ID number.  Good quality photos are welcome. Make sure you have permission to use the material. Authors will not be paid, and manuscripts and photos will not be returned. All material becomes the property of NRA.

Latest

BTB 7Mm RUM Lead
BTB 7Mm RUM Lead

Behind the Bullet: 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum

Launching a 160-grain bullet in excess of 3200 fps, the 7mm RUM is among the fastest commercially loaded 7mm cartridges available.

USFWS Debuts 2025-2026 Federal and Junior Duck Stamps

The 2025-2026 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp—commonly known as the Duck Stamp—became available for purchase on June 27, 2025.

Tested: Work Sharp Professional Precision Adjust Elite Knife Sharpener

Digital Associate Editor walks viewers through the features of the Work Sharp Professional Precision Adjust Elite Knife Sharpener, the perfect tool for a hunter looking to keep all his knives factory sharp season after season.

Recipe: Green Curried Black Bear

Green curry sauce is an excellent base for simmering bear meat, making it flavorful, tender, and safe to consume. Read on for another instant classic recipe from Brad Fenson.

Coyotes to Competitions: An AR-Build for Accuracy

ARs make great coyote guns. But what would the absolute best coyote rifle look like? Digital Associate Editor David Herman builds his take on the best AR for shooters who like to plug coyotes in the winter, and ring steel all summer long.

Pennsylvania Governor Signs Sunday Hunting Bill

Legislation that will fully repeal Pennsylvania’s Sunday hunting ban was signed into law on July 9.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.